Bachelor of Arts - Child and Adolescent Development - Early Childhood Development

Students learn ways to use basic and applied research to explore educational and mental health issues, including cultural processes, atypical developmental trajectories, resiliency, developmental transitions, motivation, physical and psychological well-being and major developmental milestones. The department is committed to an ecological model that examines developmental changes and processes across multiple contexts to identify human universals, as well as context-specific differences in human development.

The domains of cognitive and social development receive particular emphasis throughout the degree program. The program also emphasizes practical applications of theoretical and research-based knowledge gained in the classroom. Students are provided the opportunity to complete a department-sponsored year-long internship with selected community organizations and schools throughout the San Fernando Valley and greater Los Angeles area.

Students in the major complete coursework from multiple academic departments across the Cal State Northridge campus that centers around (a) general foundations of the field of human development, (b) in-depth exploration of social and cognitive development, (c) ways in which practitioners and scholars conduct and use research, (d) best-practices for practitioners, (e) exploration of cultural and linguistic influences throughout development, (f) identification of academic and professional pathways to pursue upon completion of the B.A. degree, and (g) developing breadth and/or depth of study through a robust menu of elective coursework.