MEd Youth Development at University of Illinois Chicago

Programme overview

The Youth Development program provides students with strong grounding in research and theory concerning the cognitive, social, emotional, moral, and physical development of youth, as well as knowledge of contextual and institutional factors that lead to positive developmental outcomes for youth. The program has two primary strands: (A) An Applied Strand aimed at producing high-quality professionals to work within the field of youth development, and (B) a Research Strand aimed at providing students planning to seek doctoral degrees with preparatory training and background in developmental theory, research methods, and statistics.

Faculty: College of Education | Study mode: full-time | Location: Chicago, IL, United States

What you will study

Minimum 32 semester hours required.

Official programme page

Application information

Entry requirements

Prior degree: No restrictions. Previous coursework in psychology preferred. GPA: At least 2.75/4.00 for the final 60 semester (90 quarter) hours of undergraduate study and a 3.00/4.00 grade point average for all postbaccalaureate or graduate coursework combined. Tests: None. Letters of recommendation: Three letters of recommendation are required. Personal statement: This required statement must address the applicant’s previous experiences working with youth, specifically work with youth in urban contexts, as well as professional and scholarly goals.

Tuition is charged per credit, so the total depends on the modules you register for each year. Current fees are listed in the official fee schedule.

Graduate and professional programmes admit for Fall, Spring and Summer terms depending on the programme; applications for Fall 2027, Spring 2028 and Summer 2028 are expected to open on August 1, 2026.

Graduate and professional application deadlines are set per programme, with separate deadlines for domestic and international applicants for most non-online programmes; optional earlier priority, recommended or fellowship dates apply to both. Applications are made through the UIC graduate application or a centralized application service for some professional programmes.

Apply through the official page: https://grad.uic.edu/admissions/

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