Online Child Development Degree Programs

A degree in child development can lead to a fulfilling career helping children build crucial life skills. Whether you're a school counselor, social worker or child advocate, working with children offers daily challenges and rewards. With a degree in child development, you will be equipped to advise parents and educators on child cognitive development, advocate for public policy reforms, develop early childhood education programs, and address the special needs of children facing developmental or physical health challenges.

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Child Development College Degree Programs

Career training in child development offers specialized courses geared towards children of varying ages. Courses cover social work, values and ethics, child behavior and development, adolescent psychology, and more. Sample course titles include:

Social Policy Issues in American Childhood
Cognitive and Language Development
Social and Emotional Development
Multicultural Issues in Child Development
Social Policy Issues
Classroom Management
Child Health and Nutrition

Graduate programs typically offer opportunities to specialize in a specific segment of the child population or a specific topic area. Areas of specialization include special needs children, gifted children, preschool, elementary, or adolescent education, school social work, early intervention assessment, and more.

Online Degrees in Child Development

A college degree is required for many child development jobs. A bachelor's degree is typically the minimum educational requirement for entry-level positions in social work, health education, family therapy, and counseling (the latter two most often require master's degrees). The master's degree in child development is appropriate for administrative and supervisory positions. Clinical and therapeutic positions such as child counselor require professional degrees and certification. Research and teaching positions require a PhD.

Online education has made it possible for working adults to gain career training in child development. Obtaining an online degree in child development allows you to work at your own pace with no classroom time as you study for your degree. The work-study complement is particularly beneficial at the master's degree level, when students complete their capstone project. A job involving work with children affords a valuable opportunity for students to apply their training outside of the classroom.

Career Outlook: Child Development

Opportunities continue to grow for child development specialists, as rising school enrollments boost demand. Career opportunities for graduates of Child Development degree programs include:

School social worker
School psychologist
Curriculum developer
Elementary school teacher
Public policy advisor
Family counselor
Child policy researcher
Educational program evaluator

Child development careers should see job growth in the neighborhood of 20 percent in the decade from 2006 to 2016, according to the Department of Labor. School social workers can expect a 22 percent increase in opportunities, while school psychologists should see their ranks grow by 16 percent.

The Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that the mean hourly wage for school social workers was $20.15 in 2007, amounting to annual earnings of $41,920. Child care workers (outside of day care) earned $9.46 an hour, while social and community service managers earned $28.40. The education you receive in a child development program can boost your salary and move you faster up the career ladder.