The Department of Human Development focuses on behavioral and psychological development from conception through later life. Emphasis is on the processes and mechanisms underlying developmental change and stability and the contexts in which development takes place. The department has a historic dual commitment to increase knowledge of human development through rigorous research and scholarship and to disseminate this knowledge beyond the classroom to the larger community through a variety of outreach activities, including exploring the social policy implications of research-based knowledge.
The department, founded in 1925, was among the first in human development established by a university. It has consistently attracted a distinguished group of scholars from the disciplines of psychology, sociology, and biology. Currently, the department has a professorial faculty of 24, holding joint teaching and research appointments or joint research and outreach responsibilities. Undergraduate majors typically number 350-400, while approximately 35 doctoral students are in residence.
Use the links at the left to explore the department’s teaching, research and outreach work.
