Human Development Program

The Human Development Major

The scientific study of human development focuses on issues of growth, development, and behavioral change across the lifespan. The Human Development Program is interdisciplinary, incorporating courses from the departments of anthropology, biology, cognitive science, communication, ethnic studies, history, linguistics, literature, psychology, sociology, the Teacher Education Program, and Urban Studies and Planning Program. The curriculum is designed to emphasize the idea of development as an essential perspective from which to understand human behavior. The courses cover a broad spectrum of issues in human development—from brain and perceptual development, to reasoning and problem solving, to social interaction and the evolution of cultural systems. The Human Development Program unifies and coordinates the excellent research and teaching resources currently available on campus in this area and profiles the factors which influence the ways in which humans develop and change.

Human development is a very large field, but there is a set of basic questions which serve to define and integrate it: What underlies the development of human knowledge? To what extent is the capacity to know, indeed the concepts themselves, encoded in the genes? How is the role of learning and environmental influences accounted for? How do we learn? What are the ways in which children become competent participants in their social groups? What is the origin and nature of social interaction and organization?

The study of human development has become increasingly central to a wide range of important issues affecting infants, young children and adolescents, as well as the changing structure of the American family and public policy on children and education. An understanding of the processes which underlie human development is crucial to our evaluation of these issues and to our ability to offer avenues for remediation of the attendant problems. The three major areas of study within the Human Development Program are: Biological Development, Psychological Development, and Socio-Cultural Development. These areas consider issues which pertain to development of specific neural and cognitive processes and development within a larger social and cultural context.

Career Guidance

A degree in human development offers training of special interest to those considering admission to graduate or professional schools and careers in medicine, law, education, counseling, clinical psychology, public health, public policy, public administration, or social work. Students who are interested in these areas are advised to see a Human Development Program adviser for assistance in selecting elective and major courses. A major in human development is designed to impart fundamental skills in critical thinking, comparative analysis, research analysis, and written expression.

A human development major can offer preparation for teaching in elementary schools. However, if you are interested in earning a California teaching credential from UCSD, contact the Teacher Education Program for information about prerequisite and professional preparation requirements. It is recommended you contact TEP as early as possible in your academic career.

Education Abroad

Students are often able to participate in the UC Education Abroad Program (EAP) and UCSD's Opportunities Abroad Program (OAP) while still making progress towards their major. Students interested in studying abroad should see a Human Development Program adviser to discuss curriculum plans and appropriate courses. Infor-mation on EAP/OAP is detailed in the Education Abroad Program section of the UCSD General Catalog. Interested students should contact the Programs Abroad Office in the International Center and visit the Web site at http://www.ucsd.edu/icenter/pao. Financial aid is applicable and special study abroad scholarships are readily available.

Prerequisites for Human Development Majors

A bachelor of arts degree in human development will be given to students who satisfactorily complete the general-education and graduation requirements of Marshall, Muir, Revelle, Roosevelt, or Warren College in addition to the Human Development Program requirements described below.

Grade Requirements for the Major

A minimum grade-point average of 2.0 is required in the major. Students must receive a grade of C- or better in any course counted toward fulfillment of the major requirements. All courses taken to satisfy the Program's lower- and upper-division requirements must be taken for a letter grade. HDP 1, HDP 150, and HDP 191 must be taken in residence.

Lower-Division Requirements

The lower-division requirements for the major in human development are:

1. Introductory course in human development (HDP 1). This course must be taken at UCSD.
   
2. One quarter of statistics. (Psychology 60, Cognitive Science 14, or the equivalent.)
   
3. Two natural science courses. This requirement should be fulfilled by taking general introductory courses in the physical and life sciences (i.e., biology, chemistry, and physics). The following is a list of acceptable natural science courses offered at UCSD:
   

   Biology: 1, 2, 3, 10, 12
   Chemistry: 4, 6A, 6B, 6C, 11, 12, 13
   Cognitive Science: 17
   Earth Science: 10, 12
   Physics: Any of the 1 and 2 series, 10, 11
   

4. One introductory computer course. (MAE 5, COGS 3, CSE 5A, or the equivalent.)
   
5. Two formal skills courses. The courses may consist of any combination of courses in college level mathematics or logic. One quarter of calculus is strongly recommended. Acceptable logic courses include Linguistics 17, Philosophy 10 and 12.

Lower-division requirements 1 and 2 should be taken prior to enrolling in upper-division course work. It is recommended that all other lower-division requirements be completed by the end of the sophomore year.

Upper-Division Requirements

The upper-division requirements for a major in human development are:

1. one laboratory course
   
2. four foundation courses
   
3. seven upper-division developmental courses
   
4. one advanced level human development course
   
5. one quarter of field research

LABORATORY COURSES (ONE COURSE)

Each student is required to complete one laboratory course from the list of approved courses. The laboratory course is intended to introduce students to the methodologies used in the study of human development. Students are to choose one of:

Biology, BICD 131: Embryology Laboratory

Biology, BICD 133: Developmental Biology Lab

Biology, BIEB 165: Behavioral Ecology Laboratory

Cognitive Science, COGS 130: Everyday Cognition

Human Development, HDP 130/Communi-cation, COHI 108: The Development of Communication in Children

Human Development, HDP 131: Fifth Dimension for Elementary Schools

Human Development, HDP 135/COMT 116/PSYC 128: Practicum in Child Development

Psychology, PSYC 117: Laboratory in Developmental Psychology

Sociology, SOCA 110A-B-C

FOUNDATION COURSES (FOUR UPPER-DIVISION COURSES)

The study of development provides an essential perspective of how human beings come to know and interact with the world. However, this perspective must be grounded in a knowledge of the larger fields of study. It is crucial that students of human development are well-versed in the major theoretical and empirical issues of the related parent disciplines. The foundation course list is divided into the three major areas of study, Biological, Psychological, and Socio-Cultural. Within each area a number of foundation courses are indicated. Students are required to take at least four foundation courses. Students must take at least one course in each of the three major areas and may take the remaining course in any area they wish.

BIOLOGICAL

Anthropology, ANBI 139: Introduction to the Primate Brain

Biology, BICD 100: Genetics

Biology, BIEB 150: Evolution

Biology, BIEB 156: Population Genetics

Biology, BIEB 164: Behavioral Ecology

Biology, BIMM 100: Molecular Biology

Cognitive Science, COGS 107A-B-C: Cognitive Neuroscience

Cognitive Science, COGS 172: Brain Disorders and Cognition

Linguistics, LIGN 172: Language and the Brain

Psychology, PSYC 102: Introduction to Sensation and Perception

Psychology, PSYC 106: Introduction to Physiological Psychology

Psychology, PSYC 145: Psychology of Language

Psychology, PSYC 176: Functional Neuroanatomy

PSYCHOLOGICAL

Anthropology, ANPR 107: Psychological Anthropology

Anthropology, ANGN 118: Cognitive Anthropology

Cognitive Science, COGS 101A-B-C: Cognitive Theory and Phenomena

Cognitive Science, COGS 107A-B-C: Cognitive Neuroscience

Cognitive Science, COGS 151: Analogy and Conceptual Systems

Cognitive Science, COGS 172: Brain Disorders and Cognition

Communication, COHI 100: Introduction to Communication and the Individual


Linguistics, LIGN 101: Introduction to the Study of Language

Linguistics, LIGN 104: Language and Conceptualization

Linguistics, LIGN 172: Language and the Brain

Psychology, PSYC 103: Introduction to Principles of Behavior

Psychology, PSYC 105: Introduction to Cognitive Psychology

Psychology, PSYC 131: Personality Theory and Research

Psychology, PSYC 165: Cultural Perspectives on Cognition and Perception

SOCIO-CULTURAL

Anthropology, ANPR 105: Social Anthropology

Anthropology, ANPR 106: Cultural Anthropology

Communication, COCU 100: Introduction

DEVELOPMENTAL COURSES (SEVEN UPPER-DIVISION COURSES)

Each student is required to complete seven developmental courses from the approved list. The developmental course list is divided into the three major areas of study, Biological Development, Psychological Development, and Socio-Cultural Development. Within the seven developmental courses, a distribution requirement must be met by 1) taking one course from each of the three major areas of study and 2) by taking three courses from those denoted by the asterisk * from any of the three areas. Please note some courses appear in more than one area of study such as Psychology 101 and 180, and may not be counted towards more than one area of study. The distribution requirement is intended to provide students with breadth within the area of human development. In addition to the distribution requirements, each student is required to complete the remaining courses chosen from the approved developmental course list. The program allows considerable flexibility in selection of developmental courses. Students may focus on a particular area, or they may define their course of study more broadly by selecting courses across the range of areas offered.

BIOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENT

Anthropology, ANBI 140: The Evolution of the Human Brain

Anthropology, ANBI 159: Biological and Cultural Perspectives on Intelligence

Biology, BICD 134: Human Reproduction & Development (Requires a strong biology background. Students may not receive credit for both BILD 24 & BICD 134. See the HDP student affairs coordinator prior to enrollment).

Biology, BICD 130*: Embryology

Biology, BIPN 144*: Developmental Neurobiology

Cognitive Science, COGS 115*: Neurological Development and Cognitive Change

Cognitive Science, COGS 184: Modeling the Evolution of Cognition

Psychology, PSYC 168: Psychological Disorders of Childhood

Psychology, PSYC 180*: Adolescence

PSYCHOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENT

Anthropology, ANBI 159: Biological and Cultural Perspectives on Intelligence

Cognitive Science, COGS 113/Psychology, PSYC 136*: Cognitive Development

Cognitive Science, COGS 156/Psychology, PSYC 126*: Language Development

Communication, COHI 100*: Introduction to Communication and the Individual

Communication, COHI 121*: Literacy, Social Organization, and the Individual

Linguistics, LIGN 170: Psycholinguistics

Linguistics, LIGN 171*: Child Language Acquisition

Linguistics, LIGN 179: Second Language Acquisition

Literature, LTWL 114: Children's Literature

Literature, LTWL 116: Adolescent Literature

Psychology, PSYC 101*: Introduction to Developmental Psychology

Psychology, PSYC 122: Aging

Psychology, PSYC 156*: Cognitive Development in Infancy

Psychology, PSYC 167*: Social and Emotional Development

Psychology, PSYC 168: Psychological Disorders of Childhood

Psychology, PSYC 172: Psychology of Human Sexuality

Psychology, PSYC 174/Cognitive Science, COGS 154*: Communication Disorders in Children and Adults

Psychology, PSYC 180*: Adolescence

Teacher Education Program, TEP 115*: Child Development and Education

Teacher Education Program, TEP 118*: Adolescent Development and Education

SOCIO-CULTURAL DEVELOPMENT

Anthropology, ANBI 159: Biological and Cultural Perspectives on Intelligence

Communication, COHI 121*: Literacy, Social Organization, and the Individual

Communication, COHI 123*: Children and Media

Literature, LTWL 114: Children's Literature

Literature, LTWL 116: Adolescent Literature

Psychology, PSYC 101*: Introduction to Developmental Psychology

Psychology, PSYC 180*: Adolescence

Sociology, SOCB 131: Sociology of Youth

Sociology, SOCC 129*: The Family

Teacher Education Program, TEP 115: Child Development and Education

Teacher Education Program, TEP/SOCB 117*: Language, Culture, and Education

Teacher Education Program, TEP 118*: Adolescent Development and Education

Urban Studies and Planning, USP 145: Aging—Social and Health Policy Issues

Advanced Human Development Requirement HDP 150

Seminar for graduating HDP seniors. Readings and discussion of special topics in human development. Provides advanced-level study on subfields of human development. Topics vary quarterly. Prerequisites: HDP1, HDP 191, senior standing, and department approval two quarters prior to enrollemnt.

Field Research Requirement HDP 191

This course provides students with the opportunity to participate jointly in a research project in conjunction with a mentor/collaborator from a local service site. This applied research experience allows students to design and conduct research projects in a variety of settings ranging from laboratory research settings to service oriented placements. In addition to literature research and a final paper at the end of the quarter, students will participate at an off-campus site for a minimum of four hours per week. Research sites are pre-arranged one quarter in advance (see the student affairs coordinator for enrollment information). Students' interests and future career plans are considered for site placement. Various research orientations and methodologies are reviewed in class. Prerequisites: HDP 1 and department approval two quarters prior to enrollment.

Honors in Human Development HDP 194A-B-C

The Human Development Program offers an honors option for those students who have demonstrated excellence in the human development major. Human development honors allows eligible undergraduates to explore advanced issues in the field through an honors thesis on a topic of their choice and under faculty supervision. In order to be admitted to the honors program, students must have 1) junior standing and 2) maintained a minimum cumulative grade-point average of 3.2, and a 3.5 GPA for courses taken in the human development major. Interested students need to apply for departmental honors in spring quarter of their junior year. Students in the honors program are expected to complete the following courses in addition to those required for the major:

1. An advanced course in statistics or methods design (see the student affairs coordinator for more information).
   
2. HDP 194A-B-C, a year-long independent research project, which results in an Honors Thesis.

The Minor Program

A total of seven courses are required to complete a minor in human development. These include Introduction to Human Development (HDP 1), three developmental courses denoted by the asterisk*, and three additional developmental courses, one from each major area of study from the developmental course list.

FINISH-IN-FOUR PLAN

This plan is provided to help students fit the human development major requirements into a four-year schedule. Students interested in a particular career field should see the student affairs coordinator for more specific Finish-In-Four plans for their particular college.

FALL              WINTER           SPRING__________ 
FRESHMAN YEAR  
Natural Science   Natural Science  Computer 
Formal Skills     Formal Skills____________________
SOPHOMORE YEAR 
Statistics        HDP 1            HDP Lab 
Foundation        Foundation       Foundation______
JUNIOR YEAR 
Foundation        Development      Development 
Development       Development      Field Research 
Advanced Statistics**______________________________
SENIOR YEAR 
Development       HDP 150          Development 
Honor's Thesis**  Development      Honor's Thesis** 
__                Honor's Thesis**_________________

** Only required for students participating in the HDP Honor's Program.

Courses

Lower-Division

HDP 1. Introduction to Human Development (4)
This course introduces students to the central issues in the basic areas in human development. The course will explain relationships between biological, cognitive, social, and cultural aspects of development. Offered once per year.

Upper-Division

HDP 130. Development of Communication in Children (4)
(Same as COHI 108.) The course serves as an introduction to research methods in the study of child development. The special focus of the course will be on how children acquire competence in symbolic communication, including language, drawing, writing, and number systems. Observation of children in their interactions with each other and adults will be required. Prerequisite: HDP 1 or COHI 100. (S)

HDP 131. Fifth Dimension for Elementary Schools (6)
Students will participate four hours per week in classrooms at Torrey Pines Elementary School integrating the Fifth Dimension model of collaborative exploratory learning. Outside work will include readings and class preparation, as well as responding to children's written inquiries, writing field notes, and writing a paper. Prerequisite: HDP 1 (F, W, S)

HDP 135. Practicum in Child Development (6)
(Same as COMT 116/PSYC 128.) A combined lecture and laboratory course for students in psychology, communication, and human development. Student backgrounds should include a background in general psychology or communication. Students will be expected to spend four hours a week in a supervised practical after-school setting at one of the community field sites involving children. Additional time will be devoted to readings and class prep, as well as, six hours a week transcribing field notes and writing a paper on some aspect of the field work experience as it relates to class lectures and readings. Prerequisite: HDP 1 or COHI 100 or PSYC 101. (F, W, S)

HDP 150. Advanced Human Development (4)
Seminar for graduating HDP seniors. Readings and discussion of special topics in human development. Provides advanced-level study on subfields of human development. Topics vary quarterly. Prerequisites: HDP1, HDP 191, senior standing, and department approval. (F, W, S)

HDP 191. Field Research in Human Development (4)
This course provides students the opportunity to participate jointly in a research project in conjunction with a mentor/collaborator from a local service site. Students will participate at an off-campus site for a minimum of four hours per week for a ten-week quarter. Research sites are arranged by the instructor prior to the ten- week quarter. Students choose among research sites according to their interests and future career plans. This applied research experience allows students to participate in different aspects of research projects in a variety of settings. Students employ various research methods reviewed in class that are suited to the particular research settings. Prerequisites: HDP 1 and department approval one quarter prior to enrollment. (F, W, S)

HDP 194A-B-C. Honors Thesis (4-4-4)
Students will take part in a weekly research seminar. In addition, they will plan and carry out a three-quarter research project under the guidance of a faculty member. The project will form the basis for their senior honors thesis. Prerequisites: overall GPA of 3.2, and a 3.5 GPA for courses taken in the human development major; an advanced course in statistics or experimental design, and consent of instructor.