Child and Adolescent Development

The Associate in Arts in Child and Adolescent Development for Transfer degree is an interdisciplinary program designed to prepare students for continued study in a range of majors at a CSU, including Child and Adolescent Development, Family Studies, and Human Development. The core courses give a solid foundation in psychology with electives in biology, early childhood education, and sociology.

Human development majors study both the biological factors such as growth, physical maturation and aging, and social factors such as parenting, education and personal choices, that affect the developmental process. While careers in this field typically require more than 2 years of study, human development graduates find employment as educators in early childhood and more advanced settings, as social workers and counselors, and in governmental or private agency settings relating to social welfare and recreation. Graduates are also prepared to pursue advanced degrees in behavioral and social sciences, education, social work, family law or health sciences.

Students who complete an Associate Degree for Transfer (AA-T or AS-T) will receive priority admission with junior status to the California State University System and priority admission consideration to their local CSU campus or to a program that is deemed similar to their community college major. This priority does not guarantee admission to specific majors or campuses. Students should consult with a counselor for more information on specific university major admission and transfer requirements.

The following are required for all AA-T or AS-T degrees:

• Minimum of 60 CSU transferable semester units
• Minimum grade point average (GPA) of at least 2.0 in all CSU-transferable coursework
• Satisfactory completion (C or better OR Pass*) of courses used to satisfy major requirements AND courses used to complete the California General Education Transfer Curriculum (Cal-GETC) requirements

*Some majors may not accept a Pass in place of a letter grade. Consult with a counselor before choosing the P/NP grading option.

Student Learning Outcomes

Upon successful completion of this program, students will be able to:

• Articulate the interplay of biological, psychological, and social forces shaping human development throughout the lifespan.
• Complete lower-division preparation for transfer to a related major at a four-year university.
• Critically evaluate research relevant to human development and apply human development knowledge in diverse contexts.

Required Courses for Major