Overview

Students will develop knowledge of human growth and development processes, examine critical perspectives on development theories, and explore diverse cultural perspectives on development and identity formation. Through reflection and community-engaged work, students will also learn leadership skills to sustain partnerships with families and communities. Developmental and Youth Studies majors at the University of Washington go on to become change agents who work against inequity and advocate for social change.

Why major in Developmental and Youth Studies?

Students who major in Developmental and Youth Studies at the University of Washington are interested in:

Understanding human growth and development processes and theories from infancy through early adulthood.
Exploring the diverse formal and informal contexts in which humans develop and form identities, including family, school, community, culture, and digital media.
Critically examining systems of marginalization that impact children and youth.

Partnering with communities to develop leadership skills and practices that work against injustice in educational and community contexts.

Declare the Developmental and Youth Studies major to pursue:

Clinical Careers
Applied Behavior Analysis
Child psychology or mental health counseling
Child life specialist
Developmental therapist
Early intervention specialist
Health education
School counseling

School psychology

Policy, Advocacy, & Community-Based Careers
PK-12 & Higher Education Careers

Social work

Programme Structure

Courses include:

Human Growth and Learning

Early Childhood Development

Children in Schools and Society

Adolescents in Schools and Society

Educational Implications of Gender Inequality

Adolescent Development

Key information

Duration

Full-time
- 48 months

Start dates & application deadlines

Starting 2026-09-24 00:00:00
- Apply before 2026-05-13 00:00:00

Language

English

Duolingo English Test

110

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TOEFL^® IBT

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IELTS

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Credits

180 SCH

Delivered

On Campus

Campus Location

Seattle, United States

Disciplines

Childhood Studies Developmental Psychology View 130 other Bachelors in Developmental Psychology in United States

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Academic requirements

GPA

Required

English requirements

Duolingo English Test

110

Take A Free Practice Test!

TOEFL^® IBT

Schedule TOEFL®

IELTS

Prepare for Your English Test

Cathoven AI IELTS Preparation

Learn your IELTS Score

AI-powered IELTS feedback. Clear, actionable, and tailored to boost your writing & speaking score. No credit card or upfront payment required.

Trusted by 300k learners
98 accuracy using real exam data
4.9/5 student rating

Other requirements

General requirements

All freshman applicants will self-report their courses on the application. A minimum level of preparation in six subject areas must be met for admission.

The writing section is a required and important part of your application. Please note that the UW essay questions must be answered within our application. For the Common App, that means within our UW questions. We do not consider the Common App essay.

The UW no longer requires SAT or ACT scores for most applicants. Homeschooled applicants and applicants who come from schools with non-standard grading practices that do not have letter or numeric grades are still required to submit SAT or ACT scores.
Do not send high school or college transcripts unless you receive a request from the Office of Admissions. The application asks you to provide a detailed account of your academic coursework, and that’s all we need to review your application.

Tuition Fees

Tuition fees are shown in and the most likely applicable fee is shown based on your nationality.

International Applies to you

Applies to you

Non-residents

43209 USD / year

≈ 43209 USD / year
Out-of-State

43209 USD / year

≈ 43209 USD / year
Domestic

Applies to you

In-State

12973 USD / year

≈ 12973 USD / year

Living costs

Seattle

United States

1480 - 2580 USD / month

The living costs include the total expenses per month, covering accommodation, public transportation, utilities (electricity, internet), books and groceries.

Funding

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Scholarships Information

Below you will find Bachelor's scholarship opportunities for Developmental and Youth Studies.

Available Scholarships

You are eligible to apply for these scholarships but a selection process will still be applied by the provider.

About

Overview

Why major in Developmental and Youth Studies?

Declare the Developmental and Youth Studies major to pursue:

Programme Structure

Key information

Duration

Start dates & application deadlines

Language

Prepare for Your English Test

Credits

Delivered

Campus Location

Disciplines

What students do after studying

Academic requirements

English requirements

Prepare for Your English Test

Other requirements

General requirements

Tuition Fees

International Applies to you

Domestic

Living costs

Seattle

Funding

Need help with your student visa?

Scholarships Information

Available Scholarships

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