Our innovative, interdisciplinary department houses 23 faculty members from a wide range of disciplines, from neurology and various branches of psychology to anthropology, education, sociology, criminology and cultural studies – all with a keen interest in research and teaching about the complexities of children, childhood and youth.
We also have a number of cross-appointed and adjunct faculty members with exciting research interests. Be sure to look at some of the faculty profiles to learn about the wide range of scholarly work that we are engaged in.
Students in Child and Youth Studies have the opportunity to learn about young people from many perspectives, through differing research approaches, and across diverse topics. Students are provided with training in three main lenses or perspectives (developmental, exceptionalities, and sociocultural) through which children and youth and their many contexts can be understood and analyzed.
Child and Youth Studies students receive a grounding in disciplinary perspectives, interdisciplinary perspectives, multidisciplinary approaches, and transdisciplinary approaches.
Our courses cover such areas as peer cultures, bullying, learning disabilities, exceptionalities, development, autism, children’s rights, gender and sexuality, globalization, and cross-cultural understandings of childhood and youth.
Our students also have the value of working with faculty who are very strong teachers and researchers. In addition to high teaching evaluations across our department, we have a number of award-winning teachers. Many of our faculty members also hold grants from several of the top granting agencies and offer exciting research opportunities for students. We are all committed to providing our students with high quality lecturing, development of university skills, and interactive learning experiences, to ensure our students reach their fullest potential. Our department also has exceptional administrative staff members who guide students smoothly through our program.
Feel free to look around our website and to contact us if you have any questions.
— Dr. Heather Chalmers, Department Chair
