Students of Human Development gain an understanding of changes across the lifespan and how the social environments we inhabit influence those changes. The study of Human Development enables students to better understand themselves and others, enhances their ability to work with people in various capacities, and prepares them for more advanced study in fields including, but not limited to, the mental health and health-care professions, law, business, education, and nonprofit agencies.  

Degree programs in Human Development offer students the opportunity to develop individualized degree plans based on their intellectual, professional, and personal interests. General program guidelines can be found on the “Program Details” tab, and students will work with an academic mentor to choose courses that meet the guidelines and address each student’s individual interests. Students can also work with their academic mentors to identify applicable transfer credit, prior college-level learning, and possible course equivalencies. Working with a mentor and using Empire State University’s educational planning process, students can develop a specialized concentration in Human Development by following the general program guidelines as well as any applicable concentration guidelines. Students may also develop their own concentrations.

For more information about general undergraduate degree requirements, please visit Earning an Undergraduate Degree.

For sample degree programs and other degree planning resources, please visit the Department of Psychology and Human Development Degree Planning Resources web page. 

Program Details

Bachelor's degrees in Human Development include the following six foundations:  

1. Lifespan Development 
2. Biological Bases of Development  
3. Cognitive Bases of Development 
4. Social & Emotional Bases of Development
5. Cultural Diversity  
6. Methodology & Ethics  

These foundations may be met through transcript credit; college-level knowledge demonstrated through individual prior learning assessment (iPLA), professional learning evaluations (PLE), or credit by examination; or individual courses, a series of courses, or components within individual courses with Empire State University. The student’s degree plan rationale essay should clearly explain how the degree plan meets each of the foundations in the concentration, what will be learned, and how the student will build on these foundations to meet personal, academic, or career goals.

Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) and Bachelor of Science (B.S.)

Foundation #1:  Lifespan Development

Course List

Code	Title	Credits
HUDV 1015	Human Development: Introductory	4
HUDV 3025	Human Development: Advanced	4

Students may learn about lifespan development through a series of developmental courses that cover the whole lifespan (i.e., childhood, adolescence, adulthood, and later life) rather than in one lifespan human development course.   

To cover child development the student may take (pick one):

Course List

Code	Title	Credits
HUDV 1005	Child Development: Introductory	4
OR
HUDV 3015	Child Development: Advanced	4
OR
HUDV 1010	Child & Adolescent Development: Introductory	4
OR
HUDV 3020	Child & Adolescent Development: Advanced	4

To cover adolescent development, students who have not covered it in one of the combined child and adolescent development courses mentioned above may take (pick one):

Course List

Code	Title	Credits
HUDV 2005	Adolescent Development: Introductory	4
OR
HUDV 3080	Adolescent Development: Advanced	4

To cover adult development the student may take (pick one):

Course List

Code	Title	Credits
HUDV 2015	Adult Development: Introductory	4
OR
HUDV 3005	Adult Development: Advanced	4
OR
HUDV 2020	Adult Development & Aging: Introductory	4
OR
HUDV 3010	Adult Development & Aging: Advanced	4

To cover the aging years, students who have not covered it in one of the combined adult development and aging courses listed above may take one of the following (pick one):

Course List

Code	Title	Credits
HUDV 2010	Gerontology	4
OR
PSYC 3115	Psychology of Aging	4

Foundation #2: Biological Bases of Development

Course List

Code	Title	Credits
HUDV 3055	Developmental Neurobiology: A Lifespan View	2
HUDV 3056	Developmental Neurobiology: A Lifespan View	4
PSYC 2005	Brain & Behavior	4
PSYC 3040	Biological Psychology	4
BIOL 1002	Human Biology	4

Students may use a combination of courses to learn about biological processes and how they change over time by learning about development through the major age phases of childhood, adolescence, adulthood, and aging. 

Foundation #3: Cognitive Bases of Development

Course List

Code	Title	Credits
HUDV 3057	Cognitive Development	4
PSYC 2025	Educational Psychology: Introductory	4
PSYC 3015	Educational Psychology: Advanced	4
EDST 4005	Adults as Learners: Theories & Strategies	4
EDST 4010	Human Learning: A Developmental Approach	4

Students may use a combination of courses to learn about cognitive bases of development and how they change over time by learning about development through the major age phases of childhood, adolescence, adulthood, and aging.

Foundation #4: Social and Emotional Bases of Development

Course List

Code	Title	Credits
HUDV 2035	Attachment in Early Childhood: Introductory	4
HUDV 3065	Human Exceptionalities	4
HUDV 3066	Developmental Psychopathology	4
HUDV 3035	Attachment Across the Lifespan	4
ECET 4015	Development & Meaning of Play	4

Students may use a combination of courses to learn about social and emotional bases of development and how they change over time by learning about development through the major age phases of childhood, adolescence, adulthood, and aging. 

Foundation #5: Cultural Diversity

Course List

Code	Title	Credits
HUDV 3065	Human Exceptionalities	4
HUDV 3075	Western Civilization & Human Development	4
HUDV 4010	Development of Gender Identity	4
PSYC 3055	Cultural Psychology	4
PSYC 4030	Media Psychology	4
PSYC 4035	Multicultural Counseling	4
ANTH 1010	Introduction to Cultural Anthropology	4
GSST 1005	Introduction to Women’s Gender & Sexuality Studies	4
GSST 2005	Introduction to LGBTQ+ Studies	4
SOCI 2010	Introduction to Race Class & Gender	4
ANTH 3020	Families in Global Perspective	4
ANTH 3030	Immigration Today: Gender & Family	4
CHFS 3060	Multicultural Study of Children & Families	4
GSST 3030	Sex & Gender in Global Perspective	4

Foundation #6: Methodology and Ethics

Course List

Code	Title	Credits
HUDV 3085	Research Methods for Lifespan Development	4
SOSC 3025	Social Science Research Methods	4

*Note: Students interested in attending graduate school are strongly encouraged to add a course in Statistics (such as SOSC 2010: Statistics for the Social Sciences), which is usually required for admission to master-level programs in the behavioral sciences (e.g., MSW, MMH). 

Students interested in studying psychology at the baccalaureate degree level should consult the B.A. in Psychology. 

Learning Outcomes

• Foundation 1: Lifespan Development, Students will be able to describe development (e.g., physical, biological/neural, cognitive, emotional, and social) across the lifespan in relation to theories of human development.
• Foundation 2: Biological Bases of Development, Students will be able to analyze biological influences on emotional, cognitive, and behavioral change over time. Students may use a combination of courses to learn about biological processes and how they change over time by learning about development through the major age phases of childhood, adolescence, adulthood, and aging.
• Foundation 3: Cognitive Bases of Development, Students will be able to apply primary theories of cognitive development across the lifespan.
• Foundation 4: Social and Emotional Bases of Development, Students will be able to analyze intrapersonal and interpersonal processes of normative and non-normative human behavior and development.
• Foundation 5: Cultural Diversity, Students will be able to analyze human diversity, including the impact of power, privilege, and oppression on individuals who differ in race, ethnicity, gender, class, socioeconomic status, age, culture, religious beliefs, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, and/or ability.
• Foundation 6: Methodology and Ethics, Students will be able to develop ethical research skills for gathering, interpreting, analyzing, and drawing evidence-based conclusions about human development and behavior.