Online Child Development Degree Programs

Online child development degree programs are ideal for people who enjoy working with young children, helping them build important life skills.

A campus or online degree in child development can lead to a career in school counseling, social work, child advocacy, early childhood education, elementary education and other areas. As a child development graduate, you would work with parents and educators to advise them in child cognitive development, public policy reforms related to education, developing early childhood education programs, and address the special needs of children with physical and developmental challenges. Child development online degree programs lead to child development jobs that involve working with young children. This career presents opportunities for applying training and child development theories outside of the classroom environment.

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Selected Online Child Development Degree Programs

Capella University - Online

• MS - Child and Adolescent Development
• MS - Early Childhood Education

University of Phoenix

• AA in Paraprofessional Education

Walden University

• B.S. in Child Development

Kaplan University

• AS in Interdisciplinary Studies / Early Childhood Development
• BS in Human Services / Child and Family Welfare

Ashford University

• BA / Early Childhood Education
• BA / Early Childhood Education Administration
• BA / Organizational Management - Child Study
• BA / Organizational Management - Early Childhood Education
• BA / Social Science - Child and Family Development
• BA / Social Science - Early Childhood Education
• MA / Education - Child Development
• MA / Education - Early Childhood Education

Western Governors University

• B.A. in Early Childhood Education (Birth through Grade 3)

Rasmussen College

• Business Management Associate Degree - Child Development

Child Development Courses and Education

Child development education programs offer training in specialized courses in child development theories, child behavior and development, developmental psychology, adolescent psychology, social work, values and ethics, etc. Child development colleges offer courses in areas such as:

• Multicultural Issues in Child Development
• Child Health and Nutrition
• Classroom Management
• Social Policy Issues in American Childhood
• Cognitive and Language Development
• Social and Emotional Development
• Social Policy

A child development associate degree takes two years to complete while the bachelors degree takes about four years. Online child development masters degree program specialize in specific segments of the child population or specific areas of concentration. Online child development degree programs might include child development course work on preschool, gifted children and special needs children, elementary education, early education, adolescent education, school social work, and early intervention assessment programs.

Child Development Careers

For most child development jobs, a degree is required, and in many cases for a management or supervisory position, a physical education master degree is necessary. For entry-level positions an associate or bachelor degree is necessary. Careers with a online child development degree include working in family therapy social work, health education, and counseling. With an child development masters degree you can also work in supervision and administration. Clinical and therapeutic positions for example child counseling require certification and a professional degree, while college teaching and research positions require one to have a PhD. Some careers include:

• School social work
• Elementary school teaching
• Public policy advising
• Educational program evaluation
• School psychologist
• Curriculum design and development
• Family counseling
• School counseling
• Child policy research

Expected Salary and Projected Career Growth

Child development study is an important area especially for early childhood education and elementary education. The United States Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that child development careers should increase by at least 20% over the next several years. School social work careers should increase by about 22% within the same period, while school psychology degrees should grow by 16%. The mean hourly wage for people with a campus or online child development degree, for example school social workers, is over $20.00 an hour or about $42,000 annually. Childcare workers who work outside of day care earn about $10.00 an hour while community, social, and service managers earn close to $30.00 an hour.