Best 15 Masters in Child Development Programs in 2024

At the University of Minnesota College of Education and Human Development, the Institute of Child Development offers a Master’s degree program. Students enrolled in this program earn a Master of Education in Early Childhood Education. This licenses them to teach children up to the third grade at an elementary school in Minnesota.

In order to gain valuable experience, students are required to teach at the school’s Shirley G. Moore Laboratory School, which serves as a preschool for the campus. When it comes to time spent in the classroom, Masters in Child Development students are taught a developmental theory-based curriculum.

At the University of La Verne, students can earn a Master of Science in Child and Adolescent Development. Students can choose from one of two tracks; practitioner, or research. They also choose whether they want their concentration to be early childhood or adolescence. This program is ideal for students who want to work in positions such as the director of a childcare center, a youth advocate, or even a children’s television producer. The program also offers a lot of flexibility, making it ideal for working adults. Students can take courses at their own pace, and they can choose whether they want to take classes online, or on campus once the campus reopens (as all classes are currently being taught online due to the COVID-19 pandemic).

The Erikson Institute offers students the opportunity to earn a Master of Science in Child Development. In total, students have a choice of seven different concentrations, some of which are Child Life, Children with Special Needs, Child and Family Policy, and Infancy and Administration.

In order to graduate with this degree, students must complete a two-semester long internship. Some of the internships are with businesses such as the Chicago Zoological Society, Children’s Museum of Oak Lawn, the Garfield Park Conservatory, and Metropolitan Family Services.

Concordia University Chicago offers a Master of Arts in Early Childhood Education. The program teaches students how to work with children up to the eighth-grade level. It is suitable for anyone who wants to work in public policy or administration, or as an advocacy specialist or early childhood education teacher.

At the University of Colorado Denver School of Education & Human Development students can complete the Master of Arts in Early Childhood Education program. It teaches students how to interact with not only children but also with their families. Those who graduate from this program often work for not only early childhood educational institutes but also family support and early intervention programs.

Students at Pacific Oaks College can earn a Master’s Degree in Early Childhood Education. They can also choose to focus their education on the Trauma Studies Specialization. Either way, this program teaches students to recognize the typical and not so typical developmental milestones in a child’s life. It also emphasizes as much real-world experience as possible throughout the course of the program.

At Mercy College, students can earn a Master of Science in Early Childhood Education.: Birth-Grade 2. Students can also choose to earn extra certifications. These prepare them to teach students up to the sixth-grade level, with the option of also learning to teach students with disabilities.

Most students that complete this degree go on to work in a daycare setting, or teach preschool or kindergarten.

Students at Albany State University can earn a Master of Education in Early Childhood Education. The program is designed for those who want to teach in a preschool. It prepares them to become curriculum development leaders and to work in research and supervision.

Those enrolled in NYU can pursue a Master of Arts in Early Childhood Education and Special Education, Birth-Grade 2. The program puts students in elementary school classrooms, but also in Head Start centers and preschools. Requirements include student teaching and fieldwork, with every class being closely associated with one or the other. Students that complete this program often go on to work as program directors in special education and early childhood educational institutions.

California State University, Sacramento offers a Master of Arts in Child Development through its College of Education. Developmental theory and research are the program’s main focus. In order to graduate, students choose a thesis or project.

Students that graduate with this degree often go on to work in community agencies, as well as program administration, social work, and even teach in community colleges.

At the Tufts University School of Arts and Sciences, students can complete a Master of Arts degree through the Eliot-Pearson Department of Child Study and Human Development. Upon completion of the first semester of study, students can choose to pursue a thesis or applied track. Alternately, they can choose to pursue a concentration in 21st Century Literacies: Media and Technology, or Clinical-Development Health and Psychology.

Students who have completed this degree have gone on to work as early intervention program Developmental Specialists, public school Curriculum Specialists, and even after-school program Technology Consultants.

Students at San Diego State University can study in the Department of Child & Family Development to earn a Master of Science in Child Development. The program focuses specifically on children’s emotional and social development. Emphasis is placed on parent-child intergenerational relationships, family processes, and intervention.

In order to complete their degree students can pass an exam, submit a thesis, or complete a project that they designed. The thesis and project choices are recommended for students who want to go on to earn a Ph.D. degree in the field. After graduation, many students of this program go on to work in family service agencies and planning clinics.

At Mills College, students can earn a Master of Arts in Early Childhood Education. This degree is pursued by those who want to teach or work in administration for child development programs and elementary schools. Students can choose to pursue an early childhood education credential or a credential that prepares them to teach kindergarten through eighth grade.

During their studies, students teach for an entire school year at the Mills College Children’s School. This is a laboratory school on the campus of Mills College.

At Vanderbilt University students enroll in the Peabody College to earn a Master of Education in Child Studies. The program is run by the Department of Psychology and Human Development. Students have two track options to choose from. If they want to go on to work with children they choose the Applied Professional Track. But if they want to go on to earn a Ph.D. they choose the Clinical and Developmental Research Track. Either way, they complete hands-on work that includes children along with their families.

Students at the University of Delaware can earn a Master of Arts in Early Childhood Development and Programming. The unique curriculum focuses on how to utilize programming to teach special needs students. To complete their degree students must also gain hands-on experience in schools and early childhood programs.

The uniqueness of this program is that when students graduate from it they receive both a Leadership in Early Childhood Education Certificate and Human Services along with their Master’s in Early Childhood Development.