Child Development

College of Health, Human Services, and Nursing
Department of Child Development

Program Description

The ﬁeld of Child Development is dedicated to understanding how individuals change over time from conception through adolescence. Knowledge of developmental processes and the factors that influence development is essential for effectively working with children and for making sound decisions regarding their welfare and promoting individual success. The program in Child Development includes in-class and ﬁeld experiences to prepare students to become knowledgeable and effective child and family professionals. Foundational coursework prepares students to master the basics of development across different developmental periods. As students advance through the program, they take specialized courses to develop a deeper understanding of the factors related to development, its study, and its application.

Features

The Child Development major is a single-ﬁeld major. A minor is not required. The program offers students the opportunity to work in the ﬁeld as well as receive rigorous scientiﬁc training. The curriculum spans the period of infancy through adolescence, thus preparing students for working with any age group. Specialized courses such as one on immigrant children or child and family policy provide concrete linkages to the challenges of growing up in diverse settings and of the powerful social and political contexts that shape children’s development.

Academic Advisement

New students are required to see an academic advisor before enrolling in the classes. Students may call the Student Services Center at (310) 243-2120, WH 220. Students are encouraged to use the Smart Planner to plan and enroll in their courses and need to bring their completed Smart Planner report to any advising appointment. Please use this link for information and tutorials: https://www.csudh.edu/registrar/registration/.

Preparation

High school students are encouraged to develop strong competencies in English, mathematics, and the social, behavioral, and life sciences. Both lower and upper-division courses in the major require substantive writing, analytical and critical thinking skills, and a comprehensive understanding of research methods. Thus, adequate academic preparation is strongly advised.

Transfer students should take equivalents of CDV 150 Intro Child Development and MAT 131 Elementary Statistics & Probability, MAT 132 Elementary Statistics & Probability with Algebra Review, or PSY 230 Elementary Statistical Analysis in Psychology.

Graduation With Honors

An undergraduate student may graduate with Honors in Child Development provided that the following criteria are met:

A minimum of 36 units in residence at CSU Dominguez Hills.
A minimum grade point average of 3.5 in all courses used to satisfy the upper-division requirements in Child Development.
Recommendation by the faculty in the department or program in which the honors are to be awarded.

Career Possibilities

The Bachelor of Science degree in Child Development provides a basis for diverse professional careers including – but not limited to – early childhood and K-12 education, parent education, youth counseling, program development and administration for at-risk or special needs youth, case management in governmental agencies, occupational/ behavioral/speech therapy, social work, or child advocacy. Child development majors work in settings such as schools, family courts, hospitals, governmental agencies, and non-proﬁt agencies that deliver services to children and families, recreation programs, and for companies that manufacture products for children such as toys, books, and software, as well as in research settings. The degree also prepares students for credentialing programs and graduate studies.

Courses

CDV 150. Intro Child Development. (3 Units)

Overview of physical, cognitive, social and emotional development from conception through the end of adolescence; theoretical advances in child development; individual and contextual contribution to developmental processes.

Offered Fall, Spring

CDV 180. Introduction to Observation and Assessment. (4 Units)

Prerequisites: CDV 150 required. Overview of and introduction to methods of studying children; the basic research paradigm; observational methods; ethical issues in the study of children; generation and interpretation of data. 1 unit of observations of children in different settings. Department consent required.

Offered Fall

CDV 225. Infant Development - FROZEN. (4 Units)

Prerequisites: Live Scan and current negative TB documentation. CDV 180. Development from conception through 2 years; changes through prenatal period; birth; development of attachment; infant care issues. 3 hours of lecture, 1 unit of observation in infant-care settings.

Offered Infrequent

CDV 240. Early Childhood Development and Curriculum. (4 Units)

Prerequisites: CDV 150. Examines developmentally appropriate curriculum and teaching strategies from 2 to 6 years of age. Connections between curriculum and children's physical, cognitive, social and emotional development are examined. Includes 1 unit of curriculum development activities.

Offered Spring

CDV 295. Special Topics in Child Development. (1-5 Units)

Prerequisite: CDV 150 is required. Contemporary topics of interest in Child Development.

Offered Fall, Spring

CDV 320. Mthd & Analysis in Child Study. (4 Units)

Prerequisites:CDV 150 and MAT 131 or MAT 132 or PSY 230 are required. Junior Standing is recommended. Various methods used to study children; quantitative and qualitative data; measurement issues; basic data analytic techniques. 3 hours lecture, 1 hour lab. A grade of C or better in this course fulfills the GWAR requirement for Child Development majors.

Offered Fall, Spring

CDV 325. Infancy and Early Childhood. (3 Units)

Prerequisite: CDV 150 is required. Provides an overview of physical, cognitive, social and emotional development from conception through 6 years.

Offered Fall, Spring

CDV 330. Schoolage Years. (3 Units)

Prerequisite: CDV 150 is required. Physical, cognitive, social and emotional development from 6 to 12 years. Emphasis on home, school, and community contexts and their interconnections; developmental analysis related to contemporary issues in areas of health and education.

Offered Fall, Spring

CDV 342. Advanced Observation and Assessment in Early Childhood. (3 Units)

Prerequisite: CDV 180 and CDV 240 are required. Observation and assessment methods in early childhood and their significance in guiding development and designing programs for children birth through 8 years.

Offered Spring

CDV 344. Supervision in Early Childhood Settings. (3 Units)

Prerequisites: CDV 180, CDV 240 and CDV 325 are required. Provides students with the methods and principles of supervising teachers, volunteers, student teachers, staff and other adults in early childhood education settings. An emphasis is placed on the development and role of early childhood professionals as mentors and leaders.

Offered Fall

CDV 360. Adolescence. (3 Units)

Prerequisite: CDV 150 is required. Physical, cognitive, social and emotional development from 12 to 20 years, focusing on developmentally unique changes at individual, interpersonal and social levels.

Offered Fall, Spring

CDV 363. Development in Diverse Contexts. (3 Units)

Prerequisites: CDV 320 CDV 325, CDV 330 and CDV 360. The development of the individual identity along multiple dimensions of age, gender and abilities in the contexts of class, culture, and ethnicity. Issues of hierarchies, the development of prejudice and discrimination at individual and institutional levels.

Offered Fall, Spring

CDV 366. Parenting. (3 Units)

Prerequisites: CDV 320, CDV 325, CDV 330, and CDV 360 are required. The development of the parent-child relationship from birth through young adulthood. Changes in attachment, intimacy and distance; changing demands of parenting with developmental changes in children, parents and the family.

Offered Fall, Spring

CDV 370. Enhancing Early Language and Literacy I. (3 Units)

Prerequisite: Jumpstart Corp member and department consent. Examines early language, literacy, and multi-lingual development with an emphasis on environmental factors. Provides techniques for engaging children in language and literacy activities and opportunities for students to evaluate and reflect on their civic engagement. Course open to Jumpstart Corps members only. Department consent required.

Offered Spring

CDV 372. Scl Devpt Intrpsnl Reltns. (3 Units)

Prerequisites: CDV 225, CDV 240, CDV 330 and CDV 360. Study of social and emotional development from birth through adolescence; development of the self; temperament and emotion; attachment, peer, parent-child, and early romantic relationships; interpersonal skills and moral development.

Offered Infrequent

CDV 380. Stress, Risk, & Resilience. (3 Units)

Prerequisites: CDV 320, CDV 325, CDV 330 and CDV 360 are required. Childhood stress is examined within a risk and resilience framework. Concepts and theories explaining developmental risk and the protective factors and intervention strategies that promote adaptive coping and adjustment in various contexts will be discussed.

Offered Fall, Spring

CDV 423. Chld Devpt Scl Policy. (3 Units)

Prerequisite:CDV 320, CDV 325, CDV 330, CDV 360, CDV 380 are required. Enduring issues related to children's development that have led to policy decisions; process of policy making; current issues that require policy decisions; evaluating the impact of policy on children and families.

Offered Fall, Spring

CDV 440. Immigrant Children and Families. (3 Units)

Prerequisites: CDV 320, CDV 325, CDV 330 and CDV 360 are required. The process of immigration as an influential factor in development; changing ecologies and adaptation demands on individuals and families; informal and formal support structures.

Offered Fall, Spring

CDV 442. Marriage, Family, and Community. (3 Units)

Prerequisite: CDV 320, CDV 325 and CDV 330 and CDV 360 are required. Examines family structure, love, mate selection, marital communication, divorce, remarriage, gender roles, and domestic violence across diverse contexts with a special focus on the factors that enhance healthy family relationships and children's development.

Offered Fall, Spring

CDV 444. Language, Cognition, and Schooling. (3 Units)

Prerequisite: CDV 320, CDV 325, CDV 330, and CDV 360 Theoretical and empirical overview of cognitive and language development from birth through the end of adolescence; second language acquisition; interconnections between cognitive development, language development and schooling.

Offered Fall, Spring

CDV 450. Devpt in Poverty. (3 Units)

Prerequisites: CDV 320, CDV 325, CDV 330, and CDV 360 Poverty as a unique context of development; developmental processes and child outcomes in poverty; family interactions and generation of coping mechanisms in the context of poverty; special needs of poor children

Offered Fall, Spring

CDV 490. Senior Seminar. (3 Units)

Prerequisites: 2.75 GPA, senior level standing, and department consent. Integration of knowledge about theories, empirical findings and practice in Child Development; emphasis on writing and presentation skills.

Offered Fall, Spring

CDV 492. Seminar in Child Development Research. (4 Units)

Prerequisite: Grade of B or better in CDV 320; 2.75 GPA and department concent are required. Provides students an opportunity to integrate knowledge about theories, empirical findings and research practices in child development. Students learn and apply research methods. An emphasis is placed on writing and presenting research reports for academic or non-academic audiences.

Offered Fall, Spring

CDV 494. Independent Study. (1-6 Units)

Prerequisites: Consent of instructor. Investigation of a single topic, chosen in consultation with a faculty member, culminating in a paper, presentation, or project. Repeatable course.

Offered Fall, Spring

CDV 495. Special Topics. (1-5 Units)

Prerequisites: Upper division standing. Contemporary topics of interest in Child Development. Repeatable course.

Offered As needed

CDV 496. Directed Field Experience. (4 Units)

Pre-requisite: Upper Division Standing, Department approval required. Must take Seminar and Supervision. Faculty supervised experience in any approved Child Development setting. Weekly seminar designed to facilitate the integration of Child Development knowledge and theory with students' fieldwork experience. students will examine and integrate personal and professional goals and values to gain an understanding of the self in a professional role. Each seminar provides an opportunity to share field experiences and problem solve.

Offered Fall, Spring

CDV 498. Directed Research. (1-6 Units)

Prerequisites: CDV 320 and consent of instructor are required. Project selected in consultation with a faculty supervisor and a plan made to implement the project; meetings held regularly. May be repeated to a maximum of 6 units.

Offered Fall, Spring

Child Development

Program Description

Features

Academic Advisement

Preparation

Graduation With Honors

Career Possibilities

Undergraduate Programs

Bachelor

Faculty

Courses

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