Program Statistics
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Human Development and Social Policy
Degree Types: PhD
The Human Development and Social Policy Program (HDSP) studies how public policy affects human development and well-being, how research on human development across the life span informs policy, and how people affect policy.
The core curriculum in HDSP provides interdisciplinary training in human development, qualitative and quantitative methods, and policy development, implementation, and evaluation. Students then specialize in areas such as child development and social policy, adult development and social policy, or human development and education policy.
Depending on their specializations, students receive training for academic positions in basic departments such as psychology, sociology or economics and for multidisciplinary programs such as human development, education, social ecology, public health and family studies. Graduates are also strongly qualified for positions in private and nonprofit social research firms and for government research or policy positions.
Additional resources:
Program Contact
Contact Megan Redfearn
Director, Faculty Support and Doctoral Student Affairs
Degree Requirements
The following requirements are in addition to, or further elaborate upon, those requirements outlined in The Graduate School Policy Guide.
PhD
To obtain a PhD in Human Development and Social Policy (HDSP), students entering the program without master's degrees must complete 21 credits (13 required courses and 8 electives). Students entering the program with a master's degree are required to complete 18 courses (13 required and 5 electives).
In addition to course work, students must complete the following milestones:
- Trial Research Project
- Guided Literature Review (the GLR is the TGS qualifying exam)
- Two quarter teaching requirement to serve as a teaching assistant
- Dissertation Proposal (Prospectus)
- Dissertation Defense and Submission
Total Units Required: 13 plus electives
| Course | Title |
|---|---|
| HDSP Integration Courses (2 units) | |
| HDSP 401-0 | Proseminar in Human Development and Social Policy I |
| HDSP 414-1 | Research Design |
| Foundations of Human Development (3 units) | |
| Three of the following courses. One of the courses must be a developmental stages course (indicated by a *) | |
| HDSP 402-0 | Child Development and Social Policy (*) |
| HDSP 403-0 | Adolescent Development (*) |
| HDSP 404-0 | Adult Development and Aging (*) |
| HDSP 406-0 | Diversity Science in Psychology |
| HDSP 407-1 | Culture and Development |
| HDSP 408-1 | Emotional Mysteries |
| HDSP 413-0 | Theories of Human Development |
| HDSP 415-0 | Society, Stress and Development: Implications for Intervention |
| HDSP 482-0 | Methods in Social Psychology |
| HDSP 489-0 | Identity & Motivation |
| Foundations in Empirical Research Methods (5 units) | |
| HDSP 410-0 | Quantitative Methods I: Probability and Statistics |
| HDSP 411-0 | Quantitative Methods II: Regression Analysis |
| HDSP 412-0 | Quantitative Methods III: Empirical Tools for Causal Quantitative Analysis |
| HDSP 432-0 | Field Methods |
| HDSP 435-0 | Advanced Qualitative Methods |
| Foundations of Social Policy (3 units) | |
| Students must take 3 courses from among the following: | |
| HDSP 424-0 | Intersectionality, Measurement and Public Policy |
| HDSP 425-0 | Economics of Health, Human Capital, and Happiness |
| HDSP 426-0 | Organizations, Institutions and Society: Persistence and Change Among Public, Pr |
| HDSP 427-0 | Sociology of Education |
| HDSP 428-0 | Education Policy: Design, Implementation and Effects |
| HDSP 429-0 | Social-Community Interventions |
| HDSP 430-0 | Economics of Social Policy |
| HDSP 442-0 | Social Policymaking and Policy Implementation |
Master's
There is no terminal degree in Human Development and Social Policy. Students pursuing the PhD may receive the MA as part of their doctoral course of study; for more information please review the HDSP Handbook. Those leaving the program prior to the completion through to earning the PhD may receive the MA after successful completion of the Trail Research and course requirements.