Child and Adolescent Studies

This concentration in Child and Adolescent Studies is designed for individuals interested in working with young people  from ages 6 to 19. Walden’s B.S. in Child Development is one of the only non-licensure degree programs to offer this concentration, which explores how to guide learning and enhance healthy cognitive, physical, and socio-emotional development in school-age children and adolescents.

The Making Connections courses help you gain an understanding of effective practices in the field of school-age and adolescent development, examine the most effective learning environments, and  make connections between key topics and trends and your own professional aspirations.

The Bachelor of Science in Child Development courses take into consideration the standards of the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC). These standards are critical indicators of program quality, and their inclusion reflects the integrity of the Walden learning experience.

Courses in the Child and Adolescent Studies concentration focus on:

• Foundational knowledge, current research, and career perspectives in the areas of development, education, and human ecology
• How school-age children and adolescents develop and learn
• Typical and atypical cognitive, physical, and socio-emotional development as well as the relationship among these developmental domains
• How culturally diverse values and social attitudes are transmitted to school-age children and adolescents
• Effective strategies needed for working with this age group in classroom and group settings
• Techniques needed to facilitate positive relationships between and among homes, schools, and communities
• Issues and trends related to school-age and adolescent students

Completion Requirements

• 181 total quarter credit hours
  • Foundation course (1 cr.)
  • General education courses (45 cr.)
  • Core courses (55 cr.)
  • Concentration courses (30 cr.)
  • Making Connections courses (18 cr.)
  • Capstone (7 cr.)
  • Electives (25 cr.)

Time to completion may vary by student, depending on individual progress and credits transferred, if applicable. For a personalized estimate of your time to completion, call an enrollment advisor at 1-866-492-5336.

Foundation Course

Course Code	Course Title	Credits
WLDN 1000	Dynamics of Walden Success: Learning Lab	1

Core Courses

Course Code	Course Title	Credits
EDUC 1001	Introduction to Education	5
EDUC 1002	Pioneers and Philosophies of Education	5
EDUC 1011	Making Connections: The Early Childhood Field	2
EDUC 1003	Educational Psychology	5
EDUC 1004	Child Development	5
EDUC 1012	Making Connections: The Developing Child	2
EDUC 1005	Child Health, Safety, and Nutrition	5
EDUC 1006	Child, Family, and Community Relationships	5
EDUC 1013	Making Connections: The Well-Being of Children	2
EDUC 2001	Language Development	5
EDUC 2002	Children’s Literature	5
EDUC 2011	Making Connections: The Foundations of Literacy	2
EDUC 3003	Observation and Assessment of the Young Child	5
EDUC 4004	Children With Special Needs	5
EDUC 4011	Making Connections: The Individuality of Children	2
EDUC 4005	Cultural and Linguistic Diversity	5
EDUC 4012	Making Connections: Living in a Diverse World	2

Concentration Courses

Course Code	Course Title	Credits
EDUC 3301	School-Age and Adolescent Development	5
EDUC 4301	School-Age Children and Adolescence in a Multicultural Society	5
EDUC 3302	Making Connections: Professions in the Field of School-Age and Adolescent Development	2
EDUC 3303	Motivating and Guiding School-Age Children and Adolescents	5
EDUC 4302	Home, School, and Community	5
EDUC 3304	Making Connections: Effective Learning Environments for School-Age Children and Adolescents	2
EDUC 4303	Trends and Issues in School-Age Children	5
EDUC 4304	Trends and Issues in Adolescence	5
EDUC 4305	Making Connections: The Role of the Professional	2

Capstone Course

Course Code	Course Title	Credits
EDUC 4500	Capstone	7

Electives

Choose five additional electives (25 cr.) from either general education or any bachelor's program, including B.S. in Child Development, B.S. in Psychology, and B.S. in Business Administration.

Course Descriptions

For assistance in deciding which online degree concentration fits your goals, request information or speak with an enrollment advisor by calling 1-866-492-5336. A list of international toll-free phone numbers is available for students outside the United States.