The Bachelor of Arts in Child Development provides current knowledge of theories, research, and opportunities for applied practice through internships. This degree focuses on children’s development (i.e., physical, neuro, cognitive, social, and emotional) from prenatal/infancy through emerging adulthood. The diversity of children’s experiences within key developmental contexts (e.g., family life, peer relationships, school and community experiences, gender, culture, trauma, resilience) is explored in specialized courses. The acquisition of knowledge, practice, and skills associated with observation, research, and other assessment practices are emphasized. This major provides three supervised internships that enable students to gain valuable work-related experiences within professional settings.
Strategic Learning Priorities
Students in the child development department become knowledgeable in five areas
Foundations of child development: students will demonstrate knowledge of the theoretical and empirical foundations of the discipline.
Child and environmental assessment and study: students will demonstrate knowledge of assessment issues and perform qualitative and quantitative assessments of children and their environments.
Diversity and developmental context: students will demonstrate knowledge of the multiple environmental contexts in which children grow and develop and will be able to analyze systems that support children's well-being.
Professionalism: students will engage in professional behavior appropriate to the discipline in professional contexts.
Critical thinking: students will apply critical thinking and scientific methods of thinking, including logical and empirical reasoning, to issues regarding children's well-being.
Visit the Department of Child Development in MODC 216, call 530-898-5250, or email chld@csuchico.edu to schedule an advising appointment.
Advising Requirement
Advising is mandatory for this program. Consult your department advisor or program coordinator for information.
E-advising Tools
Use the interactive e-advising tools designed to help students graduate within four years. These tools can be accessed through the Student Center in the Portal.
Professional Standards and Disqualification
The child development degree signifies a readiness to begin professional work in areas requiring trust and high ethical standards. Students are expected to meet ethical and professional standards set by the profession and the agencies where they serve as an intern. Should it be determined that a student does not meet such standards, they may be disqualified from fulfilling the advanced internship of the major and thus be prevented from completing the child development major.
The professional standards include the following:
Honoring the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) Code of Ethics and the Society for Research in Child Development (SRCD) Code of Ethics.
Meeting the expectations of field agencies and programs which provide internships.
Avoiding behavior that suggests potential harm to clients, colleagues, or themselves.
Please consult with the department office for more complete information regarding these standards.
Grading Requirement
All courses taken to fulfill program course requirements must be taken for a letter grade except those courses specified by the department as credit/no credit grading only.
Course Requirements for the Major: 55 units
Completion of the following courses, or their approved transfer equivalents, is required of all candidates for this degree. Courses in this program may complete more than one graduation requirement.
Courses from Study Abroad, Camp Adventure, declared minors, and additional majors may be eligible for substitution in this area. Make an advising appointment for details.
Obtaining a Child Development Permit
If you are interested in teaching or directing in a child development center with young children (0-8 years of age), you may want to obtain a Child Development (CD) Permit. Having a CD Permit may be required or highly recommended for certain types of centers (e.g., Title V Programs, Child Development programs funded by the State Department of Education, Head Start). For more information about obtaining a CD Permit, contact your academic advisor or the Department of Child Development office.
Electives Requirement
To complete the total units required for the bachelor's degree, select additional elective courses from the total University offerings. You should consult with an advisor regarding the selection of courses which will provide breadth to your University experience and possibly apply to a supportive second major or minor.
Honors in the Major
Honors in the Major is a program of independent work in your major. It requires six units of honors coursework completed over two semesters.
The Honors in the Major program allows you to work closely with a faculty mentor in your area of interest on an original performance or research project. This year-long collaboration allows you to work in your field at a professional level and culminates in a public presentation of your work. Students sometimes take their projects beyond the University for submission in professional journals, presentation at conferences, or academic competition. Such experience is valuable for graduate school and professional life. Your honors work will be recognized at your graduation, on your permanent transcripts, and on your diploma. It is often accompanied by letters of commendation from your mentor in the department or the department chair.
Some common features of Honors in the Major program are:
You must take six units of Honors in the Major coursework. All six units are honors courses (marked by a suffix of H), and at least three of these units are independent study (399H, 499H, 599H) as specified by your department. You must complete each course with a minimum grade of B.
You must have completed 9 units of upper-division coursework or 21 overall units in your major before you can be admitted to Honors in the Major. Check the requirements for your major carefully, as there may be specific courses that must be included in these units.
Your cumulative GPA should be at least 3.5 or within the top 5% of majors in your department.
Your GPA in your major should be at least 3.5 or within the top 5% of majors in your department.
Most students apply for or are invited to participate in Honors in the Major during the second semester of their junior year. Then they complete the six units of coursework over the two semesters of their senior year.
Your honors work culminates with a public presentation of your honors project.
Honors in the Major is not part of the Honors Program. Each department administers its own program. Please contact your major department or major advisor to apply.
In addition to the requirements for all Honors in the Major programs listed above, specific requirements for Honors in Child Development include:
Students must obtain the direct agreement of a child development faculty member who is willing to be their mentor to work in an area of shared scholarly interest, typically involving learning and practice of research related skills (e.g., data collection, analyses, research-related writing and presentation).
Students admitted to the Honors in the Major program in child development will enroll in CHLD 499H the first semester of their senior year and CHLD 495HW the second semester. It is recommended that CHLD 499H be taken concurrently with CHLD 392. A public presentation of the completed project will take place during one of the two semesters of the honors program. Students must earn at least a B grade in both CHLD 499H and CHLD 495HW.
See Bachelor's Degree Requirements for complete details on general degree requirements. A minimum of 39 units, including those required for the major, must be upper division.
General Education Requirements: 43 units
See General Education and the Class Schedule for the most current information on General Education requirements and course offerings.
American Institutions Course Requirements: 6 units
The American Institutions graduation requirement, as mandated in Title 5, Section 40404, requires that students satisfactorily complete courses in United States history, the US Constitution, and government and American ideals (including California state and local government). At Chico State, HIST 130 meets the US history requirement (US-1), and POLS 155 meets the US Constitution and government requirement (US-2) and the California state and local government requirement (US-3). POLS 155 also fulfills three units of GE Area 4, Social and Behavioral Sciences. See Bachelor’s Degree Requirements for more information.
Diversity Course Requirements: 6 units
You must complete a minimum of two courses that focus primarily on cultural diversity. At least one course must be in US Diversity (USD) and at least one in Global Cultures (GC). See Diversity Requirements for a full list of courses. Many courses taken to satisfy these requirements may also apply to General Education.
Upper-Division Writing Requirement
Writing Across the Curriculum (EM 17-009) is a graduation requirement and may be demonstrated through satisfactory completion of four Writing (W) courses, two of which are designated by the major department. See Writing and Math Requirements for more details on the four courses. The first of the major designated Writing (W) courses is listed below.
Any upper-division Writing (W) course.
The second major-designated Writing course is the Graduation Writing Assessment Requirement (GW) (EO 665). Students must earn a C- or higher to receive GW credit. The GE English Composition (1A) requirement must be completed before a student is permitted to register for a GW course.
