Child and Adolescent Development, A.A.-T

The Associate in Arts in Child and Adolescent Development for Transfer degree is designed to fulfill the undergraduate requirements for students planning to major or minor in child and adolescent development or transfer to the CSU system. The Child and Adolescent Development degree provides students comprehensive understanding of a broad range human development domains including social, cognitive, physical, and culture for children and adolescence. The degree provides a broad undergraduate preparation for students interested in child and adolescent care and education, elementary education, special education, and a variety of youth-related social service careers.

AA.CDE.CAD.OPTBAAT or AA.CDE.CAD.OPTCAAT

Design Your Future!

Begin by exploring MSJC program maps to find career or transfer opportunities.  Program maps show the recommended course sequence that leads to graduation or transfer. The maps were developed by program experts to give you the skills and knowledge you need to succeed.    

  • Starting in Spring? Choose Fall Semester 1 courses.   
  • Are you a part-time student?  Start Fall Semester 1 courses and follow the course sequence.

CSU: General Education Option B

Plan of Study Grid
Fall Semester 1Units
ENGL-101 College Composition 3
CSCR-100 College Success and Career Readiness 3
COMM-100 Public Speaking 3
PSYC-101 Introduction to Psychology 3
CDE-110 Child Development 3
 Units15
Spring Semester 1
CDE-125 Child, Family and Community 3
CDE-101 Principles of Early Childhood Education 3
SOCI/PSYC-121 Statistics for Behavioral Sciences 3
ENGL-103 Critical Thinking and Writing 3
SPAN-101
Elementary Spanish I
or Elementary French I
or American Sign Language I
4
 Units16
Fall Semester 2
PS-101 Introduction to American Government and Politics 3
GEOG-101 Physical Geography 3
CDE-103 Appropriate Curricula for Young Children 3
MUS-109 World Music 3
SPAN-102
Elementary Spanish II
or Elementary French II
or American Sign Language II
4
 Units16
Spring Semester 2
HIST/ETHS-160
Black History in the American Context
or Multiethnic Literature (formerly ENGL-280)
3
BIOL-115 Introductory Topics in Biology: Cells to Ecosystems (formerly Topics in Biology) 4
HIST-111
U.S. History to 1877
or U.S. History Since 1865
3
SPAN-201
Intermediate Spanish I
or Intermediate French I
or American Sign Language III (formerly ASL-103)
or Social Research Methodology With Lab (formerly Social Research Methodology)
4
 Units14
 Total Units61

Language Requirement:  Some CSU's require the equivalency of an intermediate language proficiency for graduation. Please see a counselor for more detail regarding specific CSU major and graduation requirements. CSUSM Grad Requirements: Language

UC: General Education Option C

Plan of Study Grid
Fall Semester 1Units
ENGL-101 College Composition 3
CSCR-100 College Success and Career Readiness 3
COMM-100 Public Speaking 3
PSYC-101 Introduction to Psychology 3
CDE-110 Child Development 3
 Units15
Spring Semester 1
SOCI/PSYC-121 Statistics for Behavioral Sciences 3
ENGL-103 Critical Thinking and Writing 3
GEOG-101 Physical Geography 3
SPAN-101 Elementary Spanish I 4
MUS-100 Introduction and Appreciation of Music 3
 Units16
Fall Semester 2
LIT-132 Adolescent Literature (formerly ENGL-132) 3
BIOL-115 Introductory Topics in Biology: Cells to Ecosystems (formerly Topics in Biology) 4
PSYC-124 Social Research Methodology With Lab (formerly Social Research Methodology) 4
ANTH-102 Cultural Anthropology 3
 Units14
Spring Semester 2
PSYC-103 Human Development 3
LIT/ETHS-280 Multiethnic Literature (formerly ENGL-280) 3
HS-121 Fundamentals of Healthful Living 3
PHIL-101 Introduction to Philosophy I 3
NUTR-100 Family Nutrition 3
 Units15
 Total Units60

NOTE: For students who did not meet the LOTE requirement in high school, they may fulfill Area 6 by demonstrating proficiency by completing ASL-100 American Sign Language I, FREN-101 Elementary French I, or SPAN-101 Elementary Spanish I with a grade C or better. Languages other than English for Native Speakers are also acceptable for meeting this requirement.  

Course Title Credits
Required Core Courses
CDE-110Child Development3
or CDE-110H Honors Child Development
MATH-140Introduction to Statistics3
or PSYC/SOCI-121 Statistics for Behavioral Sciences
PSYC-101Introduction to Psychology3
or PSYC-101H Honors Introduction to Psychology
List A : Select Three Courses
Select three of the following:9-10
Cultural Anthropology
Honors Cultural Anthropology
Human Biology
Introductory Topics in Biology: Cells to Ecosystems (formerly Topics in Biology)
Honors Introductory Topics in Biology: Cells to Ecosystems (formerly Honors Topics in Biology)
General Biology I
Honors General Biology I
General Biology II
Honors General Biology II
Principles of Early Childhood Education
Appropriate Curricula for Young Children
Child Health, Safety and Nutrition
Teaching in a Diverse Society
Infant and Toddler Growth and Development
Child, Family and Community
Honors Child, Family and Community
Children and Youth With Exceptional Needs (formerly CDE-540)
Observation and Assessment in Early Childhood Education
Supervised Field Experience: Student Teaching
Introduction to Elementary Classroom Teaching and Fieldwork (formerly Practicum in Elementary and Secondary Settings)
Fundamentals of Healthful Living
Family Nutrition
Honors Family Nutrition
Introduction to Nutrition Science
Honors Introduction to Nutrition Science
Human Development
Honors Human Development
Social Research Methodology With Lab (formerly Social Research Methodology)
Honors Social Research Methodology With Lab (formerly Honors Social Research Methodology)
Principles of Sociology
Honors Principles of Sociology
Marriage and the Family
Total Units18-19
Course Title Credits
Units for Major18-19
CSU General Education or IGETC Pattern37-39
Possible double counting: 16 units
Transferrable Electives (as needed to reach 60 CSU transferable units)

Total Units for A.A.-T Degree 60 units

The overall requirements for this Associates Degree for Transfer (ADT) can be met by:

  • Completion of 60 semester units or 90 quarter units that are eligible for transfer to the California State University (CSU) or University of California (UC).
  • Completion of California State University General Education-Breadth Requirements (CSUGE)  or the Intersegmental General Education Transfer Curriculum (IGETC).
  • Completion of a minimum of 18 semester units or 27 quarter units in a major or area of emphasis, as determined by the community college district.
  • Completion of a minimum grade point average of 2.0.

ADTs also require that students earn a C or better in all courses required for the major or area of emphasis. A “P” (Pass) grade is acceptable if pass is defined as a grade of C or better. ADTs are intended for students who plan to complete a bachelor’s degree in a similar major at a CSU campus. A student completing an ADT is guaranteed admission to the CSU system, but not a particular campus or major. Students should meet with a Counselor to develop a comprehensive educational plan to further understand university and transfer requirements.

Discover information about careers that interest you!

  1. Take a Career Quiz to learn about yourself and receive career suggestions based on your interests. 
  2. Search available in-demand jobs in your career areas of interest and find up-to-date salaries and education requirements. 
  3. Find the MSJC Program that connects your interests to a career.

Note: There are no guaranteed positions for students completing these programs. Education and work experience required will vary by employer. The salary and benefits for specific occupations will be dependent on work experience, education, background, and employer.