Child Development
A prepares you for many professional roles focused on serving needs of children and their families.
Career Opportunities
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- Early child care teachers or administrators in public or private agencies
- Parent educators who help parents develop and improve childrearing skills
- Early childhood interventionists (ECI)
- Work with child services, foster care and adoption
Numerous other career fields also require the knowledge and skills you’ll develop through this program.
Available Tracks
- Pre-Occupational Therapy
- Pre-Physical Therapy
- Child Life Emphasis*
- Mental Health Emphasis
*Endorsed by the Association of Child Life Professionals (ACLP) — Only ACLP-endorsed undergraduate program in Texas; 1 of just 8 nationwide
Pre-OT and Pre-PT Tracks
Students can also choose the or within child development. These degree options provide the pre-requisite coursework to enable students to apply for graduate programs in OT or PT.
Note: The undergraduate pre-OT and pre-PT tracks do not provide graduate-level coursework in occupational therapy or physical therapy. On the pre-OT or pre-PT track, students will graduate with a bachelor's degree in Child Development.
Child Life Emphasis
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A prepares students to become a child life specialist working with children and their families in healthcare and community settings.
Not only is our undergraduate child development - child life emphasis degree meeting the ACLP’s academic requirements for certification, but ²ÝÝ®´«Ã½¹ÙÍøÏÂÔØ is the ONLY ACLP-endorsed undergraduate program in the state of Texas and 1 of just 8 nationwide ACLP endorsed undergraduate programs.
Mental Health Emphasis
The introduces students to the mental health field and prepares them for graduate programs in counseling and family therapy. These fields are among the top 10 fastest growing occupations.
Students will learn foundational concepts, explore mental health conditions, and learn to apply concepts and skills to work with children and families.
Degree Plans
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*Meets the standards and criteria for the designation.
How to Apply
- First, apply to ²ÝÝ®´«Ã½¹ÙÍøÏÂÔØ via and choose Child Development as your major. You can check your status through Admissions.
- Participate in undergraduate orientation. This is mandatory for all first-year and transfer students with fewer than 30 credit hours.
Undergraduate Admission
When you apply to ²ÝÝ®´«Ã½¹ÙÍøÏÂÔØ, we will evaluate your academic achievement and preparation, as well as your standardized test scores. Admission to ²ÝÝ®´«Ã½¹ÙÍøÏÂÔØ is valid for four terms, unless you have attended another higher education institution.
Check out the links below for specific admissions information:
Questions about the admissions process? Contact the Office of Admissions.
Office of Admissions
Texas Woman’s University
402 Administration Drive
Denton, TX 76204-5649
940-898-3188 (Local), 866-809-6130 (Toll Free)
Email: admissions@twu.edu
Online Completion Transfer Option
We work closely with multiple community colleges around the state. We offer an online completion option to allow transfer students to remain in their communities while completing a bachelor’s degree remotely.
For more information about this option, please contact our undergraduate advisor Larisa Kliman below.
Contact
Larisa Kliman
Undergraduate Advisor
lkliman@twu.edu
940-898-2695
Page last updated 10:18 AM, December 17, 2025