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Developmental and Educational Psychology

Universities
20
Programs
43
Major category
Education

Specialization introduction

Major introduction

Studies psychological changes from birth to old age and how to use psychological methods to promote learning and growth.

Program overview

Developmental and Educational Psychology, simply put, is about studying "how people grow up" and "how to learn more effectively." You'll take core courses in developmental psychology (psychological changes from infancy to old age), educational psychology (learning motivation, teaching methods), cognitive psychology (memory, thinking), and psychological measurement and statistics (how to design questionnaires, analyze data). A unique feature of Chinese universities in this field is their strong focus on children's and adolescents' mental health and family education. For example, Beijing Normal University and East China Normal University have solid practice bases, giving you opportunities to intern at primary/secondary schools or psychological counseling centers. This major suits those who are curious about people and enjoy observing behavioral differences across ages. If you've ever wondered "why do children learn languages so fast" or "why are teenagers prone to rebellion," this major is where you'll find answers.

Major prospects

现在中国社会对心理健康的重视程度越来越高，尤其是学校和家庭。很多中小学开始配备专职心理老师，企业也愿意花钱做员工心理关怀。同时，在线教育、教育科技公司大量需要懂心理学的人来设计课程和产品。对国际学生来说，一个值得关注的方向是跨文化研究——比如比较中国孩子和你们国家孩子的成长差异，或者研究双语学习中的心理机制。另外，中国正在推行“双减”政策，课后服务、素质教育的需求很大，懂发展心理学的人可以参与设计更科学的课外活动。整体来看，这个领域在中国正处于上升期，机会不少。

Career prospects

毕业后你可以去中小学做心理老师（负责心理课、个体咨询、危机干预），或者去教育公司做课程研发（比如设计适合不同年龄段的在线课程）。也可以进心理咨询机构做咨询师（需要积累个案时长），或者去企业的人力资源部门做人才测评、员工培训。刚毕业的硕士生在中国一线城市起薪大概在8-15万人民币/年，有3-5年经验后可以到20-30万。如果你打算回国发展，这个专业的理论和方法是全球通用的，而且中国高校的学位在国际上认可度不错。另外，如果你中文够好，还可以考虑在中国做国际学校的心理老师，薪资会更高。

Subordinate programs