克莱蒙研究大学

Positive Developmental Psychology and Evaluation provides you with knowledge and methods needed for research and to design, implement, and evaluate programs aimed at fostering positive human development throughout the lifespan.

Positive psychology is understood as an approach to human functioning that addresses human flourishing and well-being and the factors that contribute to them. At Claremont Graduate University, Positive Development is understood as individual growth through the lifespan. You’ll examine the positive developmental trajectories and processes that contribute to positive outcomes at both individual and sociocultural levels, integrating that knowledge with a background in evaluation and applied research methods. Led by expert faculty-scholars from both fields, you’ll gain experience applying social science concepts and methods to important social issues through research and practice, preparing you to succeed in an array of organizations and institutions and to make a lasting impact on the lives within them.

PROGRAM HIGHLIGHTS

Our programming in Positive Developmental Psychology is built upon the following core principles:

The importance of understanding positive developmental processes and primary prevention, promotion, and optimization, rather than remediation.
The need to take into account inter-individual differences and intra-individual changes across the lifespan.
The centrality of context, especially institutions, settings, and programs that promote positive experiences and characteristics.
An appreciation of the bidirectional relationship between knowledge generation and knowledge application.
Promotion of applied research and evaluation so that our work has direct implications for the decisions of individuals, families, schools, practitioners, and policymakers.

Curriculum

Core Courses (16 units)
Foundations of Positive Psychology (4 units)
Theories & Concepts in Lifespan Developmental Psychology (4 units)
Applied Developmental Psychology (4 units)
Choose from one of the following:
Child Development: Traditional & Positive Perspectives (4 units)
Adolescent Development: Traditional & Positive Perspectives (4 units)
Adult Development: Traditional & Positive Perspectives (4 units)

Elective Courses (10 units)

Positive Contexts
Positive Education
Emotion
Positive Relationships across the Lifespan
Good Work
Flow

Required Applied Methods and Statistics Courses (22 units)
Research Methods (4 units)
Intermediate Statistics (2 units)
Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) (2 units)
Applied Multiple Regression (2 units)
Categorical Data Analysis (2 units)
Foundations of Evaluation (2 units)
Comparative Evaluation Theory (4 units)
Evaluation Procedures (4 units)

In the Field Opportunities
Under the supervision of professionals with expertise in your particular areas of interest, you can participate in fieldwork, research, and paid internships at a range of organizations, including:

Claremont Evaluation Center
Southern California Edison Company
Kaiser Permanente
Orange County Rapid Transit District
Riverside County Department of Mental Health
Institute for Research on Social Issues