Bachelor of Arts (B.A.)
Understand how children grow — and learn to support them through everything from early learning to trauma and loss.
Child Life Pathway
Child life, play therapy, and practicum
Hands-On Practicum
Real experience with children and families
Trauma-Informed
Trauma, families, loss, and bereavement
Children don’t grow in a vacuum — they grow in families, schools, hospitals, and communities, and they need adults who understand how. ACU’s Child Development degree gives you a deep, research-informed understanding of how children develop, and the practical skills to support them through both ordinary growth and hard seasons.
The major spans child and adolescent development, family structure, research methods, and statistics, then lets you specialize through electives in areas like child life, play therapy, early literacy, trauma, and loss and bereavement. A required practicum — including child life practicum options — puts you in real settings with children and families before you graduate. It’s strong preparation for child life, early-intervention, and family-service careers, and for graduate study.
Throughout, a Biblical Worldview frames every child as an image-bearer worth your care and patience — especially the vulnerable, the hurting, and the overlooked. You’ll graduate ready to walk with children and families through both growth and crisis.
Understand How Children Develop
Study child and adolescent development from infancy through the teen years.
Support Children Through Trauma and Loss
Learn trauma-informed approaches and how to walk with children through loss and bereavement.
Practice Child Life and Play Therapy
Explore child life and an introduction to play therapy for children in stress and crisis.
Understand Families
Study family structure, function, and the policies that shape family life.
Think Like a Researcher
Build research and statistics skills to read and apply developmental research.
Get Real Experience
Apply your learning in a required practicum with children and families.
Caring for children — especially in hard places — is deeply human work, and a Biblical Worldview shapes how you understand the children you serve.
The Worth of Every Child
Every child bears God's image and has inherent worth, long before they can achieve anything. That conviction grounds the work of supporting children in dignity and love.
Forms a posture of care toward children at their most vulnerable.
Presence in Suffering
Children face trauma, illness, and loss. Scripture takes suffering seriously and points toward comfort and hope — a posture that shapes how you walk with hurting children and families.
Prepares you to be present in children's hardest moments without minimizing them.
Families Matter
Children grow within families, and a Biblical Worldview honors the family as a central context for human flourishing. Supporting children means supporting the families around them.
Grounds your work with children in care for the whole family.
Child Development opens helping-profession careers focused on children and families — and strong preparation for graduate and professional study.
Child Life Specialist (with certification)
Support children and families in hospitals and medical settings (the field requires Child Life Specialist certification).
Early Intervention & Child Services
Work in early-intervention, child-welfare, and child-services settings.
Family & Social Services
Serve children and families through social-service and community organizations.
Children's & Family Ministry
Lead children's and family ministry in churches and nonprofits.
Play Therapy & Counseling (with graduate study)
Build toward play therapy and counseling careers through graduate study.
Graduate Study
Continue into graduate work in child life, counseling, social work, or development.
ACU's Child Development degree pairs developmental science with hands-on, compassionate preparation for working with children and families.
A Child Life Pathway
Child life coursework and practica prepare you toward the child-life profession.
Hands-On Practicum
Required practicum experience with children and families, not just classroom theory.
Trauma- and Loss-Informed
Coursework in trauma, families, loss, and bereavement prepares you for hard realities.
Research Foundation
Statistics and two research-methods courses give you a real grasp of developmental research.
Care Grounded in Dignity
Serve children framed by a Biblical Worldview that values every child.
Getting started in child development at ACU takes just a few steps. Here’s the path.
Apply to ACU
Submit your application for admission to Arizona Christian University.
Start Your ApplicationMeet With an Advisor
Map your degree plan and decide whether to pursue the child life pathway or another emphasis.
Start With Child Development
Begin with foundational development courses and the statistics/research sequence.
Plan Your Practicum
Work with your advisor on practicum placement; child life practica have GPA and application requirements.
The Child Development degree gives you the developmental knowledge and hands-on experience to support children and families through growth and crisis. Connect with our team or apply today.