Curriculum

Child Psychology Course Curriculum

Penn Foster’s online child psychology course curriculum consists of courses that will cover the basics of early human development. You'll cover the essentials of psychology, growth and development, and learn about abnormal psychology in children.

Child Psychology

Certificate 4 months As low as $39/mo

Full Program Overview

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Child Psychology Course Curriculum

4 courses
18 exams
40.8 Continuing Education Units (CEUs)

Estimated completion time:

Fast track = 4 months
Average time = 8 months

With Penn Foster, you can learn at whatever pace works best for you. Some learners will be more comfortable moving faster, and dedicating more time, and the fast track estimate will apply to them. The average track will apply to most learners who can dedicate a few hours per week to completing their coursework.

Succeed by learning how to use your Penn Foster program.

By the end of this course, you'll be able to:
- Understand how to navigate Student Portal, including the Penn Foster Community, to find answers and successfully complete coursework.
- Understand the basic concepts of children’s nature in relation to growth and development.
- Understand the basic concepts of the different stages of child growth and development in relation to care and guidance of young children.
This course covers the psychology of biology and behavior, consciousness, memory, thought and language, intelligence, personality and gender, stress, and community influences.

By the end of this course, you'll be able to:
- Explain various states of consciousness, learning theories, and thought processes and development
- Summarize the nature of human motivation and development, the human development cycle, and approaches to understanding and assessing personality
- Recognize psychological disorders and available treatments
- Explain social psychology as it relates to attitudes, influences, behaviors, and stress
- Use critical thinking skills to determine the likely causes of behaviors of individuals and groups discussed in case studies
This course presents a variety of theoretical viewpoints to provide students with a well-balanced view of a child’s developmental process. Current studies and research provide students with an understanding of the principal topics of child psychology as well as recent trends in socially relevant problem areas.

By the end of this course, you'll be able to:
- Identify the important processes, time periods, and issues in development
- Explain the elements of biological, physical, and perceptual development
- Explain how the elements of cognition and language impact development
- Analyze socioemotional development and how this relates to the self and identity
- Analyze how social contexts impact development and growth
This course will help you better understand the widespread and often deeply troubling world of childhood and adolescent disorders.

By the end of this course, you'll be able to:
- Discuss the historical roots of clinical child psychology and the barriers that prevented recognition that child psychology was a unique field of study
- Describe the anxiety and mood disorders that affect children in adolescence, in particular obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), social phobias, panic disorders, depression, and stress disorders
- Explain externalized problems that affect children in adolescence, including behavioral problems, disruptive disorders, ADHD, and specific learning disabilities
- Explain the symptoms and treatment of AN, BN, and SA and the impact each has on adolescent development
- Recognize the commonly diagnosed intellectual and developmental disabilities

Note: We reserve the right to change program content and materials when it becomes necessary.