Through innovative research programs and high quality education for students, child development faculty are creating new knowledge and training the next generation of scholars and practitioners.
Faculty in child development focus on generating knowledge related to the behavioral, psychological, biological, and contextual processes that promote positive developmental outcomes in children. We are engaged in the creation of new knowledge about development that drives innovative theoretical perspectives and informs practice and scholarship in support of optimal development. Our efforts as scholars and as educators are built around two core principles:
- Multiple contexts shape development, including family, school, community, culture, and biology.
- The empirically based application of research to real-world problems is essential in promoting the well-being of children and families.
Students earning a doctorate in Child Development complete a rigorous set of experiences in preparation for a research career in a university academic environment, research organization, or similar settings. At the doctoral level, students implement independent programs of research with guidance from their faculty mentor(s).
Ph.D. in Human Development and Family Studies, Concentration in Child Development
Core Departmental Requirements
- HDFS 901: Contemporary Scholarship in Human Development and Family Studies
- Methodology and Statistics:
- HDFS 880 Research Design and Measurement
- HDFS 881 Quantitative Methods in Research
- HDFS 892 Multivariate Analysis and Structural Equation Modeling
- Four Elective Courses (12 Credits)
- HDFS 999: Doctoral Dissertation Credits (24 required)
Core Child Development Required Credits
- HDFS 826: Social-Emotional Development Birth to Five: Biology, Relationships, & Culture
- HDFS 827: Language and Literacy Development from Infancy to Formal Schooling
The remaining nine course credits reflect elective courses chosen by the student and the guidance committee to best meet the student’s goals.
Background Coursework that May Be Required
If the student has not completed the following courses or equivalent at the master's level, the following courses must be included in the doctoral program:
- HDFS 810: Theories of Human Development
- HDFS 811: Child Development from Ecological Perspectives
- One course in diversity
Total Credits = 63
For the most up-to-date information, visit the registrar's website.
Child development faculty, in collaboration with the teaching faculty at the MSU Child Development Laboratories and others across campus and beyond, are currently engaged in research around two core, scholarly themes:
Language and Literacy Development in Early Childhood
Drs. Bowles, Douglas, Skibbe, and Vallotton are implementing programs of translational research in language and/or literacy development in early childhood including the contexts of schools and families, with a particular focus on at-risk populations including children with disabilities. As part of this emphasis, faculty and students work to create, implement, and evaluate intervention programs that advance instructional techniques and educational opportunities for children. They also work toward the creation and validation of assessments of early childhood language and literacy skills to understand how assessments work and what they say about child development.
Social Emotional Health and Well-Being in Infancy and Childhood
Drs. Brophy-Herb, Johnson, Nuttall, and Vallotton have programs of research investigating aspects of social and emotional development and the biological, psychosocial, behavioral and contextual processes, including cultural and family contexts, which influence development in these areas. Their scholarly work includes both basic and translational research models.
Research Resources
We expect and actively encourage graduate students to become immersed in the research process. Our graduate students will have opportunities to participate in multiple aspects of research including grant proposal preparation, data collection and coding, data analyses and interpretation, and dissemination. Faculty and students in the child development area meet on a regular basis. We all share interests in developmental studies in infancy and early childhood. Our meetings and get-togethers provide time for us to discuss current research efforts, plan new endeavors, and build relationships with each other. In addition to this experience, the Department offers a number of scholarly activities with which students may become involved.
The Department promotes active research programs by providing child and family research observation laboratories, coding and data analysis stations, and a meeting area for graduate students to network and collaborate. Child development faculty are actively involved in research collaborations with faculty across campus, across universities, and across communities around the world.
The MSU Child Development Laboratories offer excellent resources both for applied research and training in early development and education. The CDLs offer NAEYC-accredited early childhood programming to infants, toddlers, and preschoolers. In-classroom videotaping and audiotaping capabilities, one-way observation booths, and research databases result in an excellent research environment. The CDLs also serve as a training laboratory for early childhood educators. Working alongside master teachers, students have opportunities to engage in first-rate early childhood practices. Faculty and graduate students can apply to conduct research projects at the CDL.
Faculty Research Labs in Child Development
CHILD Lab: Cultivating Hearts & minds on Infants and toddlers’ Learning and Development
Early Language and Literacy Investigations (ELLI) Lab
Research in Autism and Developmental Disabilities (RADD) Lab