Field Training in Applied Developmental Psychology: Fordham University’s Expanding Community Partnerships

Abstract

Graduate study in Applied Developmental Psychology (ADP) at Fordham University was begun ten years ago to develop shared expertise and collaborative service and systems change efforts between the university and the multiple communities in which it lives. The ADP graduate program added courses to its advanced developmental psychology curriculum, specifically, a course in the approach and issues of Applied Developmental Psychology and revamped courses in research design, developmental psychopathology, and assessments to address applied work. The Fordham ADP doctoral program is uniquely defined, however, by its field experience courses—ADP Research Apprenticeship, ADP Practicum, and ADP Internship. The history and challenges of our ADP curriculum and field experiences are detailed in Higgins-D’Alessandro, Fisher, and Hamilton (1998) and Fisher, Rau, and Colapietro (1993).