Catalogs & Handbooks

Human Development Major (with Teacher Certification)

Department of Education
Division of Social Sciences

Students selecting the Human Development major will study the individual in community and the world of schooling. The major provides a comprehensive preparation for prospective elementary school teachers, and an interdisciplinary program for students who wish to examine human development in the context of theory and practice in education but who do not wish to seek teacher certification.

The Human Development major is designed to help students answer the question, “How do children develop into fully mature, autonomous and self-aware human beings who are capable of both intimate and public communal relationships?” These studies will facilitate an understanding of the development of children in our multifaceted society within the comprehensive liberal arts foundation of the Washington College experience. The Human Development major provides the opportunity for enlarging our understanding of the development of school-aged youth. This is a particularly appropriate foundation for individuals wishing to become elementary school teachers.

The academic program includes sequenced study in educational foundations (the history, philosophy, and psychology of education), a developmental progression of study in pedagogical theory and practice, a demonstrated knowledge of content in selected liberal arts disciplines, and multi-disciplinary courses from the departments of anthropology, sociology, and psychology.

Field experiences and research are essential components of the major. The major study for the teacher candidate requires a 100-day internship in a Professional Development School; for the non-teacher candidate, the major study includes field experiences in schools or other educational and social agencies.

Washington College places singular emphasis on the completion of a significant independent project as the culminating activity in a major program. The teacher candidate will develop and present a professional portfolio which includes an action research project; the InTASC Model Core Teaching Standards will provide guidance and evaluative criteria. The non-certification major will develop and present an approved interdisciplinary thesis that includes field research.