New option in child development geared for professionals

This fall the Childhood Development (CDP) Option will train professionals like Gurmohan Mann Ubhi, who teaches at the Campus Children's Center.

by April Schulthies

Working professionals in the child development field will soon have an accelerated path to a bachelor of science. Starting fall 2000, the Child Development

Practitioner (CDP) Option will be available to qualified Fresno State applicants.

The new option was developed in response to community need, according to Dr. Marianne Jones, associate professor of child development at Fresno State and CDP option coordinator.

Focus groups conducted by Jones and her peers showed that working professionals want to earn a bachelor's degree in a reasonable amount of time. Professionals also want their education connected to their everyday work lives.

The new option is designed to meet these expectations, with a 16-month program that dovetails work experience and classroom learning. Students in groups of 20 spend four hours a week in the classroom and 10-12 hours a week in their workplace implementing the principles they learn.

"We want the content of the program to weave in a very seam-less way with the best practice as it is recognized in the profession," Jones said.

Final acceptance into the program is determined through a personal interview. The 43-unit program has only a three-week break in the summer. At the end of the pro-gram, students produce a portfolio that documents tangible results of their learning.

For more information, contact Jones at (559) 278-5310.