Developmental Psychology

Developmental Psychopathology Research Track

The Developmental Psychopathology specialization is a specific track offered within the developmental psychology program culminating in a Ph.D. in developmental psychology. The program prepares students for careers in research and teaching in the developmental sciences. Thus, it shares the same basic course and training requirements as the developmental psychology program, but also emphasizes understanding the origins, correlates, course, and sequelae of abnormal as well as normal development.

The curriculum of the developmental psychopathology program is as follows:

1. Departmental Requirements: Students must fulfill the departmental quantitative and research methods, departmental distribution, and teaching requirements outlined in graduate handbook (PDF).

2. Core Courses: Students must also take both of the developmental core courses (courses denoted by asterisks) and at least one of the two remaining courses:

PSYC 569 Developmental Theory and Research*
PSYC 562 Developmental Methods*
PSYC 575 Psychopathology I
PSYC 576 Psychopathology II

3. Developmental Psychopathology Elective Courses: To further specialize in substantive areas of developmental psychopathology, students must also take two additional courses from the list below that are not being used to fulfill departmental distribution requirements, the three elective courses for the Developmental Psychology Ph.D., or the Core Courses (i.e., Item #2 above) for the Developmental Psychopathology training track:

BCSC 542: Neurophychology
PSYC 560: Family Processes in Childhood
PSYC 563: Adolescent Development
PSYC 566: Neurobiological Foundations
PSYC 570: Clinical Assessment I
PSYC 571: Clinical Assessment II
PSYC 572: Clinical Research Methods
PSYC 575: Psychopathology I
PSYC 576: Psychopathology II
PSYC 583: Moral Development
PSYC 586: Evidence-Based Child Psychotherapy 

4. Developmental Psychopathology Research Placement [optional]:  Although a placement is not required for students in this training track and is taken only in rare circumstances, students may opt to develop a plan to gain direct, applied experience in a semester long, developmental psychopathology research placement approved by the developmental psychology program faculty. Given the emphasis on research training in this program, faculty approval for the placement requires that the student develop a plan that is specifically designed to advance their understanding of how to translate knowledge to formulate programs designed to improve the welfare of individuals, implement the programs and the assessments, and statistically analyze their effectiveness.