School of Behavioral and Brain Sciences
Master of Science Program in Human Development and Early Childhood Disorders
Objectives
The Master of Science program in Human Development and Early Childhood Disorders is designed for students with professional interests in early child development and disorders. The curriculum offers a strong foundation in the normative path of physical, cognitive, and social development with specialized training in assessment, diagnostic and intervention skills needed to work with developmental disorders of early childhood. The program is designed for students interested in a career in the delivery of services to young children who show developmental delays and disorders, the prevention of delays, and the promotion of optimal development. It teaches students to work as part of a multi- or transdisciplinary team. It provides training to work with infants and young children and their families in early childhood intervention programs, child life programs in hospitals, preschools, and medical/therapy clinics. Classroom training is combined with practical experience in a variety of clinical and educational settings, both on campus and in the community. Students graduating from the program qualify to work as Early Intervention Specialists and Developmental Specialists. Coursework also satisfies most of the competencies toward Child Life certification. Graduates with one additional year of work experience typically qualify for Level 2 Infant Mental Health Endorsement by First3Years (formerly the Texas Association for Infant Mental Health).
Facilities
The principal sites for the academic activities of the Human Development and Early Childhood Disorders program are located at UT Dallas and the Callier Center for Communication Disorders on the main campus in Richardson and on the campus of the UT Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas. Facilities include research and observational laboratories, including settings dedicated to infant and child assessment. The Callier Center on both the main campus in Richardson and the medical center campus offer a number of educational and clinical programs serving young children, including the Preschool Language Development Program held at Callier-Richardson. Various community programs and settings throughout the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex provide essential educational and clinical environments for training in Human Development and Early Childhood Disorders. Practicum and Internship placements both on campus and in the community provide supervised on-site and community based fieldwork experiences with young children with special needs and their families.
Admission Requirements
The University's general admission requirements are discussed on the Graduate Admission page.
The Human Development and Early Childhood Disorders program is designed for students with backgrounds in psychology, special education, early childhood education, social work, and communication disorders. Students from other disciplines are also encouraged to apply. Those from other fields are generally not required to take leveling courses.
Admission to the Human Development and Early Childhood Disorders program is based on a review of the applicant's GPA (grade point average), GRE scores, letters of recommendation, and narrative description of interests, relevant experiences, and career goals.
Degree Requirements
The University's general degree requirements are discussed on the Graduate Policies and Procedures page.
The plan of study includes a set of required foundational courses, elective course options, and supervised practical experience in applied settings designed to prepare students to work with children and their families.
Students are advised that participation in off-campus practicum and internship requires a criminal background check. Students excluded from off-campus sites for any reason may be unable to complete all degree requirements.
Master of Science in Human Development and Early Childhood Disorders
42 semester credit hours
The Master of Science program requires a minimum of 42 semester credit hours. Specific degree requirements follow.
Faculty
Professors: Margaret Tresch Owen, Karen J. Prager, John W. Santrock, Melanie J. Spence, Robert D. Stillman, Marion K. Underwood, Anne van Kleeck
Associate Professors: Shayla C. Holub, Mandy J. Maguire, Candice M. Mills, Jackie Nelson, Amy Pinkham, Pamela R. Rollins, Noah J. Sasson
Assistant Professors: Heidi Kane, Raúl Rojas, Andrea Warner-Czyz
Senior Lecturer: Donna Ewing
Clinical Faculty: Ana-Maria Mata-Otero
Required Major Core Courses: 27 semester credit hours
HDCD 6312 Atypical Development
HDCD 6315 Assessment Theory
HDCD 6316 Developmental Assessment
HDCD 6319 The Developing Child: Infants and Toddlers
HDCD 6320 The Developing Child: Toddler and Preschool Years (Two to Five Years)
HDCD 6335 Early Intervention: Research, Policy and Practice
HDCD 6370 Intervention with Young Children
HDCD 6390 Infant Mental Health
Practicum: 3 semester credit hours
HDCD 6V20 Practicum/Internship in Early Childhood Disorders
Internship: 6 semester credit hours
HDCD 6V20 Practicum/Internship in Early Childhood Disorders
Electives: 9 semester credit hours
COMD 6307 Language Acquisition
COMD 7V62 Seminar in Autism
HCS 7382 Health Psychology
HDCD 5350 Introduction to Child Life
HDCD 6310 Working with Parents and Caregivers
HDCD 6330 Families and Culture
HDCD 6351 Play Matters
HDCD 6355 Family Outreach and Assessment
HDCD 6360 Behavior Management
HDCD 6365 (COMD 7336) Social Communication in Early Childhood Disorders
HDCD 6385 Child Psychopathology
HDCD 6395 Medical and Biobehavioral Factors in Early Childhood Disorders
HDCD 6V81 Special Topics in Human Development and Early Childhood Disorders
HDCD 7V80 Independent Research
HDCD 7V98 Independent Study