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Child Development

This minor is well suited for students pursuing Elementary Teacher certification and for those generally interested in the psychological development of children. Students must complete 18 credit hours including 9 required hours of foundation coursework and 9 credit hours of guided electives. At least 12 hours must be upper-division courses, of which at least 9 hours must have been completed at UTD. Students majoring in Psychology or Speech-Language Pathology and Audiology may minor in Child Development provided that no course is used to satisfy both major and minor requirements.

Foundation courses (9 hours required):

PSY 3310 Child Development (3 semester hours) Introduction to psychological theory and research on physical, cognitive, social, and emotional development from birth to adolescence. Credit given for only one of PSY 3310 or PSY 4334. (3-0) Y

or

PSY 4334 Lifespan Development^*1 (3 semester hours) The development of personality, social skills, language, and thought throughout the human life span. Credit given for only one of PSY 3310 or PSY 4334. (3-0) S

PSY 3332 Social and Personality Development (3 semester hours) The study of the forces affecting the socialization of children. Emphasis is placed on children’s interactions with others and how this influences their development in such areas as self concept, identity, and morality. This course assumes an introductory background in child or life span development. (3-0) Y

PSY 3362 Cognitive Development (3 semester hours) A contrast of Piagetian, behaviorist, and information processing approaches to the development of cognitive processes throughout childhood. Pre or co requisite: PSY 4334 or PSY 3310. (3-0) Y

Guided Elective Courses (select 9 hours):

PSY 3339 Educational Psychology¹ (3 semester hours) This course focuses on the psychological foundations of education and teaching. Topics that are covered include development, individual variations, learning and cognitive processes, motivation, classroom management, and assessment. (Same as ED 3339) (3-0) S

PSY 3342 Exceptional Children¹ (3 semester hours) Introduction to the characteristics of exceptional children and their education, including children with disabilities (learning, emotional/behavioral, communication and physical) as well as those who are gifted. The causes and assessment of exceptionality are examined, along with educational and social policy considerations. This course assumes an introductory background in child development. (Same as SPAU 4325) (3-0) Y

PSY 4344 Child Psychopathology (3 semester hours) Present various views of clinical issues in childhood from sociological, anthropological, and psychological perspectives. Historical views of children are examined in terms of the evolution of current perspectives on childhood psychopathology. Pre or co requisite: PSY 4334 or PSY 3310. (3-0) Y

PSY 4373 Psychological Assessment (3 semester hours) Explores both theory and application of psychological assessment, especially concerning individual differences in ability and personality, as well as for diagnostic purposes. Test construction and validation will be discussed and specific examples of tests will be presented. (3-0) T

PSY 4394 Internship in Psychology (3 semester hours) Students earn course credit for field experience in an applied setting. Requires working at least 8 hours per week at an approved community agency or business of the student’s choice. Students keep daily job diaries, attend one class meeting per month, and write brief papers relevant to their experiences. Open to all students who have reached junior or senior standing (more than 53 hours). Apply for placements in the Dean’s office. Credit/No Credit. (Same as CGS 4394, NSC 4394 and SPAU 4396) (3-0) S

or

ED 4693 Student Teaching - Elementary¹ (6 semester hours) (approval of Associate Dean required) Observation and supervised teaching in the elementary school. Requires full-time attendance in schools for 12 weeks. Prerequisite: Admission to student teaching.

SPAU 3303 Normal Language Development¹ (3 semester hours) The development of language and communication, including phonology, syntax, semantics, pragmatics, and literacy. (3-0) Y

SPAU 4308 Language Disorders in Children (3 semester hours) Language impairment in children, including etiology, characteristics, and treatment procedures, with special emphasis on factors that interfere with normal development of language skills. Prerequisite: SPAU 3303 or consent of instructor. (3-0) Y

Other courses as approved by the Associate Dean.

^*PSY majors take an additional 3 hours of guided electives to replace PSY 3310 or PSY 4334
¹Required for EC-4 Teacher Certification.

For additional information, please contact the Office of Undergraduate Studies