what to do with a phd in developmental psychology

• Psychology Programs

What Can I Do With a Degree in Developmental Psychology? [Updated For 2025]

What does developmental psychology involve.

Developmental psychology involves the study of the types of changes that can take place in human beings during the course of their lifetimes. While once only focusing on the development of babies and children, the field has now been expanded to focus on adolescent development, adult development and the ageing process over the entire life span of human beings.

The field of developmental psychology focuses on examining changes over a wide range of topics including cognitive development, conceptual understanding, moral understanding, personality, motor skills, problem solving, and social and personal development.

Developmental psychologists will often focus on areas such as how environmental factors can affect and altar a person’s behavior, or on whether children learn through experience or are born with certain mental structures.

Their studies in these areas tend to focus on showing how people change over time, with the majority of the focus taking place in childhood, as this is the point in a person’s lifespan when the majority of changes take place.

Developmental psychology has a part to play in many diverse applied fields, including in child psychopathology , educational psychology , social psychology , cognitive psychology , ecological psychology , and forensic psychology .

Some of the areas that developmental psychologists are currently focused on exploring include attachment theory, nature versus nurture, and social development theory.

What are the Careers in Developmental Psychology?

Adolescent development specialist.

As the job title indicates, an adolescent development specialist is a developmental psychologist that works exclusively with children in the adolescent stage, which is typically 13 to 19 years old.

For example, you might use your understanding of the hormonal changes that occur during this part of the life stage to help kids understand how their body is changing and why, as well as to develop the skills needed to effectively deal with these changes on an emotional and behavioral level.

Behavioral Therapist

The purpose of behavioral therapy is to assist clients in identifying and overcoming problematic behaviors in their lives. To do so, you would utilize your understanding of human development and how factors over the lifespan (i.e., family relationships, school pressures, work pressures, divorce, death) can heavily influence how a person behaves and interacts with others.

If you pursue employment as a caseworker, one of your primary jobs will be advocating on behalf of your clients. With regard to developmental psychology, it would be important to bear in mind the developmental stage of your client when pursuing resources for them to function better in their daily lives.

For example, the services needed for a young adult with a Downs Syndrome would be greatly different than the services needed to assist an elderly person in finding hospice care.

College Professor

Many workers with experience in developmental psychology find employment in the education sector. In particular, you could work as a college professor. In this career, your focus would shift from counseling or otherwise working directly with clients to an educative role in which you use your work experience to teach the next generation of developmental psychologists.

Developmental Psychologist

A developmental psychologist’s role is to study the growth and development of humans throughout their entire lifespan. Some developmental psychologists will focus on a specific type of patient, such as young children who are exhibiting developmental delays; while others will work with a particular age range of people, such as teenagers or adults.

Some of the main tasks that a developmental psychologist may be involved in include examining ways to help elderly people keep their independence for longer; evaluating young children to see if they are showing signs of a developmental disability; or researching the ways in which children show moral reasoning.

Some areas where developmental psychologists may be employed include in psychiatric hospitals, rehabilitation clinics, homeless shelters, or assisted living homes for people with a disability.

Early Childhood Education Specialist

With a background in developmental psychology, you can work as an early childhood education specialist. In this career, you work with children in preschool and elementary school to help them reach developmental milestones as appropriate for their age. For example, you might work directly with a four-year-old to help them develop the social skills required to share toys with other children.

Education Consultant

As an education consultant, you would likely serve in an advisory role to assist teachers, school districts, and other stakeholders in developing developmentally-appropriate educational standards, learning targets, classroom policies and expectations, and so forth.

For example, using developmental psychology principles, you might help a sixth-grade teacher develop unit-by-unit learning targets that challenge students of that age, but which aren’t too advanced or complicated, either.

Group Home Manager

For some children and adolescents, a group home is a recommended solution for helping resolve major life issues, like behavioral problems that have led to running away, drug or alcohol problems, or even legal problems.

As a group home manager, having an intimate understanding of the developmental obstacles that children must overcome is a must.

For example, if a child is referred to group home care because of outbursts of anger and violence, you might explore the roots of the anger with the child to determine why they’re angry and help them identify ways in which they can express their anger in a more productive manner.

Hospital/Hospice Facilitator

An important function of a career in developmental psychology is understanding old age and end of life issues. You would employ your understanding of these topics on a daily basis as a hospital or hospice facilitator.

Not only would you be responsible for ensuring that your clients get the physical care they need, but you’d also be responsible for providing emotional support and counseling for elderly people and those that are near the end of their life.

Rehabilitation Counselor

A rehabilitation counselor is focused on helping people with disabilities to identify and achieve their goals in the areas of their personal lives, career path and independent living. They do this role through a counseling process.

A rehabilitation counselor can work with a wide variety of clients, including people who are suffering from physical disabilities; sufferers of psychological disabilities; former offenders; disadvantaged youths; or the long term unemployed. They may also work in conjunction with other professionals including medical, rehabilitation and therapy professionals in their role as a rehabilitation counselor.

A popular career for developmental psychologists is in research. In this capacity, you would seek to answer crucial questions about human development. For example, you might devise a research question that seeks to determine why ADHD develops in some populations of children and not in others.

Naturally, the purpose of this kind of research would be to develop an understanding of ADHD, its causes, its prevalence in different populations of kids, and to posit potential interventions that might reduce the incidence of ADHD.

Residential Youth Treatment Specialist

As a residential youth treatment specialist, you will work in a residential treatment facility that’s designed to help children and adolescents overcome mental, emotional, or behavioral problems.

For example, with an understanding of how the brains of children develop, you might design a drug education program that helps youth that have used drugs to better understand the negative impacts that drug use has on their mental development.

School Counselor

A school counselor provides a safe environment for children to turn to when they are feeling troubled. They are employed in schools and offer advice and guidance to children who seek their help.

School counselors are employed to aid students in coping with the demands of school and personal issues, as well as offering them support to help them succeed academically.

School counselors also offer counseling services in the areas of education and career paths to students. They can offer advice on which classes to choose and which colleges or universities to attend, as well as explaining various career options.

Substance Abuse Social Worker

A substance abuse social worker provides therapy sessions to individuals and groups who are suffering from addictions, such as drug addiction or alcohol addiction. The role of the substance abuse social worker is to help their patient find the root of their addiction and help them address this cause as they continue their journey in sobriety.

There are a wide range of areas in which substance abuse social workers may be employed, and many of them find work in treatment settings such as outpatient centers, healthcare facilities, rehabilitation units, social agencies, correctional institutes, and residential centers.

Substance abuse social workers may also work with the family members of addicts to help them to cope with the problems of their loved one. Areas such as eating disorders or gambling addiction may also be treated by substance abuse social workers.

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Developmental psychology

Psychology phd specialization.

Uncover risk and resilience developmental processes from infancy to older adulthood with ASU's doctoral program in psychology, specializing in developmental psychology.

How to apply

PhD program details

Specialization description

Degree awarded: psychology, phd.

Developmental psychology is one of six degree specializations offered through ASU's PhD program in psychology. Students work alongside renowned faculty to understand development, researching topics like:

• The role of curiosity in learning
• Bilingual language development
• Relations among stress, sleep and mental health
• The development of romantic relationships
• Genetic risk for alcohol and drug use
• Translational research on psychosocial health
• Mental and physical health across the lifespan

This specialization combines basic science with community-based interventions, utilizing modern analysis methods to study behaviors, emotions, cognition and the underlying genetic and biological mechanisms.

The Department of Psychology fosters a collaborative learning environment, encouraging students to engage in a unique core curriculum and hands-on research that spans all areas of psychology. This comprehensive approach ensures graduates are well-equipped to make a meaningful impact in people's lives.

Important dates

• September 1: Fall 2025 application opens.
• December 5: Fall 2025 application deadline.

Students must submit ASU’s graduate application and the Department of Psychology’s Slideroom application to be considered for admission.

More about applying

Faculty and research labs

Study with expert, student-focused professors who are leaders in developmental psychology.

Dr. Viridiana Benitez

Learning and development lab.

The Learning and Development lab focuses on understanding how cognition and experience shape word learning across development. Using behavioral experiments and observational methods, they work with infants, children and adults from monolingual and bilingual backgrounds. They aim to identify the factors that promote learning for children growing up in diverse language environments.

Explore the lab

View faculty profile

Recruiting new students for fall 2025

Dr. Leah Doane

Adolescent stress and emotion lab.

The Adolescent Stress and Emotion Lab studies how daily experiences affect physical and mental health. Using developmental psychology and biopsychosocial frameworks, they collect self-reports and measures hormones and sleep quality in real-life settings through ecological momentary assessment.

Dr. William Fabricius

Theory of mind and father and divorce labs.

The Theory of Mind and Father and Divorce Labs explore how children develop their understanding of the mental and physical worlds. They also study how father-child relationships impact children's long-term physical health, influencing social policy for divorced fathers and children.

Explore the labs

Dr. Thao Ha

@heart: healthy experiences across relationships and transitions lab.

Experiencing romantic relationships and feeling love for the first time is a profound experience for adolescents. The @HEART Lab investigates how adolescents learn to navigate romantic relationships and how these early relationship experiences contribute to their future wellbeing and relationships. They focus on technology’s transformative role (the good and bad) in romantic relationships, such as digital communication, social media, virtual and augmented reality, and artificial intelligence (AI).

Dr. Frank Infurna

Lifespan development lab.

The Lifespan Development Lab studies resilience to adversity, predictors of healthy aging and developmental processes in midlife. The lab investigates these phenomena through the application of contemporary longitudinal methodology to longitudinal panel surveys from across the World, intensive longitudinal designs and RCTs.

Dr. Kathryn Lemery-Chalfant

Child emotion center.

The Child Emotion Center studies how early biological and environmental factors influence children's mental and physical health. Using twin studies and measures like genetics, physiology and behavior, they investigate person-environment transactions across development to identify pathways to resilience and inform prevention programs. 

Dr. Candace Lewis

Bear: brain, epigenetics, and altered states research lab.

The BEAR Lab explores how our experiences impact our biology, focusing on epigenetic regulation of genes involved in brain development. They aim to understand how experiences shape cognition, mood and behavior, and how stress, trauma or connection affect mental health. They also study how psychedelics can positively influence mental health.

Dr. Kelsey Lucca

Emerging minds lab.

The Emerging Minds Lab investigates cognitive development and curiosity-driven learning in children aged 5 months to 9 years. Using behavioral experiments, naturalistic observations and looking-based paradigms, they study social cognition, communication and the influence of social and cultural factors on children.

Dr. Marisol Perez

Birhd: body image research and health disparities.

The BIRHD Lab explores the genetic, biological, psychophysiological, cultural and environmental factors influencing body image and eating behavior, focusing on their development toward unhealthy lifestyles. They continually translate their basic science research into clinical applications to improve health and quality of life across the lifespan.

Dr. Armando Piña

Courage lab.

The Courage Lab studies the development of anxiety in children and adolescents, using basic science approaches and creating interventions to test theoretical mechanisms of change. They aim to understand how courage, fear, and anxiety shape young lives, enhancing youth and family wellbeing through rigorous, practical research.

Dr. Jinni Su

Genes, environment, and youth development lab.

The Genes, Environment, and Youth Development Lab studies how genetic and environmental factors influence substance use and related behavioral and emotional health outcomes in adolescents and young adults from diverse racial and ethnic backgrounds.

Arizona Twin Project

Led by principal investigators Drs. Kathryn Lemery-Chalfant , Leah Doane , and Mary Davis , the Arizona Twin Project is a longitudinal study exploring gene-environment interplay in mental and physical health development from infancy to adolescence. It spans individual to sociocultural levels, focusing on sleep, pain, stress, health and academic competence. The diverse sample represents Arizona, providing insights into cultural influences on child outcomes.

Courses and electives

Introductory, skill and depth courses (30 credits).

Introductory courses.  Students are required to take at least one theory course and at least one developmental methods course. 

Skill courses. Four required courses that integrate quantitative methodologies into students' work.

Depth courses. A minimum of four courses — with at least two from developmental faculty — that make meaningful contributions to students' developmental psychology training.

Electives (6 credits)

Elective breadth courses. Students are required to take at least two graduate-level courses from other areas within the department or at ASU. These courses are designed to expand students' perspectives and can cover topics like:

Social psychology

• Cognitive science
• Biological bases of human behavior
• ... and more! 

Professional development (6 credits)

Professional development. All students must take at least two courses aimed at enhancing professional growth. A class on professional issues in psychology is required. Additional course options may include:

• Supervised teaching
• Grant writing
• Professional writing and reviewing
• .. and more! 

Research and dissertation (42 credits)

Research seminar and research hours.  Students enroll in milestone courses where they complete independent study and meet regularly with a faculty member to discuss assignments and conduct research.

Dissertation.  Supervised research including literature review, research, data collection and analysis, and writing.

Graduate students in the developmental psychology training are expected to complete 84 credit hours, half of which are research and conference. Courses cover theory, methods, advanced statistics, professional development, general psychology breadth courses and depth developmental psychology courses.

Student Handbook

What career is calling you?

Our graduates work with individuals of all ages in diverse settings, including nonprofits, government agencies, schools, technology and start-ups. Here are a few examples of careers with a doctoral degree in developmental psychology:

Data scientist

Director of practice and validation

Management fellow

Product specialist

Research analyst

Research and evaluation program specialist

Research psychologist

UX researcher

ASU emphasized an interdisciplinary approach to research, encouraging a broader understanding of various fields. For my comprehensive exams, I explored not only psychology but also public health, sociology and other disciplines to gain a well-rounded perspective on the needs of the community. My work at the Executive Office of the President, particularly in health care and veteran-related policies, has required me to draw from diverse schools of thought. This experience has helped me bridge the gap between science and policy, extending my expertise beyond psychology.

Hyejung Park Policy Analyst for Health, Executive Office of the President PhD in psychology (developmental psychology), 2022. MA in psychology, 2019.

The developmental psychology specialization trains the next generation of leaders in both academic and applied settings. We invite talented individuals to join and contribute to our dynamic ASU community.

Get in touch

• For questions about the specialization, email the developmental psychology area head, Dr. Frank Infurna, directly at [email protected] . 

Other specialized areas of study

Behavioral neuroscience and comparative psychology, clinical psychology, cognititve science, quantitive research methods.