Major

Major in Psychology with Concentration in Child and Adolescent Development (13 Courses)

Program

This Major in Psychology with a Concentration in Child and Adolescent Development trains students in the major areas of human development, including physical, cognitive, perceptual, social, personality, and emotional development, and exposes students to theory, research, and application of the developmental psychology field. In addition to a broad foundation in psychology across the lifespan, the coursework allows students to focus on the earlier developmental periods (e.g. childhood and adolescence). Students also have opportunities to take courses that focus on typical (e.g., common problems in childhood) and atypical development (e.g., abnormal child and adolescent development), as well as optimal functioning (e.g., raising happy and successful children, family psychology). This major is ideal for providing students with the background to pursue graduate degrees in a variety of areas such as Developmental Psychology, Human Development, Family Studies, Applied Behavior Analysis, School Psychology, Special Education, Counseling Psychology, Social Work, School Counseling, and Child Life programs. Many psychology-based graduate programs require a strong foundation in psychological theory and research and this major prepares students for such programs. The coursework also provides the research, conceptual, and applied background for students who may seek employment in organizations (e.g., schools or agencies) that work with children and adolescents that may or may not have developmental psychopathology or impairments.

Advising Tips

Although 13 courses are required for the major, students may take up to 14 psychology courses.
Students can begin to explore the major by taking any course that counts toward this major and concentration that does not have a prerequisite in the fall of their first year (PSY 101, PSY 210, PSY 281, PSY 290, PSY 216, PSY 240, PSY 253). Students entering with AP credit for PSY 101 should plan to take PSY 290 or PSY 281 in their first year.
Students must complete the research courses in the sequence of PSY 224, PSY 225. We recommend students take the courses in consecutive semesters unless they study abroad. PSY 225 is a prerequisite to PSY 390 and PSY 391, which may be taken as upper-level electives.
At least one course from each cornerstone is offered every semester. More than one cornerstone course may be taken at the same time.
Child and Adolescent Development Capstone Seminar courses allow students to go into greater depth in the field of child and adolescent development and have course prerequisite(s) (most capstone seminars are offered either in the fall or the spring and students need to plan ahead).
PSY 301 Internship in Psychology is currently only offered in the spring semester. Students are encouraged to take this course in the spring of the junior year to help guide career planning for entering the workforce or graduate school. This course required planning in the prior fall and permission by the chair to enroll.
Students may take an independent study (PSY 399) to gain more research experience. If this course is used to fulfill the upper-level elective requirement, the topic and mentor must be approved by the department chair.
ABA courses count as elective courses (PSY 253 is a prerequisite to all ABA courses).
To maintain the academic integrity of the major, transfer courses are approved under strict conditions. Students should consult with the department chair before registering for courses outside the day school of Assumption University.

To What Careers Does a Major in Psychology with Concentration in Child and Adolescent Development Lead?

The websites of the American Psychological Association and the Association for Psychological Science offer a wealth of information about the current state of the field and career paths.

Current topics:

Career paths:

Learn more about ABA:

https://www.abainternational.org/about-us/behavior-analysis.aspx

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Required Courses (10 Courses)

All of the courses below are required. In addition to these, students will need to take one additional Psychology elective to complete the Psychology major with this concentration. It is highly recommended that interested students declare this major by the end of sophomore year. Please note that students in this concentration must take Internship in the Spring of junior or senior year, and this requires advance planning the prior fall.