You need a bachelor's degree, preferably in psychology, to be admitted to a developmental psychology graduate program. Most graduate schools will accept an undergraduate degree in another area provided you have the prerequisites for a program. You should prepare for graduate school while in your bachelor's program by determining the courses required by the graduate program of your choice and taking those courses while an undergraduate. Competition is fierce and you will not be accepted without the appropriate courses.
In the first year of developmental psychology, graduate school students must take core courses in psychology (for example, personality, perception, memory, and social psychology) as well as statistics. Courses in the next few years tend to be small seminars covering basic theories and developmental topics. Students might take courses on adolescent psychology, death and dying, and family relationships. While the students are taking these small seminars, professors help guide them in conducting research in developmental psychology. When they are ready, the students take a comprehensive exam on the topics they have studied.
The courses on specific topics in developmental psychology help students determine the area in which they would like to work--perhaps adolescence, death and dying, or family relationships, abnormal development, or sex-role development. Having determined his area of interest, the student asks a professor with a similar interest to guide research for his dissertation. The graduate student conducts research for his dissertation before defending it to a committee of faculty members. There is no set rate at which a graduate student progresses.
Historically, developmental psychologists concentrated on the time frame from the prenatal period to adolescence. More recently, developmental psychology has expanded to include all ages up to the end of life. As the population ages, more developmental psychologists are studying older people, with an emphasis on helping them to age in a healthy manner. There are many areas in which developmental psychologists conduct research. For example, some developmental psychologists research the cultural influences on sex-role development, others study the development of sibling relationships, and some study the impact on a family of caring for an elderly parent.
Colleges employ developmental psychologists to teach and mentor students and to conduct research. Many developmental psychologists conduct research in institutions for people of different ages. They frequently work in schools and social service agencies to evaluate people and determine whether specific programs are effective as interventions.