Bachelor of Science
Human Development
Prepare for a Rewarding Career in Human Services
To support the well-being of individuals and communities, you need to understand the psychological, social, cultural, and biological aspects of human development and learning across the life span.
In the interdisciplinary bachelor's in human development, you work toward your long-term career goals by personalizing your course of study with a concentration in your specific area of interest.
Graduates are employed as behavioral specialists, at-risk youth counselors, child development consultants, program evaluators, academic advisors, and institutional research analysts.
Common workplaces include schools, social services, pediatric hospitals, juvenile justice systems, wellness clinics, disability support providers, VA hospitals, and mental health agencies.
Program of Study
Core Courses
- Introduction to Psychology
- Introduction to Sociology
- Introduction to the Psychological Process of Schooling
Educational and Counseling Psychology Courses
- Lifespan Development
- Psychology, Cultural Diversity, and Social Justice
- Understanding Research in Human Development
- Introductory Statistics in Human Development
Field-Based Learning Experience
Participate in a community service project, complete a school or agency-based internship, contribute to research projects in the School of Education, or pursue independent studies that are aligned with your interests.
Concentration Courses
Five classes required for your chosen concentration.
Psychology or Sociology Elective
Choose one course from the following options:
Psychology: Social Psychology, Personality, Health Psychology, Childhood Behavior Disorders, Abnormal Psychology, The Psychology of Human Sexuality
Sociology: Sociology of Families, Sociology of Aging, Sociology of Race, Gender, and Class, Sociology of Sexualities
Human Development Elective
Choose one course from the following options:
Individual and Community Well-Being: Health Psychology, Promoting Healthy People and Communities, Supporting Individual and Community Change, Mass Media and Health Behavior, Introduction to Counseling Psychology
Development and Behavior: Child and Adolescent Development, Introduction to Human Exceptionality, Childhood Behavior Disorders, Juvenile Justice Administration
Education and Culture: Social Foundations of Education, Foundations of Leadership in College and University Student Organizations, Study in Educational Psychology, Children's Literature, Critical Approaches to Gender and Sexuality in Literature
Sociology and Psychology: Sociology of Aging, Sociology of Sexualities, Abnormal Psychology, Personality, The Psychology of Human Sexuality
See the Undergraduate Bulletin for details.
For more information, contact Dayna Newton at dnewton@albany.edu.
Areas of Concentration
Counseling Psychology Concentration
Learn how to apply psychological counseling skills to help diverse individuals achieve mental health and well-being.
Required Courses: Personality, Principles of Career and Life Planning, Introduction to Counseling Psychology, Childhood Behavior Disorders or Abnormal Psychology, and one elective such as Introduction to Biopsychology and Behavioral Neuroscience.
Educational Psychology Concentration
Optimize student outcomes by studying learning sciences and assessment and by mastering research methods.
Required Courses: Instructional Psychology, Child and Adolescent Development, Evaluation, Social Issues in Testing, Independent Study in Educational Psychology or Research Project in Human Development.
Higher Education Concentration
Gain leadership skills to prepare for administrative jobs in universities and other post-secondary education institutions.
Required Courses: College: Past, Present, and Future, Leadership in Organizations, Social Foundations of Education, Leadership in Practice, Foundations of Leadership in College and University Student Organizations.
Peer Assistance and Leadership Concentration
Combine classroom study with community service and organizational leadership development opportunities.
Required Courses: Foundations of Peer Counseling and Peer Education, Peer Counseling and Peer Education: Theory and Practice (I, II, and II), and Peer Supervision or Theory and Practice in Peer Counseling and Peer Education or Foundations of Leadership in College and University Student Organizations.
Special Education Concentration
Study atypical development, accommodation for individuals with disabilities, equity law, inclusion, and universal design.
Required Courses: Instructional Psychology, Special Education for Students with Emotional and Behavioral Problems, Introduction to Human Exceptionality, Introduction to Autism Spectrum Disorders, Children's Literature or Young Adult Literature or Childhood Behavior Disorders.
Course requirements vary across concentrations.
Combined Master's Programs
Combined Master's in Educational Psychology and Methodology
If you're majoring in human development and plan to pursue doctoral studies in education and/or psychology, you may want to pursue the combined program that lets you finish your bachelor’s and master’s in only 4.5 years.
Graduate coursework in this program includes advanced instruction in educational psychology, learning sciences, assessment, research methods, and statistics.
Earning both degrees strengthens your applications for PhD study and prepares you for employment in research settings and human service agencies.
Combined Master's in Special Education and Literacy II
If you're a human development major concentrating in special education and minoring in psychology, sociology, or English, you can complete an advanced degree in special education and literacy within 6 years.
Practica and clinical internships are integrated into the graduate portion of the program. The master’s degree prepares you to pursue New York State certification as an elementary school teacher (grades 1 - 6), reading teacher (birth through grade 6), or special education teacher (grades 1 - 6).
Combined Master’s in Mental Health Counseling
If you’re a Human Development major with a concentration in Counseling Psychology and a minor in Psychology, you can graduate in 5 ½ years with a Master’s in Mental Health Counseling. You will have the opportunity to take up to 12 credits of graduate coursework as an undergraduate student.
This combined program will prepare you to be a counselor in a wide array of community human service agencies and organizations, including psychiatric and substance abuse settings. The program integrates behavioral science theories with practitioner skills, giving you the ability to be an effective counselor with a strong understanding of the theoretical and scientific bases of professional concepts and techniques.
Combined Certificate of Advanced Study in School Psychology
If you’re majoring in human development and interested in becoming a school psychologist, you can complete the Certificate of Advanced Study in School Psychology graduate program in 7 years. You will have the opportunity to take up to 9 credits of graduate coursework as an undergraduate student. These 9 credits will double count for both undergraduate and graduate school at undergraduate costs.
Choosing the combined program will allow you to apply and be considered for the program before outside applicants. You will graduate with your Master's in Educational Psychology and Methodology as well as your Certificate of Advanced Study in School Psychology. Earning both degrees prepares you to become a licensed school psychologist.
Combined Master’s in Higher Education
If you’re majoring in human development and interested in a career in higher education, you can complete your Master’s in Higher Education graduate program in only 5 years. You will have the opportunity to take up to 12 credits of graduate coursework as an undergraduate student. These 12 credits will double count for both undergraduate and graduate school at undergraduate costs.
Choosing the combined program allows you to apply and be considered for the program before outside applicants as well as fast track your studies to start your career in higher education.