Major

Child Development

Degree type:
BA
Mode of study:
On-campus
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When you choose to earn a degree in Child Development from Mount Saint Mary’s University, you can count on small class sizes, educators with decades of experience in real-world child development settings and a program that uses an interdisciplinary approach to understanding young children as individuals and members of society. Our guiding belief is that the health of any society is reflected in the ways it cares for and treats its children. 

A bachelor’s degree in Child Development gives you access to a wide variety of employment opportunities in the field of child and family services. It can also prepare you for a career in education. The program’s interdisciplinary approach helps students identify their best career opportunities, including working with children and families in social work, counseling or early education settings.

Career Paths

Examples of career paths include:

  • Teacher playing with students

    Child Social Services

    Join the ranks of social workers who pursue reports of abuse, investigate foster care and work with at-risk families on a daily basis.

  • Teacher reading to students

    Hospital Child Life

    Provide solace and care for children and their families as they face medical procedures and treatments at child-focused medical facilities.

  • Children playing

    Childcare

    Become a key driver of early childhood education and provide oversight as a teacher, curriculum specialist, director or parent educator in the rapidly expanding childcare field.

A bachelor’s degree in Child Development also can serve as a foundation for an elementary or special education credential — or as preparation for graduate studies. 

The Mount’s experiential education means you’ll step out of the classroom and into real-world environments. Mount students have access to our state-funded Child Development Center where they can explore their interest in working with children while completing work-study and practicum requirements for the degree program. 

Students can take EDU132 and EDU134 courses to earn both a Meaningful Observation certificate of training and a Desired Results Developmental Profile certificate of training. Both assessment tools are widely used in the state of California for state-funded and Early Head Start/Head Start program hiring. 

The Mount also offers an associate in arts transfer program for those wishing to earn their bachelor’s degree in Child Development. This is a preferred pathway for preschool teachers to further their career potential. 

Students walking and sitting on chalon lawn

Program goals and outcomes

Our Mission

Mount Saint Mary’s University maintains an educational philosophy that features:  

  • Community members sharing a common commitment to improving student learning and a common language to guide this work. 
  • Students knowing at the outset what their expected learning outcomes are for the course, major or program. 
  • Faculty and staff continually assessing the nature and extent of student learning. 
  • Lessons about how student learning can inform our curricular, pedagogical and administrative decisions. 
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