Are you interested in a career making a difference in the lives of children? A degree in child and adolescent development will give you a strong start.
Why Study Child and Adolescent Development?
The study of child and adolescent development provides broad undergraduate preparation for careers working in a wide variety of settings with children, youth and families from diverse backgrounds.
You'll study the developmental processes that occur from conception through the end of adolescence. You'll gain a comprehensive overview of typical and atypical development through exploration of biological, cognitive and psychosocial developmental milestones.
Why Study Child and Adolescent Development at CSUN?
Options for Every Interest
As a Child and Adolescent Development major, you'll choose one of two options: early child development or applied developmental science. If you're ready for an academically enriched undergraduate experience, you can participate in the department's honors program.
Connections
You'll benefit from the department’s many connections to leaders in the field. These partnerships, some going back decades, put you in close contact with potential mentors and future employers.
Internships
You can choose to complete a year-long academic internship at an approved local community agency contracted with the department, or on campus under the supervision of a department faculty member. The agencies in the community represent a broad spectrum of settings and career opportunities in the field of child and adolescent development.
What You'll Learn
In our innovative degree program, you will experience meaningful active learning experiences far beyond what typical undergraduate programs provide. Through various hands-on activities, laboratories, field trips, service learning, study abroad, and internships, you will gain a well-rounded educational experience that allows you to effectively apply what you have learned in the classroom. You will learn to collaborate and communicate with peers, professors, and professionals in the field as well as develop your own critical thinking skills. You will also be encouraged by your professors to take ownership of your learning and apply your academic knowledge to real-world scenarios. Through meaningful activities both in- and outside of the classroom, you will be challenged to think creatively, work collaboratively, and solve problems. These powerful active learning experiences, coupled with the rich mentoring relationships you will have with our award-winning and nationally recognized department faculty will well position you for success and opportunities across your lifetime. Additionally, you will learn the importance of lifelong learning and be encouraged to develop your own ideas and interests in order to become a successful, independent learner. Your professors will work with you to develop short-term and long-term professional goals and assist you in being prepared for life after graduation.
Careers & Outcomes
The B.A. in Child and Adolescent Development at Cal State Northridge is the perfect undergraduate major for those interested in professional careers across a wide range of fields. Immediately after graduation, you can begin work as an early childhood education teacher, an assistant case manager, a youth program/camp director, a research assistant or lab manager, and a number of other positions. You will also be prepared to matriculate into graduate/professional programs across a wide range of fields, including child clinical psychology, school psychology, school counseling, clinical social work, marriage and family therapy/counseling, early childhood education, K-12 education, child and family law, nursing, pediatric occupational therapy, early intervention, behavior therapy, developmental/education research, and a host of others.