The program in Child Development provides a broad interdisciplinary background in the area of children and families. As the only four-year program in Maryland, it prepares students to work and/or teach others to work with children and their families. Emphasis is given to development within various family structures and to strategies for facilitating normal development. Students learn basic and applied concepts of human development and acquire skills in working with young children and their families with different abilities, and backgrounds in a variety of settings. In addition to classroom instruction, child development students spend part of several semesters working in the campus Child and Family Development Center and in off-campus social and human service agencies. Students choosing this option can broaden their career possibilities by completing courses in cognitive areas such as business, recreation, sociology, social work, or nutrition that complement the training in Child Development. Successful completion of the Child Development program also provides excellent preparation for graduate studies.
Departmental Requirements
The Child Development Program requires that all students, including those transferring to the Department from 2-year institutions, maintain a “C” in each course in their Program Core and Program Electives and a “C” average in General Education and Supportive Course Requirements. Individual programs may choose specific courses to fulfill General Education requirements. Students transferring into the department from another department or institution must have a 2.5 Cum GPA.
Child Development students are required to complete 400 clock-hours of internship and practicum experience designed to provide on-the-job training in the childcare/education field. Students must include a minimum of 12 credit hours of out-of-class experience. HUEC 400 and HUEC 450 , for three (3) credits and five (5) credits respectively, meet the out-of-class experience. Students should consult their advisor to select four (4) additional credits to meet the 12 credit hour requirement.
Career Opportunities
Potential employment opportunities include private child care facilities, hospital and clinic settings, recreation programs, health and social service agencies, and businesses. Students choosing this option can broaden their career possibilities by completing courses in cognitive areas such as business, exercise science, social work, or nutrition that complement the training in Child Development.
Search