Students who major in Child Development are interested in working directly with children and families, or they want to work indirectly for children in administrative, advocacy, helping, or researcher roles. A major in Child and Adolescent Development examines classical and contemporary research that promotes positive developmental outcomes spanning conception through emerging adulthood. Emphasis is placed on critical thinking, writing, computer literacy, public speaking, and leadership skills, allowing majors to find jobs in many different areas.

The Associate in Arts for Transfer degree in Child and Adolescent Development provides students with the foundational knowledge necessary to make a successful transition into a Baccalaureate Degree at any of the CSU campuses.  The Associate Degree for Transfer (AA-T or AS-T) is a special degree offered at California Community Colleges. Students who earn an AA-T or AS-T degree are guaranteed admission to a campus within the California State University (CSU) system in a similar major, although not necessarily to a specific campus. Students who complete an AA-T or AS-T are given priority consideration when applying to a particular program that is similar to the student’s community college major and will be given a special GPA advantage when applying to CSU impacted campuses or majors. Students who are planning to pursue an AA-T or AS-T are strongly advised to meet with a counselor for additional information about this transfer program. Visit https://adegreewithaguarantee.com/ for more information about these degrees. 

The Associate in Arts for Transfer degree in Child and Adolescent Development, allows students to transfer to a CSU campus to finish a bachelor’s degree in Child and Adolescent Development or a related field. Depending on the CSU campus, this interdisciplinary degree allows students to specialize in a variety of emphases: Child Development, Child Adolescent and Family Studies, Family and Consumer Sciences, Human Development, Liberal Studies (Child Development). A bachelor’s degree in Child and Adolescent Development or a related field typically leads to careers working with children and families in hospitals, human services, counseling, education, child/youth/family advocacy, foster care, juvenile and family courts, social services agencies, schools or public and private service-oriented programs.

Important note: The AA-T in Child and Adolescent Development does not prepare students to teach preschool as it does not include the courses required for the Child Development Teaching Permit. Students who are interested in pursuing Early Childhood Education and preschool teaching should refer to the AS-T in Early Childhood Education. The focus of the AA-T in Child and Adolescent Development is to give students who may not be interested in a curricular or classroom focus an opportunity to transfer to a CSU to pursue another specialty in the interdisciplinary field of child and adolescent development and to follow alternative career paths.

Associate Degree for Transfer Graduation Requirements

Complete all of the following:

1. All Department Requirements listed below with a “C” or better or "P" in each course.
2. IGETC-CSU or the CSU GE Breadth pattern.
3. A total of 60 CSU transferable semester units.
4. Maintain a minimum cumulative CSU transferable GPA of 2.0.
5. A minimum of 12 units through SBCC. 

Students are advised to meet with an academic counselor to discuss the best combination of courses to take for the AA-T and to meet the requirements of the transfer institution to which they are intending to transfer.

1. Contrast and compare typical and atypical development of children and adolescents.
2. Evaluate the role that context (i.e., family, peers, schools, communities, cultures) plays in development.
3. Discuss knowledge of the theories, concepts, developmental processes and empirical approaches in the scientific study of child and adolescent development from diverse perspectives across the 6 domains.
4. Plan developmentally appropriate differentiated instruction and curriculum based on formative assessment and needs of diverse learners.
5. Locate, interpret, and critically evaluate scholarly articles in field.
6. Demonstrate effective oral and written communication skills in the discourse of the discipline.

Make an appointment with your SBCC academic counselor through Starfish to create a Student Education Plan that reflects a recommended course sequence for this program that is tailored to your individual needs.

How to schedule an Academic Counseling appointment.