Human Development & Psychology Division

The Division of HDP is committed to understanding individual differences and bettering the lives of children, adolescents, and their families from under-served and under-resourced communities, and those who are under-represented in the scientific literature.

HDP faculty and students employ a variety of research designs and methodological approaches. Faculty expertise includes qualitative (e.g., clinical structured interviews), quantitative (e.g., survey research methods), and mixed methods approaches, as well as randomized experimental designs, and longitudinal and intervention studies. The program has served as a model for training in applied research and the application of research to real-life settings.

The goal of the HDP program is to study the nature and course of human development, in context, to inform practices and policies that affect the welfare of children. Topical Areas of Study Include:

The training that HDP students receive prepares them for work in a variety of fields. Recent HDP graduates have assumed positions either as faculty, consultants, or researchers in a number of institutions across the country.

• Assistant Professor, Teacher Education Program, University of California, San Diego
• Assistant Professor, Elementary Education, University of Georgia
• Assistant Professor, Curriculum and Instruction, College of Education, University of Washington (Seattle)
• Associate Professor, Department of Teaching and Learning, Peabody College, Vanderbilt University
• Associate Professor, Special Education, Charter School of Education, California State University, Los Angeles
• Postdoctoral Scholar in Child Abuse and Neglect, University of Nebraska, Lincoln
• Postdoctoral Scholar in Special Education, Neuropsychiatric Institute, University of California, Los Angeles
• Research Associate, LessonLab, Santa Monica, California
• Program Specialist, Pomona Unified School District, California
• Consultant, Milken Foundation
• Research Associate, Los Angeles Unified School District, Los Angeles
• Research Associate, American Institute of Research, Washington, D.C.

The M.A. Program in HDP is typically a full-time, one-year program. You should plan to be enrolled in the equivalent of at least three 4-unit classes for all quarters. Most courses are offered during the day. University regulations are that the M.A. must be completed within 7 quarters (two and one-third years), but students in our division rarely take that long. As a student in the M.A. Program, you must take at least nine 4-unit courses. About half are required courses and half are courses selected to fulfill various required types. Consult with your advisor in order to choose courses that best support your academic plan and goals.

The Ph.D. program is a full-time program. You should plan to be enrolled in the equivalent of at least three 4-unit classes every quarter and to be on campus almost every day. Many of the formal courses you will take are during the day, as are most colloquia, research group (RAC) meetings, and research work. You will gain valuable experience and learn much from the time you spend outside of courses with faculty and students conducting research, writing papers, and working in formal and informal educational settings. Typically, you should expect to finish your degree in four to six years. University regulations require that the Ph.D. be completed within 21 quarters (seven years), but students in our division normally do not take that long. As faculty, we are committed to helping you finish in a reasonable time-to-degree of four to six years.

If you are in the Joint Doctoral Ph.D. Program in Special Education, your general experiences and timetable will be similar to those of students in the HDP Ph.D. program. Like the HDP doctoral program, the Joint Doctoral Ph.D. program is full-time. The time periods within which you can and must complete the Joint Doctoral Ph.D. degree are also about the same as those for the HDP Ph.D. program with the main difference that you take your initial year of courses at California State University, Los Angeles and then complete course requirements at UCLA. Having the first year of courses at California State University, Los Angeles will not extend the length of your Ph.D. program.

The Joint Doctoral Program is DISTINCT from the HDP Ph.D. in the following ways: You will have a slightly different timeline as you will take your first year of courses at California State University, Los Angeles. You must complete a minimum of six courses at California State University, Los Angeles. You will be required to take three fewer quarters of colloquium. You will have NO publication requirement. You are required to have five rather than four dissertation committee members.