West Virginia University
About the Program
Child Development and Families Studies (CDFS) is a program in the Department of Technology, Learning, and Culture in the College of Human Resources and Education at West Virginia University. Both B.S. and M.A. degrees are offered. Students in the B.S. program can selecte from two options: (a) Birth through Pre-K Early Childhood Education or (b) Family and Youth Studies. Birth through Pre-K Early Childhood Education is best suited for students who are interested in working with young children, from birth to four years, and their parents in pre-school or child care programs. Family and Youth Studies is best suited for students who are interested in working with older children, adolescents, and/or families in youth development or family development programs in community agencies. An M.A. can pursued in Educational Psychology with an emphasis in CDFS. Students complete 33 hours of coursework which includes a six-credit hour research-based thesis. Doctoral studies in Human Development and Family Studies (HDFS) will be available as an emphasis within the Interdisciplinary Ph.D. in Education in the College of Human Resources and Education. See details below.
Program Overview
| Area | Percentage | |
|---|---|---|
| Child/Human Development | 67% | |
| Family Studies | 33% |
Address & Contact Information
Undergraduate Program
- Families Across the Lifespan
- Introduction to Marriage and Family
- Introduction to Parenting
- Infant Development
- Early Childhood Development
- Research Methods
- Best Practice Pre-K Movement
- Infant Toddler Language/Literature
- Early Socio-Emotional Growth
- Adolescent Development
- Contemporary Issues in Family Relations
- Family Interaction/Communication
- Child Development Practicum
- Professional Field Experience
The undergraduate program offers a certificate of Infant and Toddler Education, consisting of 19 hours of course work. Specific courses in literacy, socio-emotional, and physical domains are offered. Students are trained to assess and provide developmentally appropriate activities for infants and toddlers.
A Director’s Credential is also offered in the summer. This 10 credit program prepares students to develop, administer and operate a child care center. Course work covers the business, budgeting, grant writing, fund raising, licensing and other administrative tasks needed to operate a child care center.
Graduate Program
Master's:
- Survey of Family Studies
- Socio-Emotional Development of Children and Adolescents
- Comparative Study of the Family
- Theories of Child and Development
- Socialization Processes and Social Contexts
- Statistics
- Research Methods
- Teaching Practicum
- Thesis
Doctoral:
- Advanced courses in quantitative and qualitative methods and statistics.
- Families & Human Development in Educational Contexts
- Families/Human Development in Rural & Appalachian Contexts
- Issues of Families
- Human Development within Families
- Additional courses available in Educational Psychology and related fields.
Master's Level
Doctoral Level
The Ph.D. program is intended to enhance the ability of the College of Human Resources and Education to meet the needs of those candidates who seek an explicitly scholarly career path. Ed.D. candidates may engage in scholarly writing and dissemination in addition to the dissertation, but this is typically not a programmatic requirement as the orientation of their degree is often serving the educational community from within as practitioners. Currently the College of Human Resources and Education at West Virginia University offers the following areas for candidates who are seeking a doctorate in the field of education: Curriculum & Instruction, Educational Leadership Studies, and Special Education. The interdisciplinary nature of the degree provides students with knowledge in four areas with one of those areas selected as the student's major focus of study:
- Human Development and Family Studies
- Educational Leadership & Policy Studies
- Learning, Instructional Design, & Technology
- Curriculum, Literacy, & Cultural Studies
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Child Development and Family Studies requires that students complete 33 hours with 5 required CDFS courses, two electives, statistics, and research methods. Six credit hours of research leads to completion of a research thesis with an oral defense. Graduate teaching and graduate research assistantships are available.