Developmental Psychology Field

Developmental psychology is a sub-discipline of psychology that specifically deals with change: How do people change in their lives? Why do they change? And what individual or social factors promote or impede change? Historically, developmental psychologists have been mostly focused on the dramatic physical, cognitive, emotional and social changes that occur in infancy, childhood and adolescence. However, change is not limited to these age-periods as life-span developmental psychology shows. Any intervention program designed to address cognitive, behavioural or emotional issues aims at changing people's lives. Developmental psychology therefore is as much an area of application as it is a field of fundamental research.

A minor or specialization in applied developmental psychology will allow you to gain knowledge and a better understanding of how research in developmental psychology can be used to improve people's lives through education, prevention, and intervention. You will learn about specific programs that have been established to address various issues of cognitive and socio-emotional development in childhood and beyond. This knowledge is useful whenever you will deal with children and adolescents in your future professional or personal life.

Career Options

Knowledge in applied developmental psychology is essential for all professionals who regularly interact with typically and atypically developing children and adolescents, such as teachers, social workers, school psychologists, and behavior analysts. Completing a minor or specialization in applied developmental psychology provides you with an important background for taking such professional roles. It will help you to identify specific needs, strengths and vulnerabilities of children and adolescents as well as to identify strategies of successful prevention and intervention.

Program Options

At Laurier, undergraduate students from other majors can acquire a Minor in Applied Developmental Psychology, while undergraduates majoring in Psychology can qualify for a Specialization in Applied Developmental Psychology.

Minor in Community Psychology

The Minor in Applied Developmental Psychology consists of 3.5 credits. Some credits are mandatory while other credits are electives selected from a variety of topics, including:

Fundamental knowledge of developmental psychology across various age periods (childhood, adolescence, adulthood, old age)
Knowledge about atypically developing children and special needs education
Knowledge about behaviour modification, prevention and intervention
Strategies of program evaluation

Specialization in Community Psychology

This intensive specialization is for Honours BA Psychology and Honours BA Psychology: Research Specialist students. It consists of 3.0 senior credits. Note that a minimum GPA of 6 (C+) is required within all courses of this specialization.

Some credits are mandatory while other credits are electives selected from a variety of topics, including:

Fundamental knowledge of developmental psychology across various age periods (childhood, adolescence, adulthood, old age)
Knowledge about atypically developing children and special needs education
Knowledge about behaviour modification
Knowledge about prevention and intervention, as well as strategies of program evaluation in areas of cognitive as well as socio-emotional development

The specialization is designed for students already in the Psychology program who would like to have a focused area of study in Community Psychology. Interested Psychology students must indicate their interest in declaring the specialization prior to their third academic year.

Developmental Psychology Faculty

E: Recruitment and Admissions

@LaurierPsych