The Human Development, Learning, and Culture (HDLC) program at UBC addresses the interface of research and practice in education, weaving together theoretical models and concepts in their application to real world educational issues. Investigations of learning and development, including the unique contributions of culture to these processes, are applied to a wide range of contexts including classroom, afterschool, work, and technological contexts. This work is interpreted through a variety of foci (e.g., social-constructivist, cognitive, sociocultural, and related fields e.g., social and emotional development, self-regulated learning, engaged philosophical inquiry). Students are encouraged to participate in research and teaching opportunities throughout their program.
Coursework emphasizes three primary areas:
- Learning and development,
- Culture and diversity, and
- Research methods, including qualitative and quantitative, experimental and developmental.
HDLC graduates have found careers in a variety of settings, including:
- University teaching and research
- Social policy analysis
- Curriculum and program evaluation
- Schools and community organizations
- non-governmental organizations (NGOs)
- Corporate learning communities
Master’s students may specialize in a concentration: Self-Regulated Learning or Social and Emotional Learning