What is Human Development?
Human Development is the exploration of factors that contribute to the development of people throughout their lifespan. The goal of this study is to optimize factors that allow people to lead long, healthy, and fulfilling lives. By studying sociological, emotional, behavioral, biological, and psychological factors, human development students can learn to navigate the needs of individuals, groups, and organizations to positive and beneficial outcomes.
A field that encompasses a variety of disciplines—including biology, anthropology, history, genealogy, psychology, sociology, education, and religion—human development understands growth to be a multifaceted process that can elicit positive or negative change depending on the conditions in which they occur. Taking into account growth and development at various life stages, the field of human development examines a wide range of subjects—including public policy, health, education, law, business organization, wealth, and culture.
Interested in advancing your human development career? Pursue a degree in human development at Pacific Oaks.
Are Human Development Degree Programs Online?
Yes, both the Human Development bachelor’s and master’s degree programs are offered online. We provide online courses for undergraduate and graduate students to further their education while working, raising their children, or from out of state. Therefore students looking to pursue a Human Development degree are not limited by class times or location.
Our Human Development program is available in person at our Pasadena, California, campus.
Why Choose a Human Development Degree Program at Pacific Oaks?
Earning a human development degree will help graduates be one step closer to pursuing their careers in human-development-related fields. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, fields related to human development, including social and community service managers, human resource management, and social work, are expected to grow faster than average, from 5% to 9%.
- Social and Community Service Managers Average Salary: $77,030 (bachelor’s recommended)
- Human Resources Manager’s Average Salary: $136,350 (bachelor’s/master’s recommended)
- Social Worker’s Average Salary: $58,380 (bachelor’s degree recommended)
Pacific Oaks’ human development graduate and undergraduate degree programs introduce the sociological, emotional, biological, and psychological factors that contribute to an individual’s development. Our unique perspective focuses on how culture and systems of oppression impact development.
Students participating in the Human Development degree program, either through the bachelor’s or master’s degree, will explore the implications those factors have on an individual’s skills and developmental milestones such as problem-solving, language acquisition, personality and identity formation, and social and emotional maturation. With an emphasis on confronting bias and injustice in all its forms, Pacific Oaks’ unique learning experience prepares students to make a positive impact in the world. Students in the classroom help generate an emergent curriculum and voice their unique perspectives. Equipped with the shared experiences of classmates from diverse cultures, ethnicities, and socioeconomic backgrounds, our human development program graduates are prepared to bring social justice, advocacy, and respect for diversity and individualism to a variety of careers focused on the development of both children and adults.
Human Development Careers
Students who have earned their Human Development degree at the undergraduate or graduate school level have found careers in various work environments, including for-profit, nonprofit, business, education, health care, and global organizations. Examples include:
- Organizational consultant
- Human resources
- Executive coach
- Child care
- Social services
- Instructor
- Administration
- Supervisor
- Grassroots organizer
- Community activist
- Child welfare worker
Human Development Bachelor’s Degree
The B.A. in Human Development degree program offered at Pacific Oaks College provides prospective students with the opportunity to pursue human development careers in a variety of fields. The Human Development undergraduate degree program is available online and on-campus in Pasadena, California. Pursuit of the B.A. in Human Development degree at Pacific Oaks allows students to choose from a variety of human development concentrations. These include concentrations in Social Change Early Childhood Education and Development, and Working with Adults. Within the B.A. in Human Development degree program, there is a place for prospective students looking to make
Human Development Master’s Degree
The M.A. in Human Development degree program offered at Pacific Oaks College is perfect for students looking to expand upon their knowledge and expertise in the expansive field of Human Development. The Human Development graduate program is offered in-person at the Pasadena, California, campus and online. Perfect for students looking to take that next step in their human development careers. From Leadership in Education and Human Services, to Social Change—the M.A. in Human Development degree at Pacific Oaks College will help to advance your exciting career.
Frequently Asked Questions
If you have additional questions about the human development graduate and undergraduate programs at Pacific Oaks, visit our FAQ page where our faculty and admissions team have provided answers to some commonly asked questions.
Please view our info session videos for the human development bachelor’s degree and the master’s degree program. During these sessions, participants give examples of the types of real-world experience students have completed to help their human development careers.