Master of Science in Child Development

The graduate program in child development is a multi-disciplinary, two-year program leading to a Master of Science degree. This program offers students an in-depth examination of cognitive and socio-emotional development from infancy through adolescence and provides a foundation for careers in program delivery (e.g., Early Childhood, 4-H, Youth Development), teaching at the community-college level, or further graduate study. The curriculum emphasizes a balance of supervised practical experience, theory, and methodology rooted in the belief that educators and practitioners alike must have solid disciplinary foundations.

Students gain advanced knowledge of child development from a multi-disciplinary perspective. The program provides an in-depth examination of cognitive, biological, and socio-emotional development from infancy through adolescence studied in multiple contexts. The curriculum provides opportunities to study a wide range of topics such as cross-cultural development, brain and behavior, parenting and nutrition, social-emotional development, language and intellectual development, memory systems, genes and environments, physiological correlates of behavior, and research methods in human growth and development. The curriculum emphasizes a balance of research, theory, methodology, and practical, supervised experience in the belief that, in order to be effective, educators and practitioners alike must have solid disciplinary foundations. The program provides a foundation for careers in program-delivery (e.g., Early Childhood, 4-H, Youth Development), teaching at the community-college level, or further graduate study.

Successful applicants must hold a bachelor's degree or the equivalent that is comparable to a degree from the University of California both in distribution of academic subject matter and in scholarship achievement. Regional accreditation for U.S. institutions and authorization by a national higher education authority for international institutions
A minimum 3.0 GPA on a 4.0 scale (or equivalent) from the institution where you have earned or will earn your bachelor's degree.
Curriculum vitae or resume
Three letters of recommendation
GRE is NOT required
UC Davis requires academic records from each college-level institution you have attended. You will be instructed to upload scanned copies of your transcripts after you have submitted your online application
Personal History
Statement of Purpose
TOEFL iBT - Minimum Score: 80
IELTS - Minimum Score 7.0 on a 9-point scale