Campuses:
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Twin Cities Campus
Child Psychology B.A.Institute of Child Development
College of Liberal Arts
Child psychology focuses on behavioral development from the prenatal period to maturity in the areas of cognition, ethology, genetics, language, learning, perception, and social behavior. The Institute of Child Development, housed in the College of Education and Human Development, offers a bachelor of arts, a bachelor of science, and a minor in child psychology through the College of Liberal Arts (CLA). All undergraduate child psychology courses are considered CLA courses and count toward the CLA graduation requirements. Majors may not receive a second major or baccalaureate degree in psychology nor apply psychology, educational psychology, or child and adolescent psychiatry credits to the minimum 18 upper-level credits required outside the major. These credits fall neither inside nor outside the major.
The bachelor of arts program places a stronger emphasis on the applied aspects of child psychology. Emphasizing a more applied approach to Child Psychology, the BA requires field study participation (or directed research experience), allowing students to gain practical experience in the field of child psychology. Students have the opportunity to take a course in social work, youth studies, early childhood education, public health, or cultural anthropology. With a combination of intensive training in developmental psychology and a field study experience, the program prepares students for careers and additional training in such areas as early childhood education, counseling, and human service programs. Students are required to meet the second language requirement as determined by CLA.
Program Delivery
This program is available:
Admission Requirements
Students must complete
2 courses
before admission to the program.
An introduction to psychology course must be completed before admission into the major. Students may formally declare the major with CPSY 2301 in progress.
For information about University of Minnesota admission requirements, visit the
Office of Admissions
website.
Required prerequisites
Preparatory Courses
Introduction to Psychology
PSY 1001 - Introduction to Psychology
[SOCS]
(4.0 cr)
General Requirements
All students in baccalaureate degree programs are required to complete general University and college requirements including writing and liberal education courses. For more information about University-wide requirements, see the
liberal education requirements.
Required courses for the major, minor or certificate in which a student receives a D grade (with or without plus or minus) do not count toward the major, minor or certificate (including transfer courses).
Program Requirements
Students are required to complete 4 semester(s) of
any second language.
with a grade of C-, or better, or S, or demonstrate proficiency in the language(s) as defined by the department
or college.
Students may earn no more than one undergraduate degree in child psychology: a BA, a BS, or a minor. Students may combine the BA in child psychology with the minor in psychology.
CLA BA degrees require 4 semesters or the equivalent of a second language.
CLA degrees require students to complete 48 credits of upper division coursework taken at the 3xxx, 4xxx, or 5xxx level. For a BA at least 18 of the 48 upper division credits must be outside of the major. For some specific majors, there are exceptions to this requirement.
This program requires 18 upper division credits outside the major. See your advisor for a list of courses that can or cannot be used to meet this requirement.
All incoming CLA freshmen must complete the appropriate first year experience course sequence.
Foundational Courses
Take two courses for a total of 7 to 8 credits.
CPSY 3308W - Introduction to Research Methods in Child Psychology
[WI]
(4.0 cr)
Core Courses
Take a minimum of six courses and 18 credits.
CPSY 4331 - Social and Personality Development
(3.0 cr)
Take 1 or more course(s) from the following:
·
ANTH 3003 - Cultural Anthropology
(3.0 cr)
·
CPSY 5241 - Field Experience in Early Childhood Education
(3.0 cr)
·
EPSY 3301 - Introduction to Educational Psychology
[SOCS]
(3.0 cr)
·
FSOS 3102 - Family Systems and Diversity
[SOCS, DSJ]
(3.0 cr)
·
FSOS 3426 - Alcohol and Drugs: Families and Culture
(3.0 cr)
·
PSY 3511 - Introduction to Counseling Psychology
(3.0 cr)
·
PUBH 3004 {Inactive}
(4.0 cr)
·
SW 1001 {Inactive}
(3.0 cr)
·
SW 3701 - Introduction to Child Maltreatment: Intervention and Prevention
(3.0 cr)
Take 1 or more course(s) from the following:
·
CPSY 1334 - Global Issues on Children and Youth in Society
[CIV]
(3.0 cr)
·
CPSY 4302 - Infant Development
(3.0 cr)
·
CPSY 4303 - Adolescent Psychology
(3.0 cr)
·
CPSY 4336 - Development and Interpersonal Relationships
(3.0 cr)
Take 1 or more course(s) from the following:
·
CPSY 4311 - Behavioral and Emotional Problems of Children
(3.0 cr)
·
CPSY 4313W - Disabilities and Development
[WI]
(4.0 cr)
Field Study or Directed Research
Take a minimum of 2 credits.
CPSY 4996 {Inactive}
(1.0-4.0 cr)
or
CPSY 4994 - Directed Research in Developmental Psychology
(1.0-4.0 cr)
Senior Project
Non-Honors Sequence
CPSY 4347W - Child Psychology Capstone
[WI]
(3.0 cr)
or
Honors Sequence
Honors students seeking to fulfill the honors thesis need to take CPSY 3360H in the fall of their junior year. CPSY 4994V should be taken for 2 credits, and it is typically taken in both fall and spring of a student's senior year.
CPSY 3360H - Child Psychology Honors Seminar
(2.0 cr)
CPSY 4994V {Inactive}
[WI]
(1.0-6.0 cr)
Upper Division Writing Intensive within the Major
Students are required to take one upper division writing intensive course within the major. If that requirement has not been satisfied within the core major requirements, students must choose one course from the following list. Some of these courses may also fulfill other major requirements.
Take 0 - 1 course(s) from the following:
·
CPSY 3308W - Introduction to Research Methods in Child Psychology
[WI]
(4.0 cr)
·
CPSY 4313W - Disabilities and Development
[WI]
(4.0 cr)
·
CPSY 4347W - Child Psychology Capstone
[WI]
(3.0 cr)
·
CPSY 4994V {Inactive}
[WI]
(1.0-6.0 cr)
|
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Credits: | 4.0 [max 4.0] |
Course Equivalencies: | PSTL 1281/Psy 1001/Psy 1001H |
Typically offered: | Every Fall, Spring & Summer |
Credits: | 4.0 [max 4.0] |
Course Equivalencies: | CPsy 2301/ 3301/ H |
Typically offered: | Every Fall, Spring & Summer |
Credits: | 4.0 [max 4.0] |
Course Equivalencies: | CPsy 2301/ 3301/ H |
Typically offered: | Every Fall, Spring & Summer |
Credits: | 4.0 [max 4.0] |
Grading Basis: | A-F or Aud |
Typically offered: | Every Fall & Spring |
Credits: | 3.0 [max 3.0] |
Course Equivalencies: | EPsy 3264/EPsy 5261 |
Typically offered: | Every Fall, Spring & Summer |
Credits: | 4.0 [max 4.0] |
Typically offered: | Every Fall, Spring & Summer |
Credits: | 4.0 [max 4.0] |
Course Equivalencies: | AnSc 3011/ESPM 3012/Stat 3011/ |
Typically offered: | Every Fall, Spring & Summer |
Credits: | 4.0 [max 4.0] |
Course Equivalencies: | Psy 3801/Psy 3801H |
Typically offered: | Every Fall, Spring & Summer |
Credits: | 3.0 [max 3.0] |
Grading Basis: | A-F or Aud |
Typically offered: | Every Fall & Spring |
Credits: | 3.0 [max 3.0] |
Course Equivalencies: | Anth 3003/GloS 3003 |
Typically offered: | Every Fall, Spring & Summer |
Credits: | 3.0 [max 3.0] |
Grading Basis: | A-F only |
Typically offered: | Every Fall & Spring |
Credits: | 3.0 [max 3.0] |
Course Equivalencies: | EPsy 3301/EPsy 5114 |
Grading Basis: | OPT No Aud |
Typically offered: | Every Fall |
Credits: | 3.0 [max 3.0] |
Course Equivalencies: | FSoS 3102/FSOS 5101 |
Typically offered: | Every Fall, Spring & Summer |
Credits: | 3.0 [max 3.0] |
Course Equivalencies: | FSoS 3426/FSOS 5426 |
Typically offered: | Every Fall, Spring & Summer |
Credits: | 3.0 [max 3.0] |
Typically offered: | Every Fall, Spring & Summer |
Credits: | 3.0 [max 3.0] |
Typically offered: | Every Fall & Spring |
Credits: | 3.0 [max 3.0] |
Typically offered: | Every Fall |
Credits: | 3.0 [max 3.0] |
Grading Basis: | A-F or Aud |
Typically offered: | Every Fall |
Credits: | 3.0 [max 3.0] |
Grading Basis: | A-F or Aud |
Typically offered: | Every Fall & Spring |
Credits: | 3.0 [max 3.0] |
Grading Basis: | A-F or Aud |
Typically offered: | Every Fall |
Credits: | 3.0 [max 3.0] |
Grading Basis: | A-F or Aud |
Typically offered: | Every Fall |
Credits: | 4.0 [max 4.0] |
Typically offered: | Every Spring |
Credits: | 3.0 [max 3.0] |
Typically offered: | Every Fall |
Credits: | 3.0 [max 3.0] |
Grading Basis: | A-F or Aud |
Typically offered: | Every Fall & Spring |
Credits: | 3.0 [max 3.0] |
Grading Basis: | A-F or Aud |
Typically offered: | Every Spring |
Credits: | 1.0 -4.0 [max 16.0] |
Typically offered: | Every Fall, Spring & Summer |
Credits: | 3.0 [max 2.0] |
Grading Basis: | A-F only |
Typically offered: | Every Fall & Spring |
Credits: | 2.0 [max 2.0] |
Prerequisites: | CPsy honors student |
Grading Basis: | A-F or Aud |
Typically offered: | Every Fall |
Credits: | 4.0 [max 4.0] |
Grading Basis: | A-F or Aud |
Typically offered: | Every Fall & Spring |
Credits: | 4.0 [max 4.0] |
Typically offered: | Every Spring |
Credits: | 3.0 [max 2.0] |
Grading Basis: | A-F only |
Typically offered: | Every Fall & Spring |