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EdD in Developmental Studies

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For contact information, please visit the Wheelock College of Education & Human Development website.

This program is on moratorium until further notice.

Human Development & Education

The program is concerned with the application of developmental theory to education, construed in its broadest sense. This specialization emphasizes the foundations of life-span learning and education across interrelated developmental domains (e.g., cognitive, affective, moral, social, etc.).

The promotion of human development and competence is a mission of educators, and the program orientation is pragmatic as well as conceptual. Students develop an understanding of the basic dimensions of human development: a life-span perspective; the convergent impact of constancy and change; life stages; traditional and changing life roles; the impact of gender, culture, race, and socioeconomics; cognitive, psychomotor, and psychosocial development; and the meaning-making processes of ego and self.

While it is expected that students will acquire a general overview of central issues in human development, ample opportunity exists for structuring a program tailored to specific needs and areas of focus. All students learn diverse theories of human development and examine the distinctive issues involved in developmental research. Students are also encouraged to arrange field experiences under faculty supervision that apply developmental theory. In addition, other course offerings at Wheelock and across the campus may enrich or support specialized study.

Human Development & Education includes a wide range of disciplines, and doctoral students are expected to develop specialized knowledge in one area while achieving understanding of related disciplines. Specialization may be delineated in one of a number of ways, including by discipline, by population, by setting, by age, or by domain.

Graduates holding an EdD in developmental studies fill a variety of professional roles, including university teaching and research in schools of education and other professional schools, and in hospital and clinical settings. They assume positions in schools, universities, and government agencies. They pursue careers in curriculum development, teacher education, and international development.

Program Requirements

All doctoral students in Human Development & Education must engage in research and other academic and professional activities related to the area of specialization and be able to assess and critique standard research approaches in the discipline. The doctoral program consists of eight core courses and five elective courses in the field of study and related disciplines.

In addition, each doctoral student is required to successfully complete at least two of three comprehensive tasks prior to the problem hearing for the dissertation proposal. These tasks are designed to give students experiences that will be critical to their future academic and professional activities.

Total Credits: 60

Course Requirements

Core Courses (36 credits)

  • GRS PS 791 Psychology of Social Oppression (4 cr)
  • SED CE 705 Life Span Development (4 cr)
  • SED ED 700 series (4 cr)
  • SED LS 750 Cognitive Development and Language (4 cr)
  • 5 research courses (20 cr)

Choose 16 credits with your academic advisor from the selection below:

  • SED AP 599 Addressing the Achievement Gap (4 cr)
  • SED CE 630 Applied Positive Psychology (4 cr)
  • SED CE 643 Mindfulness and Performance (4 cr)
  • SED CE 650 Counseling Skills and Techniques in Sport and Exercise Psychology (4 cr)
  • SED CE 721 Sport Psychology Practicum (2 cr) (2 semesters required)
  • SED CE 726 Clinical Assessment: Psychological Testing (4 cr)
  • SED CE 735 Issues in School Counseling (4 cr)
  • SED CE 739 Psychology of Vocational Development (4 cr)
  • SED CE 856 Seminar: Counseling Psychology (4 cr)
  • SED CT 524 Values in PE and Sport or SED PE 710 Sport Theory and Social Systems (4 cr)
  • SED DE 572 Psychology and the Deaf (4 cr)
  • SED DS 504 Introduction to Adolescent Development (2 cr)
  • SED DS 700 Advanced Sport Psychology Seminar (4 cr)
  • SED EC 605 Child Development and Early Childhood Education (4 cr)
  • SED HE 724 Sexuality, Culture and Human Development (4 cr)
  • SED LR 780 Process of Reading (4 cr)
  • SED LS 521 Sociolinguistics (4 cr)
  • SED LS 565 or 566 Language Acquisition (4 cr)
  • SED LS 725 Discourse, Narrative, and Literacy (4 cr)
  • SED PE 501 Advanced Methods of Coaching (4 cr)
  • SED PE 504 Workshop on Coaching Strategies (4 cr)
  • SED PE 505 Sport Science (4 cr)
  • SED PE 506 Perceptual-Motor Development (4 cr)
  • SED PE 529 Psychology of Coaching Teams (4 cr)
  • SED PE 591 Coaching Practicum (2 cr)
  • SED PE 592 Coaching Practicum (2 cr)
  • SED PE 705 Analysis of Teaching and Coaching Movement (4 cr)
  • SED PE 710 Sport Theory and Social Systems (4 cr)
  • SED PE 720 Kinesiology (4 cr)
  • SED SE 502 Behavioral and Emotional Problems (4 cr)
  • SED SE 503 Learning Disabilities: Characteristics and Methods (4 cr)
  • SED SE 533 The Families of Children with Special Needs (4 cr)
  • SED SE 590 Learning and the Brain (4 cr)
  • SED SE 650 Children at Risk (4 cr)
  • SED SE 760 Special Education: Cognition, Learning and Behavior (4 cr)

For more information about requirements for the doctorate, please visit the EdD Implementation Policies page.

Related Bulletin Pages

Beyond the Bulletin