If you enroll in the B.S. in Health Studies program with a concentration in Child Development at Walden University, you'll have the chance to learn about healthcare and education laws and regulations as well as wellness promotion tactics. You'll also have the opportunity to examine some of the mental, emotional, and physical developmental stages that infants, young children, and adolescents undergo. Learn more about this Walden University online degree program here.
Frequently Asked Questions
What Kind of Program Is It?
The online B.S. in Health Studies program with a concentration in Child Development is designed to provide students with an understanding of administrative healthcare topics, including ethical decision making, cultural inclusion, medical financing, patient confidentiality, and client servicing. You'll have the opportunity to examine individual health, societal, and familial factors that can affect a child's development. Furthermore, courses cover methods for identifying and addressing physical, cognitive, or behavioral delays and exceptionalities among children. Prior to completing this Walden University program, you'll complete a final capstone project and have the chance to learn how to use spreadsheet software as well as more specialized healthcare computer programs and systems.
What Are the Prerequisites?
Though not required, it may be helpful to have experience working with children, as a camp counselor, tutor, babysitter, or nanny. Previous courses in developmental psychology, human biology, physiology, or ethics could prove helpful. Applicants to Walden University's bachelor's programs should be at least 24 years old and have a high school diploma or GED equivalent, or be between the ages of 21 and 23 and have at least 12 transferrable college credit hours, or have completed at least 90 college credit hours, or be an active member of the military or a veteran. Applicants may need to complete additional requirements for some programs.
What Are the Course Requirements?
Degree program curriculum and credits are subject to change. Contact Walden University for the most current information before enrolling in a program. To complete Walden University's online B.S. in Health Studies program with a concentration in Child Development, you will need to earn 181 quarter credits. Of these, you will complete 45 general education and 45 elective credits; you'll also take 56 foundation and core, 30 concentration area, and five capstone credit hours.
Foundation Course Requirements
- Dynamics of Walden Success: Learning Lab
Core Course Requirements
- Concepts of Health Promotion
- Context of Healthcare Delivery
- Principles of Epidemiology
- Introduction to Research Methods and Analysis
- Behavioral and Cultural Issues in Healthcare
- Aging Across the Lifespan
- Health Informatics
- Ethical and Legal Issues in Healthcare
- Interdisciplinary Perspectives in Healthcare
- Current Issues in Healthcare Policy and Practice
- Public and Global Health
- Capstone
Concentration Course Requirements
- Child Development
- Child Health, Safety, and Nutrition
- Child, Family, and Community Relationships
- Children with Special Needs
- Cultural and Linguistic Diversity
- Infant / Toddler Mental Health
What Could I Do After I Graduate?
Career Options
Upon completion of Walden University's online B.S. in Health Studies program with a concentration in Child Development, you could be able to seek employment with pediatric healthcare facilities, child care centers, behavioral health facilities, family service departments, or nonprofit community agencies. This specialized health studies degree could allow you to undertake duties related to child development research, health promotion, client services, or interagency collaboration.
Potential job titles could include:
- Family crisis specialist
- Child advocate
- Parent support specialist
- Child care provider
Career options may require additional experience, training, or other factors beyond the successful completion of this degree program.
Advanced Degrees
While earning a B.S. in Health Studies with a concentration in Child Development could allow you to pursue a number of entry-level opportunities, you might decide you'd like to continue your training. This could lead you to enroll in a complementary master's degree program, which could strengthen your knowledge and skills in health studies, child development, or a related field. Obtaining a master's degree could also allow you to take on added workplace responsibilities or pursue higher-level career opportunities.
Degrees listed are not institution-specific but constitute a sampling of continuing education options for graduates. Degrees you could pursue include:
- M.A. in Health Studies
- M.S. in Child Development
- Master of Social Work
- M.S. in Educational Psychology
