Graduate Program in Developmental Science

The Boston University Program in Developmental Science was introduced in 2010 (formerly the Program in Human Development). Our goal is to provide students with advanced training in the field of developmental psychology, with an emphasis on early childhood. The program represents the breadth of the discipline, offering research opportunities across different developmental domains using multiple methodologies, and exploring the integration of basic developmental science with practice and policy. The coursework and research training focus on the following core themes:

  • Continuity and change
  • Major domains—cognition; social cognition language; socio-emotional development
  • Contexts of development—genetic; neurobiological; family and culture
  • Development in typical and atypical populations

The program is designed around an apprenticeship model. Students are expected to be affiliated with one of the core research labs (see the following list) in association with a primary mentor and are encouraged to spend at least one semester also working in a second lab.

The director of the Program in Developmental Science is Deborah Kelemen.

Developmental Science Faculty

Professor Emerita

Faculty Affiliated with Developmental Science

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Child Development Labs

Laboratory Director
Social Development and Learning Laboratory Peter Blake
Advance Cultural and Emotional Intelligence Laboratory Stacey N. Doan
Child Cognition Lab Deborah Kelemen
Research on Autism and Developmental Disorders Helen Tager-Flusberg
Brain and Early Experiences Laboratory Amanda Tarullo
Developmental Behavior Genetics Lab Kim Saudino

Affiliated Developmental Labs

Laboratory Director
Child Language Lab Suhda Arunachalam
Learning Lab Kathleen Corriveau
Motor Development Lab Simone V. Gill