Child and Adolescent Development  {SF State Bulletin 2015 - 2016}

Image: San Francisco State University seal on a gold background

Child and Adolescent Development

 

College of Health and Social Sciences

Interim Dean: Alvin Alvarez

 

Department of Child and Adolescent Development

SCI 394
Phone: 415-405-3564
Fax: 415-405-0401
E-mail: cad@sfsu.edu
Web Site: http://cad.sfsu.edu
Chair: Rene F. Dahl

 

Metro Academy in CAD
HSS 300
Phone: 415-405-0737
Website: http://metroece.sfsu.edu/
Director: Ashley Williams

 

PATH (Promoting Achievement through Higher Education)
HSS 124
Phone: 415-405-4342
Website: http://cad.sfsu.edu/path
Director: Lygia Stebbing

 

Marian Wright Edelman Institute for the Study of Children, Youth, & Families
HSS 257
Phone: 415-405-3925
Web Site: http://edelman.sfsu.edu/
Director: Charlotte Ferretti

 

Faculty

Professor: Dahl
Assoicate Professor: Park
Assistant Professors: Baroody, Pozzoboni
Lecturers: Agosta, Schilling

 

Programs

B.A. in Child and Adolescent Development

Concentrations in:

 

 

Program Scope

The Bachelor of Arts degree in Child and Adolescent Development (CAD) is for students who are interested in studying about and working with children, adolescents, and their families. The major provides students with knowledge and theories about children and adolescents from a developmental perspective. Students then learn to apply this knowledge to programs, services and policies for children, youth, and families that are offered in community settings. The core courses address theories of child and adolescent development, diverse families in a globalized context, and research methods. In addition to taking core courses, CAD majors select one of four specialized concentrations that reflects their specific interests. Those concentrations are: 1) Early Childhood; 2) School Age Child and Family; 3) Youth Work and Out of School Time; and 4) Policy, Advocacy, and Systems.

 

The CAD department offers two special programs:

  1. CAD Metro Academy (Metro)
    CAD Metro Academy was developed to support the next generation of leaders for early care and education in urban communities. Metro gives freshmen and sophomores who are designated as “Undeclared with an Interest in CAD,” personalized support for college success through in-class academic support and tutoring. At the core of Metro Academy is a learning community made up of two linked courses each semester, pairing a general education course and a Metro Child Development course. After completing the Metro program students are prepared to continue taking courses for completion of their major requirements with the necessarily skills for college success. CAD Metro is part of the larger Metro Academies initiative on campus.
  2. Promoting Achievement through Higher Education (PATH)
    PATH is a BA degree completion program for CAD majors in the Early Childhood concentration. PATH supports practitioners working in the field of early childhood education to obtain a bachelor’s degree. Courses are offered every other weekend on Friday evening and Saturday, so working professionals can take three or four courses each semester and graduate in two or two and a half years with a baccalaureate. PATH is the upper division part of Metro Academy.

 

The CAD department works with the Marian Wright Edelman Institute for the Study of Children, Youth, and Families. The Edelman Institute’s mission is to further educational excellence through its association with the child and adolescent development curriculum; promote collaboration among faculty; create public outreach, social advocacy, and other partnerships between SF State and the community; and to foster research and scholarly work in the area of children, youth, and families.

 

The major is designed to meet the educational and career needs of students with a variety of interests. Students who wish to complete a bachelor’s degree as well as a Child Development Permit for work as a licensed child care provider in a preschool or child care center will choose the Early Childhood concentration. Students who wish to teach in elementary schools will choose the School Age Child and Family concentration, which provides not only subject matter knowledge but a child development foundation as well. This concentration is excellent preparation for a Multiple Subject Teaching Credential program. Others who wish to work in out-of-school time programs such as after-school programs, probation, recreation, residential treatment facilities for school-age children and youth, or other community-based programs for children and youth will choose specialized study in the Youth Work and Out of School Time concentration. Finally, students who wish to work in research or policy fields for children, youth, and families will select the Policy, Advocacy, and Systems concentration. All concentrations prepare students for advanced study in disciplines such as law, medicine, psychology, social work, recreation, counseling, or physical therapy.

 

Career Outlook

The outlook for careers working with children and adolescents is positive. Surveys of employers and community agencies that offer positions working with children, adolescents, and families indicate that there is a strong need for professionals in those areas who have a strong foundation of knowledge and skills about child and adolescent development. Graduates who want to work with young children and their families as infant-toddler specialists, pre-school teachers, or child care providers are in high demand. There are 6,000 children in San Francisco alone on waiting lists for childcare programs. There is a need for well educated, experienced professionals to staff and administer quality child care and education programs, particularly as the existing center-based work force with B.A. degrees or higher starts to retire. There is also a need to expand the ethnic and linguistic diversity of early child care providers. Areas where B.A. degree providers/ teachers are particularly needed are in centers serving both infants and preschoolers, working with dual language learners, and working with children with special needs.

 

Even with state fiscal challenges and changes in requirements for teacher preparation, the increase in school age children in California and the significant numbers of teachers who will retire within the next few years, means there will be a need for qualified, fully prepared professionals to teach kindergarten through 12th grade. Although students who plan to enter a multiple subject teaching credential program can no longer complete a multiple subject matter preparation program in lieu of taking a Commission-approved subject matter examination (currently CSET), this degree strengthens pre-service preparation in subject matter as well as in child and adolescent development. Essentially, students in the School Age Child and Family concentration have the advantage of gaining knowledge in child development as well as the subject matter that they will teach in elementary school classrooms.

 

Complementary Studies

Bachelor of Arts students must complete at least 12 units of complementary studies outside of the primary prefix for the major and not cross-listed with prefix for the major.

 

Students who complete two majors or a major and a minor automatically complete the complementary studies requirement. Additional ways to complete complementary studies for students in the CAD major are to complete upper division units as partial completion of a minor or certificate, or a coherent group of courses. All units to be used toward the complementary studies requirement must be approved by an advisor in the major. Six complementary studies unit may be counted toward meeting major requirements. The units can be resident or transfer, or taken in approved Study Abroad programs.

 

Students who have earned AA-T or AS-T degrees and are pursuing a similar B.A. degree at SF State are required to fulfill the Complementary Studies requirement as defined by the major department. Students should consult with a major advisor about how transfer units and/or SF State units can best be applied to this requirement in order to ensure degree completion within 60 units.

 

Bachelor of Arts in Child and Adolescent Development

Application Filing Period. Because of high student demand, CAD was declared an impacted major in Fall 2011. Therefore, CAD admits only upper division students to the major in fall and spring semesters. Transfer students who apply to the major must be accepted first by the University and second, by the CAD Department. Application to the University filing periods may be found here: https://www.sfsu.edu/~admisrec/reg/reg.html

 

Current SF State students who wish to change their major to CAD for fall semesters should submit an application to the CAD department during the October 1 through November 30 application filing period. Students who wish to be considered for spring admission should apply between August 1-31. The department does not accept late applications for either fall or spring admissions.

 

Students should develop their program of study in consultation with a department advisor.

 

In addition:

  • Incoming students must have completed CAD 210, CAD 260 and ENG 214 or equivalents before beginning the major.
  • Students must earn a grade of C or better for all courses in the major including lower division courses taken at community colleges.
  • Courses in the major must be completed with a letter grade; CR/NC grading is not accepted except for CAD 601 Child and Adolescent Development Internship and CAD 611 Early Childhood Internship.
  • Courses taken in the core may not be counted in a concentration or vice versa.

 

Child and Adolescent Development major (B.A.) — 40 - 46 units

Core Requirements Required for all CAD majors  (18 units)

Courses are 3 units unless otherwise indicated.

Foundation – Each of the following is required.

Family Systems – Select one of the following.

Research – Required

Special Topics – Select one of the following.

 

Concentration in Early Childhood

See general information for all Bachelor of Arts in Child and Adolescent Development candidates above.

 

The concentration in Early Childhood has been developed for students who wish to work primarily in teaching and child care with young children (infants, toddlers, and preschoolers), and their families, in schools and public or private institutions and agencies that serve this population. The degree fulfills the requirements for the Child Development Permit issued by the California Commission on Teacher Credentialing.

 

Students must complete two courses in SPED; one course at the 300 level and one course at the 600 level.

 

Note: Any course listed below that a student takes beyond the specified requirements can be counted as an elective toward the 120 units for graduation. These courses will enhance a student’s preparation for work in early care and education.

 

Core Requirements: (see above) 18 units

Concentration in Early Childhood — 27 units

Courses are 3 units unless otherwise indicated.

Early Childhood Foundation

Child Development in Context – Choose one course from each category below.

Special Needs
Infant/Toddler Development
Supporting Children’s Learning

Curriculum and Methods – Select one of the following.

Observation and Assessment – Select one of the following.

Special Issues – Choose one course from A and one from B.

A. Administration/ Leadership & Working with Families
B. Curriculum Specialties

Culminating Experience – Courses must be taken concurrently.

*Note Elementary Education Course Policy: 30 hours observation/participation outside the classroom are required for Elementary Education courses (E ED). If a student takes more than one Elementary Education course per semester, 30 hours are the maximum total required and will cover all Elementary Education courses taken in that specific semester.

 

Concentration in School Age Child and Family

See general information for all Bachelor of Arts in Child and Adolescent Development majors above.

 

The School Age Child and Family concentration has been developed for students who wish to work primarily with school age children and their families in settings such as elementary schools, social service agencies, and after school programs. This concentration is recommended as preparation for students who wish to become elementary school teachers, and who, therefore, plan to enroll in a Multiple Subjects Teaching Credential Program after graduation.

 

Core Requirements (see above): 18 units

Concentration in School Age Child and Family — 28 - 29 units

Courses are 3 units unless otherwise indicated.

Language/Reading/Communication Development – Choose one.

Literature – Choose one.

Mathematics – Both required.

Science – Choose one.

Physical Education – Required

Social Science – Choose one from either A or B.

A.
B.

Art – Choose one.

Capstone Experience – Must be taken concurrently.

 

Concentration in Youth Work and Out of School Time

See general information for all Bachelor of Arts in Child and Adolescent Development candidates above.

 

The Youth Work and Out of School Time concentration prepares students to work primarily with school-age children and adolescents in out-of-school time programs. Such programs include afterschool programs, juvenile justice, recreation, residential treatment, social services, mental health, and public health.

 

Core Requirements (see above): 18 units

Concentration in Youth Work and Out of School Time — 26 - 27 units

Courses are 3 units unless otherwise indicated.

Youth and Context – Choose one.

Youth Development – Choose one.

Community Youth Development

Experiential Learning – Courses must be taken concurrently.

Special Topics – Choose one.

Ethics – Required

Program Development and Evaluation – Required

Culminating Experience – Courses must be taken concurrently*

* See CAD advisor about theses courses.

 

Concentration in Policy, Advocacy, and Systems

See general information for all Bachelor of Arts in Child and Adolescent Development candidates above.

 

This Policy, Advocacy, and Systems concentration has been developed for students who wish to work in public policy, advocacy, and nonprofit administration on behalf of children, youth, and their families.

 

Core Requirements (see above): 18 units

Concentration in Policy, Advocacy and Systems — 22 – 26 units

Courses are 3 units unless otherwise indicated.

Policy for Children, Youth, and Families – Choose one.

Political and Policy Processes – Choose one.

Systems and Organizations – Choose one.

Program Development, Evaluation, and Administration – Choose one.

Advocacy and Community Organizing – Choose one.

Research and Statistics – Choose one.

Culminating Experience – Required*

* See CAD advisor about this course.

 

 

SF State Home