Are you fascinated by human development and relationships? Do you want to help children reach their full potential? If you have college credits but haven't fully earned your bachelor’s degree, PLNU’s child development degree completion program is designed for you. We’ll partner with you and together help make a meaningful difference for families of all types, including yours.

Completing your bachelor’s degree in child development at PLNU will give you a strong understanding of typical and atypical development and how to help meet the needs of children and families. You'll become the best possible champion for children by understanding the complex family and social systems that surround them. PLNU offers a convenient format tailored to accommodate your work and life commitments — so you can earn your child development degree in as few as 15 months.

Convenience to Fit Your Life

Our curriculum is designed with busy, working adults in mind with two formats of study: hybrid (in-person classes one night a week), or entirely online. Whichever study option you prefer, your coursework is designed to be flexible to your needs and help you balance your other life commitments. 

Hybrid Format

For those who prefer in-person learning, PLNU is partnered with community colleges across San Diego County, bringing professors directly to a campus near you two nights a week with the rest online. Additionally, you won’t have to worry about enrolling in new classes or adapting to a new schedule each semester. For the CDEV hybrid format, only the second 60 semester units of coursework are available through PLNU.

Online Format

If you prefer the flexibility of online learning and the ability to set your own schedule, the online format is for you! Students applying for the online CDEV program can start the program with as little as zero college credits completed. In the online format, PLNU offers all general education, elective, and pre-requisite courses needed for completion of the CDEV program (courses are fully online). With entry points every eight weeks, you can start whenever you're ready!

Prepare for Your Dream Job

By covering the full cycle of development from birth through adolescence, PLNU’s degree completion program offers you career flexibility, as well as a deep understanding of children and families that isn’t limited to a single age group.

Receive Personal Mentorship and Career Support

Our online and hybrid learning formats have a strong face-to-face component through which you'll be known and cared for. PLNU has a reputation for being a community where lasting relationships form among faculty and students.

"With this degree, you will be uniquely prepared to meet the needs of children, adolescents, and families. You will be equipped with practical application skills to address needs in a wide variety of professional settings." 

Susan Decristofaro Rogers, M.A. 
Co-Chair, Department of Sociology, Social Work, and Family Sciences

Grow as a Whole Person

You want to help children develop and attain their full potential. As a Christian university, PLNU wants the same for you. We’ll help you pursue a meaningful career and a balanced life.

Hybrid:

• Fall 2023 — August 28, 2023
• Spring 2024 — January 8, 2024

100% Online: 

• Summer 2023 Quad II — July 3, 2023

• Fall 2023 Quad I — August 28, 2023

• Fall 2023 Quad II — October 23, 2023

• Spring 2024 Quad I — January 8, 2024

• Spring 2024 Quad II — March 11, 2024

Start Application

Application Checklist

Note: The application is completed entirely online with the exception of transcripts, which can be submitted electronically or directly to PLNU, and test scores, which should be submitted electronically.

1. Submit online application for admission.
2. Submit official transcripts from each institution attended.
   
   Official transcripts must be sent to:
   Point Loma Nazarene University
   Office of Graduate Admissions
   3900 Lomaland Dr.
   San Diego, CA 92106
   
   Official electronic transcripts must be emailed to:
   gradprocessing@pointloma.edu

Start Application

Note: All students are expected to have some proficiency with computer technology (email, Internet, word processing, etc.).

This program is approved by the Community Care Licensing Division of California, which means the program meets the requirements for graduates preparing for a child care license in the state of California. However, because a license in California is earned by more than meeting the educational requirements, successful completion of this program by itself does not fulfill all of the requirements to become a licensed child care professional.

Please note: The Department of Sociology, Social Work, and Family Sciences will notify students when changes in requirements occur. Outside California, PLNU cannot confirm whether its program meets credentialing requirements in your state of residence. Upon completion of the program, and should you earn a license, Point Loma Nazarene University does not guarantee that the program requirements for licensure in the state of California will transfer to another state where you may want to be employed. Additionally, if you currently reside or plan to reside outside California, PLNU cannot confirm whether its program meets licensure requirements in your current or intended state of residence.

*Prospective students who meet the other criteria but do not have the required semester hours for entrance or are lacking in the core requirements will be advised on how to correct any deficiency. An enrollment counselor will assist these students with the development of a written pre-admission educational plan, which may include bridge courses taken at PLNU. Only courses from an accredited institution where at least a grade of a “C” has been earned will be accepted by transfer. Prospective students who do not meet the minimum GPA requirement can be considered for admission under exception. Contact your enrollment counselor for details.

**General Education deficiencies may be completed after admittance, but at least 20 hours must be completed prior to starting the program cohort. Three hours of appropriate prior learning credit may be used to meet one of the General Education areas — with the exception of English composition and math.

***The PLNU General Education Learning Outcomes (GELOs) will be addressed and measured within the PLNU degree program to ensure the outcomes we value are demonstrated.

With a Bachelor of Arts in Child Development from PLNU, you’ll be prepared to complete the essential and meaningful work of shaping children's lives. 

Possible Careers for Those with a Bachelor of Arts in Child Development:

• Preschool teacher or director at a public, private, or charter school
• Child life specialist
• Head Start teacher
• First Five specialist or care coordinator
• Early intervention specialist
• Behavioral therapist
• Children's or youth ministry leader
• Parent educator
• Foster care provider
• Social service worker for children and adolescents

What Can I Do With A Bachelor’s in Child Development? 

Degrees in child development are appealing to potential employers because of their interdisciplinary nature, focusing heavily on advocacy and leadership in the field of early education. Graduates of PLNU’s child development program can pursue a variety of different careers, as well as graduate-level study to become a family and marriage counselor, speech pathologist, child life specialist, educational specialist, social worker, early interventionist, and more.

The following careers are some of the most popular jobs for those with a Child Development, B.A.: 

Social Worker
2020 Median annual salary $51,760
Social workers' primary job is to evaluate their patients and develop goals and plans to reach said goals based on patient needs, wants, and limitations. Social workers work with individual caseworkers to develop care plans for patients and their families if necessary. Their duties include meeting with clients to discuss recent successes or setbacks with their individual situations and developing treatment and goals for clients with mental illnesses or clients recovering from traumatic events. Social workers must have strong communication skills as they must frequently check in with clients about their physical and mental health.

What it takes to be a social worker: 

• Compassion
• Patience
• Organization 
• Ability to manage stress

Preschool Teacher
2020 Median annual salary $31,930
Preschool teachers are childcare professionals who educate and care for children typically 3 or 4 years old. Their main responsibilities include teaching children about foundational education concepts like colors, shapes, numbers, rudimentary reading comprehension, and social skills. Preschool teachers must also be able to stay organized and keep their classrooms clean and safe for their students.

What it takes to be a successful preschool teacher: 

• Patience
• Creativity
• Empathy
• Communication
• Organization

Social and Human Services Assistant 
2020 Median annual salary $35,960
Social and human services assistants work with clients to determine what type of aid (psychological, medical, financial, addiction recovery, etc.) they need. They then help acquire said aid through research and finding services and benefits on behalf of the client. Social and human services assistants often work alongside social workers to develop and coordinate programs and treatment plans to provide clients with what they need.

What it takes to be a social and human service assistant: 

• Communication 
• Compassion
• Organization
• Problem-solving 

Using Your Child Development Degree: 

Earning a degree in child development will not only be appealing to potential employers but will also provide you with learning opportunities and experiences that will aid you in shaping the future by working with the children of today. 

Apply to PLNU today or get connected with one of our counselors for additional support and answers to any questions you may have.

For information about the courses required for the Child Development, B.A. program, view the PLNU Catalog. 

Hybrid Course Information

Online Course Information