Developmental Science Specialization

The Developmental Sciences specialization is designed to train students in the areas of social, cognitive, emotional, and biological aspects of human development. This specialization involves intensive research apprenticeships with faculty mentors, coursework in core courses and advanced seminars, and exposure to leaders in Developmental Science through the colloquia and professional development seminar organized by the Center for Children, Relationships, and Culture, which is housed in the Department of Human Development.

The goal of the program is to train students for research careers in academic or applied areas of child development; graduates have obtained positions as university professors and research scientists. The program encourages engagement in collaborative research with faculty and students in a wide range of developmental science areas. In addition to coursework, students enroll in a one-credit weekly colloquia series and professional development seminar which hosts invited speakers from the Washington, D.C. metropolitan universities, institutes, and research "think tanks," as well as provides for professional development sessions on various topics such as conference preparations, dissertation projects, grant writing, and career options. Opportunities exist for collaboration with other departments on campus (e.g., Family Studies, Psychology, NACS), neighboring institutions such as Georgetown University, National Institutes of Health, Johns Hopkins University, UMBC, and Children's National Medical Center.

The Developmental Science area is also connected to the University-wide Developmental Science Field Committee which sponsors key note talks from prominent developmental scientists and hosts a range of professional development activities.

Students interested in the Developmental Science specialization should contact faculty members with whom they would like to work with, or Dr. Judith Torney-Purta at jtpurta@umd.edu.

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