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What is Child Development?
Child development is an area of study that deals with the development and education of children from an early age. Individuals with degrees in this field are qualified to pursue teaching positions, with higher levels of education allowing for research and development positions. Child development involves the use of various sciences and methods in order to best affect the growth and education of children, or in the case of research, to better understand children in order to market products or develop goods that will interest children.
A child development degree offers individuals the opportunity to study and work with children from birth until adolescence. Child development asks that an individual be able to identify developmental issues and intervene, work well with children and understand how social and familial background can affect a child's development. Degrees are available starting at the associate level, with higher level degrees opening up more career opportunities. Individuals studying child development will work closely with children, and as such must learn the proper methods for dealing with them Qualities such as patience, understanding, and compassion are highly sought after among child development graduates.
Those pursuing a child development major will take courses in:
- Infancy and Adolescents
Individuals looking for child development schools will usually find programs available at a community college, vocation or trade school, or a private career institution which will offer associate degrees or certificates. Individuals looking to obtain higher level degrees will have to apply to a four year institution with a child development program. It is important to note that the program at a four year institution may have another name, and thus research will be important to find the right school.
Graduates with an associate's degree can begin working as a teacher, in daycare, at churches, or private schools. Those with higher level degrees can pursue work in public education institutions, research and social work, or in more commercial fields such as toy development and marketing. Child development requires individuals to understand the motivations and behaviors of children. As there is no lack of need for child specialists, the opportunities for child development specialists are expected to be high.
Child development is an expansive field, filled with options for graduates. Research positions will have higher level degree holders conducting studies and observing behaviors of children. Such positions are more limited in their availability, due to the limited amount of funding and positions open. Individuals pursuing graduate level degrees for the purposes of research and development should be able to find work due to the limited competition.
Salary information and Related Fields
The average income of a child development degree holder varies wildly based on career choice, education and specialization. Positions in research and development will typically be more lucrative than other positions. Salaries can average between $36,000 to $66,000 dollars per year.
For individuals looking to work with children in a different capacity consider a child care degree, family and community services degree or a family systems degree.