Human Development: A.A., A.S.
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
Associate degrees in Human Development include the lifespan foundation and three of the other foundations listed here:
- Lifespan Development
- Biological Bases of Development
- Cognitive Bases of Development
- Social & Emotional Bases of Development
- Cultural Diversity
- 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.
Associate in Arts (A.A.) and Associate in Science (A.S.)
For an associate degree, students must address the lifespan development foundation plus three of the remaining foundations.
Associate Degree in Human Development Concentration – Psychology: Students who are interested in psychology may earn an Associate in Arts or Associate in Science degree in Human Development with a concentration in Psychology. For this concentration, Introduction to Psychology is a required course, in addition to the required lifespan development foundation. Students would still choose three more of the remaining foundations.
Students should consult the B.A. in Psychology to make informed choices about courses in the associate degree in case they continue for the bachelor’s degree in psychology.
Foundation #1: Lifespan Development
| 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):
| 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):
| 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):
| 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):
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| HUDV 2010 | Gerontology | 4 |
OR | ||
| PSYC 3115 | Psychology of Aging | 4 |
Foundation #2: Biological Bases of Development
| 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
| 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
| 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
| 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
| 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., Master of Social Work, Master of Mental Health).
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.
- 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.