Bachelor of Arts in Child and Adolescent Development: Concentration in Community, Health, and Social Services

Concentration in Community, Health, and Social Services

The Community, Health, and Social Services concentration prepares students to work with children and families from birth through early adulthood in community, health, and social service settings.

Courses in the major must be completed with a grade of C or higher. CR/NC grading is not accepted.

Program Learning Outcomes

  1. To promote and advocate for social justice and be culturally aware, sensitive, and responsive in the context of CAD.

  2. To understand the professional roles and responsibilities in the field of CAD in a variety of work settings.

  3. To apply developmental, learning, and cultural theories used in the context of the field.

  4. To communicate clearly, respectfully, persuasively, coherently, and powerfully in the context of CAD, including but not limited to working with children, families, and colleagues.

  5. To write clearly, cohesively, and persuasively in the CAD genre in a variety of formats, including but not limited to reports, policy analyses, assessments, and proposals.

  6. To understand research methods, assessment, evaluation, and data collection, analysis, and reporting; to conduct action research in the context of CAD.

  7. To be able to locate and utilize a variety of appropriate and relevant resources and technologies in the context of CAD.

Child and Adolescent Development Major (B.A.): Concentration in Community, Health, and Social Services- 45 Units

All courses for the major must be completed with a grade of C or better. CR/NC grading is not accepted.

Core Requirements – 24 units

CAD 210Introduction to Applied Child and Adolescent Development3
CAD 260Children, Families, and Community: An Ecological Perspective3
CAD 300Professional Roles and Careers in Child and Adolescent Development3
CAD 411Applied Developmental Science: Middle Childhood through Emerging Adulthood3
CAD 410GWApplied Developmental Science: Prenatal Through Early Childhood - GWAR3
CAD 500Research Methods in Child and Adolescent Development3
CAD 625Children, Youth, and Public Policy3
CAD 660Applied Advanced Developmental Science in Child and Adolescent Development3

Families & Context (6 units)

Select Two:

AFRS 515Black Family Studies3
CAD 223Infants, Toddlers, and Families3
CAD 450Understanding and Working with Diverse Families3
CAD 550Child Life: Theory and Application3
CAD 560Loss and Grief: Children, Youth, Families and Community3
CAD 685Projects in the Teaching of CAD1-4
FCS 426Family Stress, Coping, and Resilience3
HIST 484Disability and Culture in the U.S.3
RRS 480Youth Culture, Race and Resistance3
SPED 620The Science of Early Intervention3

Community Youth Development (3 units)

CAD 400Community Youth Development3

Concentration Electives (12 units)

Select 12 units from the following courses:

AA S 584Asian American Sexualities3
AA S 591Asian American Community Health Issues3
AIS 470American Indian Ethnicity: Problems in Identity3
AFRS 525Black Child Development3
AFRS 678Urban Issues of Black Children and Youth3
BIOL 330Human Sexuality3
COUN 691Multicultural Human Relations3
C J 470/SOC 452Juvenile Justice4
C J 471Contemporary Issues in Juvenile Justice3
C J 475Intervention Policies in Juvenile Justice3
C J/LTNS 485Latina/o Youth, Crime, and Justice3
I R 259Children and Youth in International Relations4
I R/GPS/PHIL 315Introduction to Global Peace Studies3
LS 402Introduction to Human Rights Education for Teachers and Local Communities3
LTNS 500Latina/o Community Mental Health3
LTNS/WGS 505Gender, Sexuality, and Latino Communities3
LTNS/RRS/SOC 580Educational Equity3
PH 315Drugs and Society3
PH 320Contemporary Sexuality3
PH 455Community Organizing and Community Building for Health3
PSY 430Adolescent Psychology3
PSY 433Social, Emotional, and Personality Development3
PSY 435Developmental Psychopathology3
PSY/SXS 456Psychology of Human Sexual Behavior3
RPT 280Developmental Play Processes3
RPT 300Leadership in Recreation, Parks, and Tourism3
RPT 340Conference, Event Planning, and Management3
RPT/SOC 410Therapeutic and Inclusive Recreation3
RPT 440Urban Recreation and Parks3
RRS 303Health and Wellness among Pacific Islanders3
RRS/SXS 380Queer and Trans Ethnic Studies3
RRS 410Grassroots Organizing for Change in Communities of Color3
RRS 420Arab American Identity: Memory and Resistance3
RRS 571Women, Race, and Class3
SOC/RRS 330Comparative Race and Ethnicity in the U.S.: Class, Gender, and Nation3
SOC 469Gender and Society4
SPED 330Introduction to Disability3
SPED 691Autism in the Contemporary World3
S W 350Services to Children, Youth, and Their Families3
SXS/SOC 400/PSY 450Variations in Human Sexuality3
SXS 567/ANTH 569Cross-Cultural Aspects of Sex and Gender3
USP 515/GEOG 667Environmental Justice: Race, Poverty, and the Environment4

Complementary Studies

To fulfill the University's Complementary Studies requirement, all students completing a B.A. degree must take 12 units from courses outside of the primary prefix of their major and not cross-listed with the primary prefix for the major. This requirement is automatically fulfilled when completing the Child and Adolescent Development degree. However, students may need to take additional units to reach the minimum of 120 units for graduation. 

General Education Requirements

Requirement Course Level Units Area Designation
Oral Communication LD 3 A1
Written English Communication LD 3 A2
Critical Thinking LD 3 A3
Physical Science LD 3 B1
Life Science LD 3 B2
Lab Science LD 1 B3
Mathematics/Quantitative Reasoning LD 3 B4
Arts LD 3 C1
Humanities LD 3 C2
Arts or Humanities LD 3 C1 or C2
Social Sciences LD 3 D1
Social Sciences: US History LD 3 D2
Lifelong Learning and Self-Development (LLD) LD 3 E
Ethnic Studies LD 3 F
Physical and/or Life Science UD 3 UD-B
Arts and/or Humanities UD 3 UD-C
Social Sciences UD 3 UD-D
SF State Studies
Courses certified as meeting the SF State Studies requirements may be upper or lower division in General Education (GE), a major or minor, or an elective.
American Ethnic and Racial Minorities LD or UD 3 AERM
Environmental Sustainability LD or UD 3 ES
Global Perspectives LD or UD 3 GP
Social Justice LD or UD 3 SJ

Note: LD = Lower-Division; UD = Upper-Division.

First-Time Student Roadmap (4 Year)

  1. The roadmaps presented in this Bulletin are intended as suggested plans of study and do not replace meeting with an advisor. For a more personalized roadmap, please use the Degree Planner tool found in your Student Center.
  2. In order to choose your English Composition A2 course and your QR/Math B4 course, please complete the online advising activities at writingadvising.sfsu.edu and mathadvising.sfsu.edu. Questions? Contact Gator Smart Start.

First-Time Student Roadmap

Transfer Student Roadmaps (2 Year)

For students with an AA-T in Child and Adolescent Development.
CAD ADT Roadmap

For students with an AS-T in Early Childhood Education.
ECE ADT Roadmap

For students with an AA-T in Elementary Teacher Education.
ETE ADT Roadmap

This degree program is an approved pathway (“similar” major) for students earning the ADT in Child and Adolescent Development  or Early Childhood Education

California legislation SB 1440 (2009) mandated the creation of the Associate Degree for Transfer (ADT) to be awarded by the California Community Colleges. Two types of ADTs are awarded: Associate in Arts for Transfer (AA-T) and Associate in Science for Transfer (AS-T). 

Note: no specific degree is required for admission as an upper-division student. However, the ADT includes specific guarantees related to admission and graduation and is designed to clarify the transfer process and strengthen lower-division preparation for the major.

An ADT totals 60 units and in most cases includes completion of all lower-division General Education requirements and at least 18 units in a specific major. (The Biology, Chemistry, and Environmental Science AS-T degrees defer 3 units in lower-division GE area C and 3 units in lower-division GE area D until after transfer.) Students pursuing an ADT are guaranteed admission to the CSU if minimum eligibility requirements are met, though not necessarily to the CSU campus of primary choice.

Upon verification that the ADT has been awarded prior to matriculation at SF State, students are guaranteed B.A. or B.S. completion in 60 units if pursuing a “similar” major after transfer. Determinations about “similar” majors at SF State are made by faculty in the discipline.

Degree completion in 60 units cannot be guaranteed when a student simultaneously pursues an additional major, a minor, certificate, or credential.

A sample advising roadmap for students who have earned an ADT and continue in a "similar" major at SF State is available on the Roadmaps tab on the degree requirements page for the major. The roadmap displays:

  • How many lower-division units required for the major have been completed upon entry based on the award of a specific ADT;
  • Which lower-division requirements are considered complete upon entry based on the award of a specific ADT;
  • How to complete the remaining 60 units for the degree in four semesters.

Students who have earned an ADT should seek advising in the major department during the first semester of attendance.

General Advising Information for Transfer Students

  1. Before transfer, complete as many lower-division requirements or electives for this major as possible.
  2. The following courses are not required for admission but are required for graduation. Students are strongly encouraged to complete these units before transfer; doing so will provide more flexibility in course selection after transfer.
    • a course in U.S. History
    • a course in U.S. & California Government

For information about satisfying the requirements described in (1) and (2) above at a California Community College (CCC), please visit http://www.assist.org. Check any geographically accessible CCCs; sometimes options include more than one college. Use ASSIST to determine:

  • Which courses at a CCC satisfy any lower-division major requirements for this major;
  • Which courses at a CCC satisfy CSU GE, US History, and US & CA Government requirements.

Remedial courses are not transferable and do not apply to the minimum 60 semester units/90 quarter units required for admission.

Additional units for courses that are repeated do not apply to the minimum 60 units required for upper-division transfer (for example, if a course was not passed on the first attempt or was taken to earn a better grade).

Before leaving the last California Community College of attendance, obtain a summary of completion of lower-division General Education units (IGETC or CSU GE Breadth). This is often referred to as a GE certification worksheet. SF State does not require delivery of this certification to Admissions, but students should retain this document for verifying degree progress after transfer.

Credit for Advanced Placement, International Baccalaureate, or College-Level Examination Program courses: AP/IB/CLEP credit is not automatically transferred from the previous institution. Units are transferred only when an official score report is delivered to SF State. Credit is based on the academic year during which exams were taken. Refer to the University Bulletin in effect during the year of AP/IB/CLEP examination(s) for details regarding the award of credit for AP/IB/CLEP.

Students pursuing majors in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) disciplines often defer 6-9 units of lower-division General Education in Areas C and D until after transfer to focus on preparation courses for the major. This advice does not apply to students pursuing associate degree completion before transfer.

Transferring From Institutions Other Than CCCs or CSUs

Review SF State's lower-division General Education requirements. Note that, as described below, the four basic skills courses required for admission meet A1, A2, A3, and B4 in the SF State GE pattern. Courses that fulfill the remaining areas of SF State’s lower-division GE pattern are available at most two-year and four-year colleges and universities.

Of the four required basic skills courses, a course in critical thinking (A3) may not be widely offered outside the CCC and CSU systems. Students should attempt to identify and take an appropriate course no later than the term of application to the CSU. To review more information about the A3 requirement, please visit bulletin.sfsu.edu/undergraduate-education/general-education/lower-division/#AAEL.

Waiting until after transfer to take a single course at SF State that meets both US and CA/local government requirements may be an appropriate option, particularly if transferring from outside of California.