The Child Development major (CHD) reflects Peace's mission to prepare women "for ethical lives of purpose, leadership, and service".

The major is designed for students who wish to study children (infancy through adolescence) and the major family, cultural, peer, school, and neighborhood contexts in which they interact. Students in the major gain a strong background in the social and behavioral sciences related to child development through a focused study of children and the contexts in which they develop, as well as through opportunities for supervised and independent research and field study relevant to children's development. Together, these opportunities encourage students to link theories and research so that they can effectively tackle challenges facing today's children and their families.

The major is excellent preparation for work in a variety of settings serving children and their families, as well as for graduate study in selected social science and professional fields (e.g., social work, allied health fields, education, public policy). Students who are particularly interested in the sciences and/or who look forward to health related graduate degrees or professions may support their interests further through pursuing the Bachelor of Science degree in CHD.