Child Development

Major, Minor

Why This Program & What You'll Learn

When you were growing up, do you remember an adult who showed you how to be resilient? Who gave you the confidence to be your best — and, most of all, be yourself?

With our child development major, you'll learn to be that person.

You'll examine the long-range effects of growth and development from birth through early adulthood. By the time you graduate, you'll get hands-on experiences that will prepare you for a fulfilling career. In the past, our students have completed internships at government agencies, safe houses, youth centers, and more.

Classes cover such interdisciplinary topics such as:

• Family and parent-child relationships.
• Infant, early childhood, middle childhood, and adolescent/early adulthood development.
• Culture and the impact of oppression.
• Mental health.
• Risk and resilience.

Program Highlights

As a student in the child development program, you will:

• Observe children at CMU's Child Development and Learning Laboratory, where you'll experience a model preschool.
• We have collaborated with over 650 community organizations across the U.S. and abroad to provide internship experiences to more than 800 child development majors.
• Have the chance to study abroad, so you can build new perspectives on child development in different cultures.
• Gain networking, service, and professional development opportunities through student organizations such as the Child Life Student Association, Connections that Count, and the Family Relations Council.