What is child development?

Child development is the series of changes a child makes from the time they are born until the time they complete adolescence and become young adults. These changes are physical, mental, emotional, and intellectual. While every child develops differently, the ultimate goal at the end of the child development period is for the person to become independent and no longer need their parents or caregivers for survival in society. This involves developing problem-solving skills, learning self-control, understanding how to interact with others, using new speech and language skills, developing fine and gross motor skills, and mastering sensory awareness. Genetics, environmental factors, prenatal events, access to education and various stimuli, a child's learning capacity, and medical diagnoses can all impact child development, both positively and negatively. In the professional world, child development is often divided into three stages: early childhood (birth to around age six), middle childhood (around age six to around age twelve or the start of puberty), and adolescence (around age twelve until around age eighteen). Those who work in the field may specialize in one age group.

Why learn about child development?

Children born today are the key to keeping society running in the future, so understanding child development and supporting those children to ensure they hit their developmental milestones is important to almost every person. Whether you're a parent, a caregiver, or someone who works with children on a professional level, learning about child development helps you make a positive impact. If a child isn't progressing the way he or she should, you can intervene and attempt to correct it. Specific courses, certifications, and degrees may also help you advance your career.

What careers use child development?

Any career that involves children must understand child development on some level. Teachers, educators, and administrators, from preschool through high school, use this information on a daily basis. Those who work in child care, such as daycare workers, nannies, and babysitters use child development. In the medical field, therapists, counselors, pediatricians, and pediatric nurses create a plan of care based on developmental milestones. Other careers include social work, manufacturing and retail of children's products, communications—including those who write and develop children's books and television programs—community service careers, and case managers.

What are the benefits of taking an online Child Development course?

Online Child Development courses offer a convenient and flexible way to enhance your existing knowledge or learn new Child Development skills. With a wide range of Child Development classes, you can conveniently learn at your own pace to advance your Child Development career skills.

What Child Development courses are best for training and upskilling employees or the workforce?

When looking to enhance your workforce's skills in Child Development, it's crucial to select a course that aligns with their current abilities and learning objectives. Our Skills Dashboard is an invaluable tool for identifying skill gaps and choosing the most appropriate course for effective upskilling. For a comprehensive understanding of how our courses can benefit your employees, explore the enterprise solutions we offer. Discover more about our tailored programs at Coursera for Business here .

Top Child Development Courses - Learn Child Development Online

Explore the Child Development Course Catalog

Indian Statistical Institute
Postgraduate Diploma in Applied Statistics
Skills you'll gain: Sampling (Statistics), Time Series Analysis and Forecasting, Sample Size Determination, Statistical Machine Learning, NumPy, Spatial Data Analysis, Statistical Hypothesis Testing, Probability, Database Management Systems, Economics, Statistical Modeling, Data Compilation, Statistical Methods, Dimensionality Reduction, Lifelong Learning, Regression Analysis, Statistics, Bayesian Statistics, Surveys, Market Data
Postgraduate Diploma · 6 - 12 Months
Status: New
Coursera
Facebook Live: Real-Time Engagement
Skills you'll gain: Facebook, Live Streaming, Drive Engagement, Scheduling, Social Media, Social Media Strategy, Social Media Content, Customer Engagement, Event Planning, Video Production, Content Strategy, Content Development and Management, Technical Support
Beginner · Course · 1 - 4 Weeks
University of Colorado Boulder
Master of Science in Computer Science
Skills you'll gain: Object Oriented Design, User Story, SQL, Systems Engineering, Real-Time Operating Systems, New Product Development, Field-Programmable Gate Array (FPGA), Delegation Skills, Unsupervised Learning, Sampling (Statistics), Failure Analysis, Supplier Management, Sustainability Reporting, Accountability, Data Ethics, Data Mining, Statistical Modeling, Goal Setting, Proposal Writing, Generative AI
Earn a degree
Degree · 1 - 4 Years
O.P. Jindal Global University
M.A. in International Relations, Security, and Strategy
Skills you'll gain: Diplomacy, Intelligence Collection and Analysis, Surveys, Environmental Laws, Environment, Qualitative Research, Sampling (Statistics), R Programming, Political Sciences, Economic Development, International Relations, Cybersecurity, Immigration Law, Socioeconomics, Governance, Public Safety and National Security, Mitigation, Ancient History, Social Sciences, Conflict Management
Earn a degree
Degree · 1 - 4 Years
University of Colorado Boulder
Master of Engineering in Engineering Management
Skills you'll gain: Object Oriented Design, User Story, SQL, Systems Engineering, Real-Time Operating Systems, New Product Development, Field-Programmable Gate Array (FPGA), Delegation Skills, Unsupervised Learning, Sampling (Statistics), Failure Analysis, Supplier Management, Sustainability Reporting, Accountability, Data Ethics, Data Mining, Statistical Modeling, Goal Setting, Proposal Writing, Generative AI
Earn a degree
Degree · 1 - 4 Years
Universidad de los Andes
Maestría en Inteligencia Analítica de Datos
Skills you'll gain: Systems Thinking, Network Analysis, Data Storytelling, Unsupervised Learning, Deep Learning, Data Visualization, Financial Statement Analysis, Time Series Analysis and Forecasting, Predictive Modeling, MLOps (Machine Learning Operations), Project Management Life Cycle, Strategic Decision-Making, Statistical Analysis, Marketing Analytics, Operations Research, Descriptive Analytics, Simulations, Pandas (Python Package), Natural Language Processing, Stakeholder Engagement
Earn a degree
Degree · 1 - 4 Years
Georgetown University
Bachelor of Arts in Liberal Studies
Skills you'll gain: Vulnerability Assessments, Operations Management, Data Storytelling, Business Strategy, Design Thinking, Competitive Intelligence, Survey Creation, Cyber Threat Intelligence, Social Justice, Descriptive Statistics, Environment, Business Ethics, Capital Budgeting, Market Opportunities, Storytelling, Marketing Planning, International Relations, Artificial Intelligence, Policy Development, Political Sciences
Earn a degree
Degree · 1 - 4 Years
University of Colorado Boulder
Engineering Management Graduate Certificate
Skills you'll gain: User Story, Supplier Management, Project Schedules, Sustainability Reporting, Project Closure, Goal Setting, Engineering Management, Financial Analysis, Milestones (Project Management), Financial Statement Analysis, Cost Estimation, Environmental Social And Corporate Governance (ESG), Team Leadership, Agile Project Management, Self-Awareness, Capital Budgeting, Personal Development, Project Risk Management, Cost Management, Growth Mindedness
Credit offered
Graduate Certificate · 6 - 12 Months
Imperial College London
Master of Science in Machine Learning and Data Science
Skills you'll gain: Data Ethics, Supervised Learning, Exploratory Data Analysis, Unsupervised Learning, Student Support and Services, PySpark, Data Pipelines, Linear Algebra, Ggplot2, Dimensionality Reduction, Student Services, Data Processing, Big Data, Agentic systems, Graphing, A/B Testing, Unstructured Data, Deep Learning, Bayesian Statistics, Applied Machine Learning
Earn a degree
Degree · 1 - 4 Years
Universidad de los Andes
Metodologías ágiles de desarrollo de software Certificado MasterTrack®
Skills you'll gain: Software Testing, Test Automation, User Story, Agile Project Management, Agile Software Development, Usability, Android Development, Security Requirements Analysis, Kotlin, Continuous Integration, Cloud Applications, Unit Testing, Infrastructure As A Service (IaaS), Software Architecture, Acceptance Testing, Web Content Accessibility Guidelines, Authorization (Computing), Android Studio, Application Security, Platform As A Service (PaaS)
Credit offered
Mastertrack · 6 - 12 Months
University of Colorado Boulder
Master of Science in Data Science
Skills you'll gain: Object Oriented Design, User Story, SQL, Systems Engineering, Real-Time Operating Systems, New Product Development, Field-Programmable Gate Array (FPGA), Delegation Skills, Unsupervised Learning, Sampling (Statistics), Failure Analysis, Supplier Management, Sustainability Reporting, Accountability, Data Ethics, Data Mining, Statistical Modeling, Goal Setting, Proposal Writing, Generative AI
Earn a degree
Degree · 1 - 4 Years
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Master of Science in Management
Skills you'll gain: Data Storytelling, Management Accounting, Fund Accounting, Operations Management, Mergers & Acquisitions, Financial Statement Analysis, Marketing, Risk Management, Machine Learning Algorithms, Business Strategy, Financial Auditing, Descriptive Statistics, Variance Analysis, Process Improvement, Marketing Analytics, Generative AI, Financial Market, Strategic Decision-Making, Corporate Tax, Global Marketing
Earn a degree
Degree · 1 - 4 Years