Master of Science
in Child & Adolescent
Developmental Psychology

This course is an introduction to graduate studies in child and adolescent development. In this course, current and historical theories, major developmental principles, and research in child and adolescent development will be explored. In addition, graduate-level skills—such as academic integrity, effective use of the University Library, comprehension of complex scholarly texts and research articles, and use of APA format and style in professional communication—are also introduced. Students will complete the course with a roadmap to navigate their way to completion of their educational aspirations.

Prenatal and early childhood development comprises multiple processes, including physical and biological, cognition and language, and socioemotional development. During this course, students will trace the development of each of these processes throughout the prenatal and early childhood periods. Using discipline related research skills; students will analyze the latest research in the field, and will emerge with a grounding not only in classic theory but also in current research directions. The diverse social context in which development occurs will also be critically examined, including how the role of family, school, and peers impacts development.

This course focuses on physical, cognitive, and psychosocial development from childhood through adolescence. Students will gain an understanding of the physical, cognitive, and psychosocial development that occurs during childhood and adolescence, guided by theories of human development and scholarly literature. Diverse factors that protect, promote, and pose risks to development will be considered. This course will provide students an opportunity to strengthen their information literacy skills, build upon their academic writing skills, and reflect on interventions that promote development for children and adolescents.

This course is designed to provide a basic understanding of gender development in children and adolescents. Students will explore theoretical explanations of gender development and the latest research on this topic. They also will learn how cognitive, social, biological, and cultural influences impact gender development, identity, and perception into adolescence.

Upon the completion of this course, you will develop an understanding of the strengths and limitations of qualitative and quantitative approaches to research design. As a result of this newfound knowledge, you will become a more educated and discerning consumer of the existing published research. In addition, you will be more informed on how to effectively and ethically use these different research methods when designing research studies.

This course explores the etiology of child and adolescent behavior disorders. Students will examine the sociobiocultural influences on abnormal child and adolescent development. Theoretical underpinnings and classifications of abnormal child and adolescent development including familial attributes will be explored.

This course provides you with an opportunity to apply the Ethical Principles specifically in the setting of Child and Adolescent Developmental Psychology. You will develop an understanding of basic ethical concepts in the framework of Child and Adolescent Developmental Psychology. This course also emphasizes the importance of knowing state laws and regulations, which may differ from the ethics standards established by the American Psychological Association or other national organizations. You also will assess the impact of culture and personal values on professional behavior in the area of Child and Adolescent Psychology.

This course introduces the graduate student to the calculation, use, and interpretation of descriptive statistics and inferential statistical analysis. The emphasis of this course is on providing a working knowledge of basic statistical concepts and helping students to understand statistical methodologies used in psychology, and, more generally, to develop a working knowledge of statistical usage in everyday life.

This course evaluates two prevalent neurodevelopmental disorders: Attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and autism spectrum disorders (ASD) that present in Child and Adolescent Developmental psychology settings. You will examine theoretical underpinnings and research in ADHD and ASD. You also will examine various diagnostic approaches, their origins, and interventions as applied to each disorder. You also will learn about the combined effects of ADHD and ASD.

The Capstone course in Child and Adolescent Developmental Psychology is an opportunity to demonstrate a range of professional competencies and communication skills, reflecting the knowledge, critical thinking, sensitivity to ethics and diversity, and appreciation of research that has been acquired during the MS program. The Capstone course culminates in a review of the evidence based practices related to a specific issue of interest to the student in Child and Adolescent Developmental Psychology.

Students seeking a master’s degree in Child and Adolescent Developmental psychology may opt to complete their degree by taking an internship in Child and Adolescent Developmental psychology instead of the Capstone course. During the internship experience, students will meet weekly with their assigned University professor as well as their approved internship site supervisor to discuss their experiences. Weekly assignments include submission of required evaluations and preparation for the final theoretically grounded presentation summarizing the internship experience. Internship experiences are designed to guide candidates through specific standards-aligned experiences with resulting growth in competencies demonstrated through application in practice.