Applied Developmental Psychology

The program in Applied Developmental Psychology at Claremont Graduate University is dedicated to integrating theory with practice.  Graduate students in our program receive a strong foundation in developmental theory, empirical research, and methodological skills.  These core courses are supplemented with applied courses in program evaluation theory and practice, applied developmental psychology, and the design, implementation, and evaluation of interventions promoting social betterment.

Students can also receive additional practical experience through working as interns on projects that match their personal, career, and educational goals.  Thus, one strength of the program is that it allows students to customize their graduate school experience to meet their individual interests.  Students who complete our program in Applied Developmental Psychology are prepared for careers in academia, government agencies, nonprofit and research organizations, educational agencies, and health care settings.

Degree Options

We currently offer two degree options in Applied Developmental Psychology.  Click on the links for specific program requirements:

• Ph.D. with a concentration in Applied Developmental Psychology (includes MA in Psychology)
• M.A. Co-concentration degree in Applied Developmental Psychology and Evaluation.  This MA degree provides students with experiences in the design, evaluation, and implementation of prevention and intervention programs targeting children, youth, and families.

Follow this link for more information about the M.A. program in Psychology.

We also offer concentration programs in Positive Developmental Psychology at the M.A. and Ph.D. level.  Follow the link to learn more.

Developmental Research Opportunities

The program has a wide-reaching focus on the applied aspects of developmental psychology.  Graduate faculty interests and research specialties span major developmental epochs (infancy, early childhood, adolescence, aging populations) and domains (cognitive, socio-emotional).  Reflecting the applied nature of the program, selected faculty apply developmental research and theory to the study of vulnerable youth, including children with autism and children in poverty.  Faculty also use their developmental expertise to evaluate programs designed to improve the lives of children and their families.  Research interests across the graduate faculty in psychology, include:

Graduate Training for Doctoral Students in Applied Developmental Psychology

Coursework in the Applied Developmental Psychology program includes a combination of required and elective courses from developmental, applied developmental, statistics and methodology.  Together, these courses provide students with the theoretical, practical, and methodological base to pursue careers in teaching, research, and/or service.

Required Core Developmental Courses

• Theories of Developmental Psychology
• Cognitive Development
• Social/Emotional Development

Required Methods and Statistics Courses

• Research Methods
• Quantitative Methods
• Analysis of Variance
• Multiple Regression
• Categorical Data Analysis

Sample Elective Courses in Applied Developmental Psychology

• Applied Developmental Psychology
• Evaluating Developmental Interventions
• Developmental Psychopathology
• Neurological Basis of Development
• Infant and Child Assessment 
• Foundations of Program Evaluation

Sample Elective Statistics and Methodology Courses

• Structural Equation Modeling
• Hierarchical Linear Modeling
• Meta Analysis
• Survey Design
• Quasi-Experimental Design
• Factor Analysis

Current Positions Held by a Sample of CGU Applied Developmental Alumni

CGU’s doctoral program in Applied Developmental Psychology trains students for interesting and exciting careers that demand basic and applied research skills.  This is illustrated in the following list professional positions held by recent developmental alumni:

• Senior Research Analyst, First Five California
• Research Director in Psychology, University of Miami’s Linda Ray Center for Early Intervention Research
• Associate Professor of Research, Johns Hopkins University of Medicine
• Research Associate, EMT Associates
• Assistant Professor, California State University, Fullerton
• Program Analyst, Children’s Institute International
• Researcher, University of California, Irvine, Health Policy and Research Center
• Visiting Assistant Professor and Director of the Prader-Willi Program, University of Florida, Gainesville
• Consultant, Spectrum Center, Berkeley, CA
• Visiting Assistant Professor of Psychology, Pomona College
• Associate Director, Claremont McKenna College, The Berger Institute for Work, Family, and Children
• Independent Living Skills Program Manager, Build Rehabilitation Independents
• Research Associate, University of Washington, Seattle
• Psychologist and Director of San Fernando Valley Branch, Autism Spectrum Therapies

Click here to read about The Rise and Promise of Applied Psychology in the 21st Century.

Sample of Master’s Theses and Dissertations by Current Applied Developmental Psychology Graduate Students

As a product of working with a faculty research advisor, students are currently conducting exciting research on a variety of developmental topics.  A sample of MA theses and dissertations currently being completed at CGU include the following:

• "The Effects of Extra-Textual Internal State Term Use of Story Recall"
• "Increasing Social Initiations through Functional Assessment and Communication Training in Children with Autism"
• "Language Brokering, Autonomy, and Depression Among Mexican American Adolescents"
• "Increasing Social Initiations in Nonverbal Children with Autism: A Comparison of Modified Incidental Teaching Sessions (MITS) and Discrete Trial Training (DTT)."
• "The Effect of Ethnic Identity on Academic Help Seeking Behavior Among Latino Students"
• "Affective Perspective-Taking:  Assessment and Training of Children with Autism"
• "Parent Socialization of Emotion Display Rules"
• "Theory of Mind Ability in the Child Language Broker: Connections among Language Brokering, Social Cognition, and Academic Achievement"
• "Differences in Meta-Emotion Attitude and Types of Emotion Language between Mothers and Fathers in Relation to Children’s Emotional Responses"
• "The Mediating Effect of Cultural Identity on Psychological Control and Intrinsic Motivation in Chinese-American Adolescents"
• "The Effects of Acculturation and Parental Factors on Adolescent Delinquency among Asian Americans"

Financial Aid

Generous gifts to Claremont Graduate University have made it possible for us to realize our mission of making high-quality graduate education more accessible to a diverse group of students.  We are happy to report that all developmental psychology students who request financial aid receive fellowships.  In addition, significant increases in faculty research funding have resulted in a substantial increase in the number of stipends and the amount of tuition remission support we are able to provide.  SBOS also regularly hires students for paid teaching assistantships.  The CGU Office of Student Financing assists students with finding work study positions, private scholarships, and government loans.  At the time a student is offered admission to one of our graduate programs, SBOS faculty contact students to discuss the details of their financial aid package.

Transfer Policy

We have a very generous transfer-of-units policy for students who have already earned a Master's degree from another institution.  Students in the PhD program, who have completed a MA degree elsewhere, may transfer up to 24 units of relevant coursework.  Advanced CGU graduate students and faculty would be happy to provide you with more information about the field and career opportunities in Applied Developmental Psychology.

For More Information

To make a phone appointment or to arrange a visit to campus, please call or e-mail us at (909) 621-8084 or career.advisor@cgu.edu.