General Elective Option

Students who have a professional goal that is not listed in the established concentrations may select a unique set of courses from the list of Approved CDV Electives [PDF] that they feel will advance their professional goals.

If a student is interested in a graduate program, they should check the current admission requirements for the specific universities they plan to apply to as admission requirements vary by university and are subject to change.

Petitioning Coursework for the General Elective Option

If there is coursework that is related to students' career goals but is not on the approved list of electives, students may petition to have the coursework applied to their General Elective Option.  

In general, general option elective coursework should be upper division. Rare exceptions will be made to apply lower division coursework to the General Elective Option. These exceptions are limited to coursework that is required for entry into a graduate program and an upper division version of the course is not offered at CSUDH (e.g., the separate anatomy and physiology courses needed for Occupational Therapy Programs).

To petition coursework for the General Elective Option, visit the Course Substitutions page.

    Course Recommendations for Specific Careers

    Although we do not have specific concentrations in the careers listed below, students who wish to pursue these careers may benefit from selecting the General Elective Option and choosing elective courses from the recommendations below.

    1. Child Life Specialist
    2. Pre-Occupational Therapy
    3. Education and Special Education

    Child Life Specialist

    Students interested in a career in child life should consider the following courses. For more information on curriculum recommendations and careers as a child life specialist, please visit the Child Life Council website.

    Recommended Courses

    • CDV 363 - Development in Diverse Contexts (3)
    • CDV 442 - Marriage, Family, and Community (3)
    • PSY 353 – The Experience of Death and Dying: Psychological Perspectives (3)
    • KIN 290 or 291 - Human Anatomy & Physiology 

    Pre-Occupational Therapy

    Students who are interested in pursuing an advanced degree in Occupational Therapy (OT) should consider taking some of the common prerequisite requirements for Occupational Therapy master’s program. Students will gain general knowledge and skills in human anatomy, physiology, and kinesiology. In addition, students will gain an understanding of the causes and manifestations of psychological disorders. While the suggested courses are common prerequisite requirements for Occupational Therapy programs, students should check the current admission requirements for the specific universities they plan to apply to as admission requirements vary by university and are subject to change.

    Recommended Courses

    • Human Anatomy w/lab
    • Human Physiology w/lab
    • PSY 363 – The Abnormal Personality (3)

    Teacher Education

    Students who are interested in entering master’s degree or credential programs in K-12 education or special education should consider taking one or more of the following courses to prepare for these programs. Students are strongly encouraged to take LBS 375, one English course (LBS 355, ENG 308, ENG 487), and one visual and performing arts course (ART 301, DAN 440, KIN 447, THE 337, MUS 340). Students should consider SPE 460 or SPE 480 and SPE 481 depending on the prerequisites required for the credential program they intend to apply for.

    Recommended Courses

    • LBS 375 - The California Experience (3)
    • LBS 355 - Writing in Education (3)
    • ENG 308 - Critical Approaches to Children's Literature (3)
    • ENG 487 - Second Language Teaching and Learning (3)
    • GEO 350 - World Regional Geography (3)
    • SOC 321 – Sociology of Education or SOC 322 – Social Environment of Education (3)
    • ART 301 – Arts and Crafts for the Non-Major (3)
    • DAN 440 – Dance for Children or KIN 447 – Dance Education in the Elementary School (3)
    • MUS 340 – Music for Children (3)
    • THE 337 – Creative Dramatics (3)
    • SPE 480 – Educating Exceptional Children and Youth (3)
    • SPE 481 – Educating Diverse Learners with Exceptionalities (3)

    Special Education

    CDV students who are interested in entering master’s degree or credential programs in special education at CSUDH should take SPE 480 (Educating Exceptional Children and Youth) and SPE 458 (Positive Classroom Environments) during the first semester of the Senior year and take SPE 462 (Language, Literacy, and Cognition) during the second semester of the Senior year to be intern eligible for Special Education.

    • SPE 480: Educating Exceptional Children & Youth (1st semester of Senior year)
    • SPE 458: Positive Classroom Environments (1st semester of Senior year)
    • SPE 462: Language, Literacy, and Cognition (2nd semester of Senior year)

     What does “Intern Eligible” mean?

    If students have completed all prerequisites at the time of undergraduate graduation, students can get a job as Classroom Teacher of Record and get paid while completing their credential.

    Early Childhood Special Education Internship

    Must pass CBEST or have Basic Skills Requirement Coursework completed by end of 2nd semester of Senior year.

    Basic Skills Requirement Information 

    Mild/Moderate Support Needs or Extensive Support Needs Internship

    Must pass CBEST or have Basic Skills Requirement Coursework completed by end of 2nd semester of Senior year. Must also pass CSET by end of 2nd semester of Senior year. 

    Basic Skills Requirement and CBEST Information