Developmental Science

Ph.D. program in Developmental Science

The PhD specialization in Developmental Science (DS) within the Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences at Boston University is one of the fastest-growing and innovative training programs in the country.

BU’s comprehensive DS graduate specialization, which covers the depth and breadth of the entire discipline, provides students advanced training in developmental psychology, with an emphasis on early childhood. Faculty members are nationally and internationally renowned, with projects funded by the National Institutes of Health and the National Science Foundation, as well as by prestigious foundations such as the Simons Foundation and Templeton Foundation. The program features one of only three Autism Centers of Excellence in the country.

The DS graduate specialization offers unique research opportunities across different developmental domains using multiple methodologies with a focus on the integration of basic developmental science with practice and policy. Robust collaborations—local, national, and international—help drive the program’s progress and innovation. Researchers work across DS labs within the Child Development Labs at Boston University as well as with developmental science colleagues in other schools at the University. This distinguishing feature means that DS students gain particularly broad, hands-on training.

The director of the Program in Developmental Science is Amanda Tarullo.