CHILD DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM
GENERAL INFORMATION
The Child Development Program, offered under the Department of Child Care and Youth Services at Pamukkale University Acıpayam Vocational School, was established in the 2018–2019 academic year and continues to provide education at the associate degree level.
The program follows a 3+1 education model, in which students complete three semesters of compulsory and elective courses consisting of theoretical and practical components, followed by one semester of Workplace-Based Vocational Training, enabling them to develop their professional knowledge and skills in real work environments.
The academic staff consists of four instructors who are specialists in their respective fields. As of the 2025–2026 academic year, the general admission quota determined by the Council of Higher Education is 30 students.
Students who successfully complete all required courses and practical components and meet the program learning outcomes are awarded an Associate Degree in Child Development.
PROGRAM OBJECTIVES
The program aims to provide students with fundamental concepts of child development and enable them to transform this knowledge into practical skills. It seeks to educate professionals who can collect, interpret, and evaluate data in the field of child development.
Within the scope of the program, students are expected to recognize appropriate materials and approaches for children with diverse developmental characteristics, communicate effectively with families, and reinforce their scientific knowledge and practical competencies through workplace training.
The program also aims to develop essential competencies such as effective communication, problem-solving, and leadership; to foster awareness of foreign language skills sufficient to follow developments in the field; and to promote awareness in areas such as environmental protection, quality standards, occupational health and safety, and first aid.
The program supports graduates in adopting a lifelong learning perspective and following national and international developments throughout their professional careers.
MISSION
Our mission is to educate qualified professionals who, based on universal scientific and educational principles, possess the knowledge, skills, and ethical values necessary to support all developmental domains of children; who are capable of teamwork; who demonstrate strong professional ethics; who follow innovations in their field; and who are aware of diverse developmental characteristics and appropriate referral processes.
VISION
To become a pioneering program that follows current scientific developments through an innovative educational approach; educates qualified professionals who support children’s healthy and safe development through interdisciplinary collaboration; and contributes to social development by enhancing children’s educational experiences and quality of life.
ADMISSION REQUIREMENTS
Admission to the Child Development Program is based on candidates’ scores in the Basic Proficiency Test (TYT) of the Higher Education Institutions Examination (YKS), administered annually by the Measurement, Selection and Placement Center (ÖSYM), and their preference for the program.
Applications for inter-institutional transfer and centralized transfer are evaluated in accordance with the relevant legislation and regulations in force, and student admission is granted based on the evaluation results.
GRADUATION REQUIREMENTS
Students are eligible for graduation upon achieving a minimum cumulative GPA of 2.25, completing 120 ECTS credits, and successfully completing the Workplace-Based Vocational Training course.
ACADEMIC PROGRESSION OPPORTUNITIES
Graduates of the Child Development Program may transfer to undergraduate programs through the Vertical Transfer Examination (DGS) administered by ÖSYM. Placement is carried out by ÖSYM based on candidates’ examination scores and associate degree academic performance.
Subject to quota availability, graduates may be admitted to undergraduate programs such as Child Development, Preschool Teaching, Special Education Teaching, Health Management, and Social Work.
EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES FOR GRADUATES
Graduates may work in the following positions:
- Administrators, teachers, or assistant teachers in private nurseries and kindergartens,
- Administrators, teachers, or assistant teachers in special education and rehabilitation centers,
- Master instructors in kindergartens and preschool classes affiliated with the Ministry of National Education,
- Parent educators in private research and consultancy companies,
- Caregivers in mother–child health centers, inpatient treatment institutions, and social services child protection institutions,
- Designers in the children’s toy industry,
- Childcare professionals for working parents,
- Producers of children’s television and radio programs,
- Consultants in the preparation of children’s books.
DERS PLANI