Child Diversity & Development

Child Diversity & Development offers a unique combination of a seminar core course (3 credits) and a practicum experience in a Danish child care institution (3 credits).

The program is designed for students majoring in human development, psychology, child development, education, social work and related fields. The core courses and study tours offer you an understanding of children in the Danish and European context through hands-on experience with daily life in the institutions, pedagogical philosophies, educational systems, and social policy.

Core Courses

• Children in a Multicultural Context: Seminar

or

• Children with Special Needs: Seminar

and

• Child Diversity & Development Practicum

Depending on the track you choose, you will focus either on how ethnic diversity and multiculturalism are perceived and practiced in Danish early childhood education, or how children with special needs are integrated and included in Danish educational practice.

Students are required to obtain criminal clearance before arrival to work in a Danish child care center. See online registration for more details.

SPECIAL DANISH COURSE

Students in Child Diversity & Development have the opportunity to take the specially designed course Danish Language & Culture for Child Diversity & Development Students which will enhance their practicum experience in a Danish daycare institution.

Study Tours

• A short study tour in Denmark
• A longer European study tour to London (Multicultural Context) or Stockholm & Tallinn (Special Needs)

The study tours, which are faculty-led and included in the DIS tuition, form an integral part of the core courses.

In London, a city that has seen significant immigration over the last many decades, students will experience the diversity and multiculturalism that characterizes British childcare and educational institutions.

In Tallinn and Stockholm, students will compare Scandinavian and east European approaches to inclusion within the classroom and childcare settings. Estonia was part of the Soviet Union until 1989 and has had to fully revamp its approaches to special needs education.

Elective Courses

In addition to the required core course, you are free to select any combination of courses from the DIS curriculum. Please click here to see a full course and syllabi overview. If you want to take some of your electives in the fields of child care or psychology, check out courses listed under Child Development, Education, and Psychology.