About this Program
Program Description
Developmental psychology focuses on the development of individuals across their lifespan; at Teachers College, our focus is on the infant, preschool, school, and early adulthood life phases/years. Development occurs within contexts; at Teachers College, our focus is on the family, the preschool and school, the neighborhood, and the media. We are interested in both how development unfolds as well as in how trajectories may be altered by interventions and programs. Development involves interactions between the individual and environments; at Teachers College, our focus is on how biological characteristics and vulnerabilities are expressed in various contexts and on how gene by environment interactions are expressed (and may be altered).
The Program at Teachers College focuses on disparities in well-being across different groups (ethnicity, social class, and gender) as well as programs and policies that might reduce these disparities. The Program focuses not just on school readiness and school achievement, but on economic, physical and mental health, cognitive, motivational, social, and emotional outcomes and processes. While theoretical in orientation, the research done in the developmental psychology has relevance for policy and practice.
Students within the
Masters of Arts Program in Developmental Psychology will acquire familiarity with developmental psychological theory, methods, analytic techniques and research knowledge. Candidates will also learn about programs, practices, and policies that may influence development of children, youth, and families. In accordance with individual interests and objectives, M.A. students acquire familiarity with basic theoretical and research orientations as well as exposure to substantive knowledge in the areas of cognitive, language, personality, and social functioning and development. Opportunity exists for the study of deviant as well as normal psychological functioning within a developmental framework.
Students completing the M.A. degree accept positions in research laboratories or field settings, biomedical institutions, educational and child care agencies, foundations, public policy settings, state and local governments, community programs, and as instructors in community colleges, or go on to pursue more advanced degrees in particular areas of specialization.
This M.A. program requires completion of 32 points. Length of study is either two semesters and the summer or three semesters at Teachers College. For candidates who are enrolled on a part-time basis, the length of study is longer. All candidates are required to do a Research Practicum and a Special Project.
Students may register for independent study in order to undertake theoretical or empirical research projects or fieldwork. Students whose goal is to acquire professional skills in clinical or counseling psychology may enroll in introductory course offerings, which in many cases can be applicable if the student is later admitted to one of the more advanced master’s or doctoral programs in these areas.
The course of study has these main components:
- A basic course in methods of research.
- Required courses in cognitive development, personality development in atypical populations, and social and personality development.
- A basic course in statistics.
- Research practicum.
- Electives in developmental psychology plus relevant electives offered by other Teachers College and Columbia University programs.
- A special project.
In order to accommodate the diverse aims of individual students, a considerable degree of flexibility has been built into the course of study leading to the M.A. degree. An attempt has been made to minimize specific course requirements, and the student will find that there is a good deal of freedom to choose from among the many offerings provided by Teachers College and the Columbia University Graduate Faculties. In consultation with an advisor, students may create an individually tailored program of study, or may enter a concentration in Risk, Resilience, and Prevention; Developmental Psychology for Educators; or Creativity and Cognition:
- Risk, Resilience, and Prevention: This concentration brings knowledge of developmental psychology to future work relating to competence and maladjustment among at-risk children and families. Diverse areas are considered, ranging from intellectual giftedness/mental retardation and academic achievement, to child poverty, cross-cultural differences, resilience, and different domains of psychopathology.
- Developmental Psychology for Educators: This concentration helps to promote an understanding of development in varying social contexts and cultures, ethnic and racial groups, and social classes. It focuses on how knowledge about development, thinking, and learning can be applied to educational practice and to educational policy.
- Creativity and Cognition: Focusing on the importance, development, and influence of creativity, this concentration is designed for those interested in creative problem-solving and multi-modal thinking as it affects the classroom, curriculum development, community organizations, therapeutic settings, and business.
The
Ph.D. degree prepares students for faculty positions in colleges, graduate schools of education, and universities, and for positions as research associates in research laboratories, biomedical schools, foundations, public policy, and arts and sciences, as well as policy research firms, governmental agencies, and NPOs. Throughout their program, doctoral candidates work in a close apprentice relationship with a faculty advisor of their choice.
The aim of instruction at the doctoral level is to produce a psychologist who can make a sound and innovative research contribution to the study of human development, who is concerned with the relationship between development and education, and who is equipped to teach about such matters. Students acquire the conceptual background and methodological skills necessary for faculty positions in colleges and universities, or for positions as associates and consultants in research laboratories, biomedical schools, and other applied settings.
The courses offered through the program provide content in the research and theoretical literature relating to all phases of the psychology of human development. All age groups are covered, from infancy through childhood, adolescence to adulthood, and later life. Coursework in developmental psychology can be supplemented by courses in the other psychology programs at Teachers College as well as by courses in the social sciences, linguistics, and other fields offered at Teachers College and by the graduate faculty of Columbia University (including the Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons).
The doctoral program is focused primarily on training in the conduct of empirical (e.g., experimental, observational, and interview) research. Other types of research (theoretical, descriptive, and historical) may be undertaken in special circumstances of student and advisor competence.
The Ph.D. requires full-time residency in the first two years. The Program for the Ph.D. requires the completion of a minimum of 75 points. Courses are generally taken for 3 points, and a full-time schedule for a semester is 12 to 15 points. Completion of the degree requires successful performance on a certification examination, and completion of a theoretical paper, an empirical paper, and an approved dissertation.
