Human Development and Education
Overview
The Human Development and Education program prepares
students who wish to analyze and investigate developmental phenomena
and their relations to educational practice. The aim of the program
is to foster proficiency in discovering and explicating these
phenomena through the application of psychological theory and
methodology, thus contributing simultaneously to the fields of
education and psychology.
After enrolling in the program, students begin their work
by taking two sequences of courses, one in research methods and the
other in the psychological foundations of development and education.
The topics of concern in this program include early childhood
development, the development of cognitive processes, the development
of social cognition and moral judgment, language and literacy
development, children’s mathematical and scientific concepts,
the sociocultural context of development, and the psychology of
exceptional children. This program offers a master’s and Ph.D.
in Human Development and Education.
Extended Description
Focus of Study
HDE prepares students to investigate, understand, analyze,
and foster processes of development across the life span.
One domain of concern in this program is child development
in the areas of social cognition and moral judgment, language and
literacy, and cognition, including children’s mathematical and
scientific concepts. Faculty are interested in exploring these issues
within schools as well as within the context of the family and other
out-of school settings. Underlying our work is a focus on
developmental processes in context across a socioculturally diverse
range of children, including exceptional children and those in
various ethnic communities and socioeconomic groups within and
outside the United States.
A second domain of interest in the program are teaching
and parenting practices. Faculty are investigating the development of
teachers' and parents' concepts of teaching and learning, the role of
teacher and parent education programs in teachers' and parents'
knowledge beliefs, and practices concerning children.
Faculty Members Affiliated with the Program
Anne
Cunningham|Maryl
Gearhart |Susan
Holloway |
Kathleen E.
Metz | Geoffrey B.
Saxe | Prentice
Starkey |Elliott
Turiel| Mark
Wilson|Frank C. Worrell
Entrance Requirements
Applicants to the doctoral program in Human Development
and Education must have a strong academic record at the
bachelor’s or master’s level. We welcome students from a
variety of disciplinary backgrounds in the social sciences, although
developmental and educational psychology constitute the primary
disciplinary foci of our program. Experience in conducting research
is favorably considered. We typically enroll approximately 5 doctoral
students each year. We also take a small number of master’s
students, most of whom anticipate continuing on for a doctoral
degree.
Type of Program (MA/PhD)
Students are expected to enroll full time. The
program typically takes 12 semesters to complete.
Program Requirements and Structure
The doctoral program in Human Development includes
advanced course work in social development, cognitive development,
and the processes of learning and instruction. Students are expected
to become proficient in research methods by taking courses in
quantitative and qualitative approaches. Additionally, students gain
expertise by collaborating with faculty as research assistants,
attending colloquia featuring guest speakers, and attending research
seminars organized around individual faculty projects.
See the
HDE handbook [pdf] for more detailed information. (If you have problems viewing the handbook in your web browser, save/download to your computer and open using Adobe Reader.)
Career Paths of Graduates
The majority of our graduates become faculty members in
colleges and universities. Others are active in contract research
firms, or hold government positions related to child welfare and
education at the local, state or national level. Still others work
with local educational authorities and social service agencies.
Who to contact for more information
For additional information about the Human Development
program, please contact the Program Assistant:
telephone: (510) 642-4202
email: hde_info@lists.berkeley.edu
mail: Graduate School of Education, 4511 Tolman
Hall, Berkeley, CA 94720.