The San Diego State University 1997-98 Graduate Bulletin the World-Wide Web cannot be considered the official publication for the University. Please refer to the printed Graduate Bulletin

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Child & Family Development

In the College of Professional Studies and Fine Arts

Office: Professional Studies and Fine Arts 413
Telephone: (619) 594-5380
Fax: (619) 594-5921
Email: caheath@mail.sdsu.edu

Faculty

Faculty Committee for Child and Family Development

General Information

Admission to Graduate Study

Advancement to Candidacy

Specific Requirements for the Master of Science Degree in Child Development
(Major Code: 08231)

Faculty

*Francine Deutsch, Ph.D., Professor of Child and Family Development, Chair of Department

*Carolyn K. Balkwell, Ph.D., Professor of Child and Family Development (Graduate Adviser)

Helen Warren Ross, Ph.D., Professor of Child and Family Development

*Shulamit N. Ritblatt, Ph.D., Assistant Professor of Child and Family Development

Faculty Committee for Child and Family Development

Stuart C. Aitken, Ph.D., Professor of Geography

*Patricia T. Cegelka, Ed.D., Professor of Special Education

Shoshana A. Grossbard-Shechtman, Ph.D., Professor of Economics

*Charles F. Hohm, Ph.D., Professor of Sociology

Melbourne F. Hovell, Ph.D., Professor of Public Health

Kenji Ima, Ph.D., Professor of Sociology

*Kathleen B. Jones, Ph.D., Professor of Women's Studies

Eleanor W. Lynch, Ph.D., Professor of Special Education

*Louis M. Rea, Ph.D., Professor of Public Administration and Urban Studies

Judy S. Reilly, Ph.D., Professor of Psychology

*E. Percil Stanford, Ph.D., Professor of Social Work, Director of the University Center on Aging

*James L. Wood, Ph.D., Professor of Sociology

Maria E. Zuniga, Ph.D., Professor of Social Work

Shelly E. Chandler, Ph.D., Associate Professor of Sociology

Adelaida R. Del Castillo, M.A.,Associate Professor of Mexican American Studies

Vanessa L. Malcarne, Ph.D., Associate Professor of Psychology

Joseph M. Price, Ph.D., Associate Professor of Psychology

* Serves on the Faculty Governing Board which makes recommendations on admissions, curriculum, and thesis committee membership.

For information regarding graduate associateships, coursework, and research experience leading to a Master of Science degree in child development, contact the adviser, Dr. Carolyn K. Balkwell.

General Information

The Department of Child and Family Development, in the College of Professional Studies and Fine Arts, offers interdisciplinary graduate study leading to the Master of Science degree in child development. Graduate teaching associateships and graduate associateships in child development may be available to a limited number of qualified students.

Master of Science Degree
in Child Development

The Master of Science degree in child development is only one of two child development programs available in the CSU. With 106 community college child development programs, following the mandate of the Ryan Act, in California and 13 undergraduate programs within the CSU system, the M.S. program in child development plays a major role in training professionals for the State and region.1 The Department of Child and Family Development plays a leadership role in integration of curricula for community colleges and the CSU.2

Child development is an interdisciplinary area of study. The Master of Science degree, administered by the Department of Child and Family Development, draws on the expertise of an outstanding multidisciplinary faculty who are committed to the study of children within the context of diverse families and communities and who are from the following areas: Economics, Geography, Gerontology, Mexican American Studies, Psychology, Public Administration and Urban Studies, Public Health, Special Education, Social Work, Sociology, and Women's Studies. Emphasis in the program is placed on the central issue of "Child and Family Development Interventions" and offered through 13 courses from eight different departments.

Research interests and areas of expertise of the faculty include: abuse prevention, child and family advocacy, AIDS, attachment/bonding, children's literature, cross-cultural studies, curriculum development and evaluation, demography, economic development, families of divorce, full-inclusion programs for early interventions, intergenerational relationships, marital adjustment, multiethnic families, parent-child relationships, parent training programs, peer relationships, political interventions, public policy, cross-cultural studies, stress management and coping strategies, and train the trainers models for service delivery to children and families.

Opportunities exist to participate in an ongoing multicultural project studying images of grandparents and the elderly in children's books from different cultures. To date languages include Arabic, French, Hebrew, English, Russian, and Spanish. If you are interested in this project please contact Dr. Shulamit Ritblatt.

In addition, the Interdisciplinary Training Program on Early Intervention offers students field practice with transdisciplinary teams in hospitals, schools, and agency settings. Other field experience programs offer students supervised work in community agencies and children's programs. The Child Study Center focuses on undergraduate and graduate training and research by operating a Campus Children's Center in collaboration with SDSU's Associated Students and San Diego City Schools. All children's programs are mainstreamed and a wide range of special needs and at-risk populations are served by a full inclusion program.

1 Legislative linkages include Social Security Title IVA (Title XX) Title 5 and Title 22.

2 In collaboration with the Grossmont-Cuyamaca District strategies for competency-based curricula across all levels of child development programs throughout the State are being designed.

Graduates with competencies in either the Specialization of Child Development Interventions or the Specialization of Family Development Interventions qualify for administrator, coordinator, or service provider positions in preschools, day care centers, schools, hospitals, hospice centers, clinics, residential institutions, counseling centers, mental health centers, public welfare agencies, family service agencies, family planning clinics, community programs, business and industry, and government agencies. Graduates also qualify as community college instructors and can continue their education for the doctoral degree in human development or a related field.

Admission to Graduate Study

Students will be admitted to the graduate program in child development only after careful consideration of their qualification by the Child Development Faculty Governing Board. All students must satisfy the general requirements for admission to the University with classified graduate standing as described in Part Two of this bulletin. In addition, a student applying for admission to the graduate program in child development must meet the following requirements:

1. A bachelor's degree in child development or related fields or consent of the Child Development Faculty Governing Board.
2. Satisfy the prerequisites of courses in the program of study. If students' undergraduate preparation is deemed insufficient, students will be required to complete specified courses in addition to the minimum of 30 units required for the master's degree in child development.
3. A grade point average of 3.0 in the last 60 semester units attempted.
4. Completion of the GRE General Test with no less than a score of 500 on the verbal section and no less than a score of 500 on the quantitative section.

To be considered for admission to the graduate program in child development, an applicant must submit the following for review by the Child Development Faculty Governing Board which is in addition to the common admissions form:

1. Applicant's letter of intent which includes reason for seeking the degree and career goals.
2. Three letters of recommendation, one of which must be from an academic reference and another from an occupational reference.
3. A written personal statement by the applicant discussing background, interests, experiences, abilities, and career goals as they apply to the applicant's desire for a graduate degree in child development.
4. Completion of a telephone or in person interview conducted by one or more members of the Child Development Faculty Governing Board.

Advancement to Candidacy

All students must satisfy the general requirements for advancement to candidacy, as described in Part Two of this bulletin, have identified a thesis research adviser, taken CFD 790 with a grade of B or better, and have had their research topic approved by their thesis advisers.

Specific Requirements for the Master of Science Degree in Child Development

(Major Code: 08231)

In addition to meeting the requirements for classified graduate standing and the basic requirements for the master's degree as described in Part Two of this bulletin, students must complete a graduate program of at least 30 units including at least 21 units from courses listed as acceptable to master's degree programs in child development. At least 18 units must be in 600- and 700-numbered courses.

All students must complete:

1. A core sequence of four courses composed of Child and Family Development 670, 671, 790 and Psychology 670A or Public Health 602.
2. A 15-unit specialization, chosen from the list below and approved by the adviser.
3. Child and Family Development 799A, Thesis.

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