Developmental Psychology

The Developmental Psychology Program is designed to provide students with a broad academic and research background in developmental psychology. The program is oriented toward the examination of basic research and theoretical issues, although this can be combined with work on applied problems.

The goal of the Developmental program is to provide students with the training and experiences that will allow them to function effectively in academia, as well as other basic and applied research settings.  To this end, students are expected to be actively involved in research from the time they enter the program. Much of the research conducted by the faculty and graduate students in the Developmental Program occurs at the Children's Research Center, a facility containing observation and testing rooms, as well as offices, meeting rooms, and a library.

A key principle of the program is the importance of initiative, rather than conformity. Effectiveness as a scholar, scientist, and teacher can never be based solely on the fulfilling of requirements set by others; it is in the nature of professional work that the individual is the origin both of goals and the motivation to attain them. This program is designed to provide experiences through which the students will become increasingly capable of independent professional functioning.

With these principles in mind, we have attempted to structure the program to allow students to gain the experiences most relevant to their particular interests while at the same time building fundamental professional skills and a solid foundation of knowledge in developmental psychology. The result is a program with a minimum of fixed requirements, several of which can be met in a variety of ways.