Psychology PhD (Developmental Psychology Specialization)

Psychology PhD (Developmental Psychology Specialization) |

Developmental Psychology Specialization Faculty

Dr. R. Davis Dixon is an assistant professor of developmental psychology at Howard University. Dr. Dixon’s research explores how to create safe and welcoming school environments by affirming the identity, humanity, and culture of all involved in the education arena. As the leader of the Belonging, Learning, Identity, and Culture lab, Dr. Dixon is engaged in several projects currently:

1. In the fall of 2024, Dr. Dixon was awarded a three-year grant from the National Science Foundation to explore culturally responsive teaching practices in STEM courses at HBCUS.
2. He has also collected data with colleagues from partnering universities to examine the relationships between gender, cultural, and racial identities, and various psychological, educational, and relational outcomes. 

Future work under consideration would include exploring how student academic outcomes are predicted by perceptions of mattering, belonging, and trust; how the match/mismatch between student and teacher perceptions of school climate leads to student academic outcomes; and how preservice teachers are trained to teach Black students. Dixon's passion is to do research that enhances the lived experiences of Black people across the lifespan. While, that primarily falls inside educational institutions, he also loves to engage in work that takes him outside of schools and into the homes and daily lives of his population of interest. So, he is always looking to do work that is timely and interdisciplinary. Previously, Dr. Dixon was an assistant professor of developmental psychology at Hampton University. Prior to that, he served as a senior associate for P-12 research at the Education Trust, a nonprofit, education civil rights organization. In this role, Dr. Dixon conducted primary and secondary research to inform discussion and debate among education decision-makers at the national, state, and local levels. Dr. Dixon completed his master’s and doctoral work in developmental psychology at Howard University and holds a bachelor’s in psychology from North Carolina Central University.

Debra D. Roberts, Ph.D. is an Associate Professor, Department Chair, and founding Director of the Cultural Socialization Lab (CSL) in the Psychology Department at Howard University.  She obtained her B.Sc. in Psychology/Neuroscience from University of Toronto, M.Sc. in Community Psychology from Florida A&M University, and Ph.D. in Developmental Psychology from Temple University.

As a developmental psychologist, Dr. Roberts’ primary area of research involves examining various aspects of culture and ethnicity as they impact the relationship between psychosocially toxic environments, otherwise known as PTEs (poverty, violence, discrimination, trauma, etc.) and psychosocial well-being among children and adolescents.  She has worked with diverse populations and has unique research experience with programs that target marginalized, vulnerable children and adolescents of color.  As someone of Caribbean descent who was raised in Canada, she is particularly excited about the prospect of working with youth of African descent throughout the Diaspora.  Her passion for research extends to the classroom, where both undergraduate and graduate courses motivate her to bring creative, innovative learning-focused instructional approaches to teaching.

The Ph.D. Program in Developmental Psychology Specialization

The graduate program in Developmental Psychology Specialization is designed to train students in all phases of the life cycle from infancy through childhood and adolescence to adulthood and aging, with a special emphasis on development among children and adolescents of color.  Upon completion of his/her degree, the student is expected to demonstrate both breadth and depth in their chosen area of specialization, and to have a strong background in seminal theoretical frameworks, research design, and statistical and behavioral assessment.  They should be knowledgeable of current theories and empirical works that continue to influence the field. 

Course Requirements

The minimum number of course hours required for the Ph.D. (including dissertation credits) is 72.  All students MUST complete the following courses toward completion of the Ph.D.  Students should consult the Rules and Regulations for the Pursuit of Academic Degrees, which can be accessed here.

PSYC 203       First Year Research (Fall Semester)

PSYC 207       Statistics I

PSYC 208       Statistics II

PSYC 205       Research Methods

PSYC 206       History and Systems of Psychology

PSYC 219       First Year Research (Spring Semester)

PSYC 225       Cognitive Development

PSYC 228       Personality and Social Development

PSYC 240       Research Methods in Developmental Psychology

PSYC 248       Practicum in Developmental Psychology

In addition to these 24 credits, students are required to complete one breadth course in each of our other areas (i.e., social, personality, etc.), for a total of three required breadth courses.  Please note that courses in developmental and clinical divisions do not meet this requirement:

The program also offers courses entitled, Seminar in Developmental Psychology-Psyc 237 and Topics in Developmental Psychology-Psyc 260* that provide a more comprehensive examination of current and relevant themes within the field. Students are expected to complete at least two 3-credit courses in this area. Topics for these courses have included: Race and Racism; The Black Child; and Life-Span Development. 

After successful completion of the written comprehensive exams and defense of the dissertation proposal, the final step toward completion of the Ph.D. degree is the oral examination of the written dissertation, which reflects the student's original empirical work.  Students must complete a minimum of 18 credit hours after admission to Ph.D. candidacy.

 *This course is not offered every semester. 

Address:
Department of Psychology Howard University
525 Bryant Street NW 
Room N-179, CB Powell Building
Washington D.C. 20059

• Related Degrees: Ph.D.
• Program Frequency: Full-Time
• Format: In Person