Child and Adolescent Development

Program Code: SAC.CDCAD.AAT

Program Control Number: 45272

The Associate in Arts in Child Development and Adolescent Development for Transfer (AA-T) prepares students to move into a curriculum at a four-year institution leading to a baccalaureate degree in Child Development, Human Development, or Child and Adolescent Studies. Please consult a counselor regarding specific course requirements for your transfer institution. Completion of the AS-T degree also provides guaranteed admission with junior status to the CSU system although does not guarantee admission to a specific campus or major.

The focus of the Child and Adolescent Development degree is to give students planning to work with children, adults, and their families, who may not be interested in a curricular or classroom focus, an opportunity to transfer and pursue another specialty within child and adolescent development. Students will become equipped with valuable skills in communication and critical thinking. They also build knowledge understanding human behavior making it versatile for careers focused on supporting and improving children’s and adolescents' lives outside of the classroom. This may include careers in child life, counseling, education, home visitation programs, human services, mental health, recreation, school psychology, social work, or related fields.

Requirements for all Associate Degrees for Transfer:

1. Completion of 60 semester CSU transferable units.
2. Completion of the California General Education Transfer Curriculum (Cal-GETC). The CSU-GE (California State University General Education Breadth) or IGETC (Intersegmental General Education Transfer Curriculum) pattern may be used in some cases; please see a counselor for details.
3. Obtainment of a minimum grade point average of at least a 2.0 in all CSU transferable coursework.
4. Minimum grade of "C" (or "P") for each course in the major. If the course was taken on a Pass/No Pass basis the "P" must be equal to a "C" or better.
5. Completion of a minimum of 18 semester units in the major or area of emphasis.

Learning Outcome(s):

1. Demonstrate an understanding of the perspectives, theories, research methods, and core concepts of child development as an area of scientific inquiry.
2. Analyze biological, psychological and environmental influences used to study child and adolescent development.
3. Evaluate different perspectives that affect the growth and socialization experiences of children and adolescents.