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Developmental and Psychological Sciences (DAPS)

The Developmental and Psychological Sciences (DAPS) program emphasizes disciplined inquiry and positive intervention approaches aimed at the development of psychological processes that play a central role in well-being, learning, social relationships, and broader adjustment in multiple contexts of caretakers/parents, families, teachers, and mentors.  The importance of race, equity, and diversity are central to all inquiry in the DAPS program. Faculty guided student research is centered on psychological inquiry into constructs spanning from individual to social levels, including neurobiology, development, learning, teaching, motivation, and measurement. The program seeks to cultivate scholars for careers that help to transform both research and practice, with a disciplined focus on leveraging developmental and psychological insights to improving adjustment, education, and learning outcomes.

All students are expected to achieve knowledge and expertise in several substantive domains of developmental and psychological theory and research methodology and to embrace the highest scientific, professional, and ethical standards. Students and faculty in DAPS work collaboratively throughout the program. In the first two years of doctoral studies, students develop their program of study in close collaboration with their advisors. The program ranges across the major domains of psychology relevant to education while developing an individual specialization for each student.

In addition, two cross-area specializations are available to DAPS doctoral students: Learning Sciences and Technology Design (LSTD) and Race, Inequality, and Language in Education (RILE).

The majority of our PhD graduates in the Developmental and Psychological Sciences area express an interest in pursuing a university career in teaching and research. Other graduates seek employment in educational research and policy settings at both public and private research organizations. Some of our recent graduates are employed at the following locations:

  • University of Maryland
  • University of Texas at Austin
  • University of Colorado
  • University of Washington
  • University of Illinois at Chicago
  • University of Wisconsin—Madison
  • University of California, Davis
  • University of California, Santa Cruz
  • University of San Francisco
  • University of Hawaii
  • University of Central Florida
  • University of South Florida
  • University of Pennsylvania
  • Ball State University
  • Lewis and Clark College
  • Harvard University
  • The RAND Corporation
  • Claremont Graduate School of Education
  • Purdue University
  • Teachers College, Columbia University
  • European University Cyprus
  • Microsoft Gaming Studio
  • Metrica Research Associates
  • Livermore Community College
  • Sesame Workshop
  • SRI International
  • Durham University, UK
  • California State University, Northridge 
  • San Jose State

Area Faculty & Affiliates

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