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CHILD LIFE

The mission and vision of the Child Life program and the Child Life teaching team follows the ULV mission of service which is to create an environment of success where everyone is involved in compassionate learning, collaborating, learning, communicating, experiencing, discovering and reflecting in a participant student centered developmental atmosphere.

Master of Science in Child Life

This master's degree program prepares students for careers working with children/teens and their families from birth through adolescence in home, health care, school or community. The Child Life Specialist is a trained professional who strives to minimize the stress and anxiety children and adolescents experience while undergoing medical treatment. The Specialist employs a variety of interventions, including education, therapeutic interventions, family centered care, pain management techniques, care plans and grief and loss interventions that provide opportunities to enhance the children's self-esteem and image, coping skills and independence.

Prior to admission to the program the candidate must contact the program chair: Leslie Anne Young at: youngl@ulv.edu for further information and to make an appointment for an interview.

Admission Requirements (US Residents)

Full Admission Prerequisites Specific to the Child Life Masters Program

Full admission requires a bachelor's degree from a regionally accredited college or university that includes related fields of Child Development, Human Development, Early Childhood Education, and Education.
A bachelor's degree in fields other than those noted above requires - 15 units or 5 courses in Child Development or related fields- approved by Child Life Program advisor.
1 year professional work experience in educational institutions or related institutions - approved by Child Life Program advisor.
Prior to admission the candidate must visit a hospital Child Life Program
A GPA of 2.5 or above for the last 60 semester units of undergraduate study and a GPA of 3.0 for any graduate study
Three positive references attesting to the applicant's academic and professional competency
For local candidates, an In-person Interview is required with the program chair; otherwise phone interviews will be conducted.
Ability to write at an acceptable level for graduate study
Internet access capability

Admission Requirements (International Students)

In addition to the admission requirements listed above the following must be completed:

15 units or 5 courses in Child Development or related fields - approved by Child Life Program advisor (may be completed while already admitted to the program)

If the student does not meet this requirement the student will be required to complete 5 courses in Child Development before the students completes the Child Life Courses

1 year professional work experience in educational institutions or related institutions - approved by Child Life Program advisor.

If the student does not meet the above requirement the student will be required to complete a Child Development Practicum at our Fairplex Child Development Center.

Child Life Specialist/Program Observation - Spend time with a CLS (in Student's home Country if it is possible);
Email Interview with Child Life Program Chair
Satisfactory completion of English Proficiency Test (EPT) & English Placement Score (TOEFL Score) of 525 for the Child Life Program.
Child Life International Students where English is a second language are required to take between 1-2 English and writing courses at the University to prepare the student for Masters level work in the English Language.

Academic Requirements

This degree program requires completion of 36 semester hours in the following combination:

Core Courses - 27 semester hours
Electives - 3 semester hours
Culminating Activity - 6 semester hours

Courses

(Each of the following courses is 3 semester hours)

Core Requirements
EDUC 530A	Parenting the Medically Fragile Child
EDUC 530M	Helping Children Cope in a Hospital Setting
	Education 530 A & 530 M (must be taken the same semester)
EDUC 530	Child Life Administration and Program Development
EDUC 530S	Developmental Process of Grieving
EDUC 530T	Pediatric Educational and Therapeutic Interventions (120 hour practicum)
	The above five courses are prerequisites to Education 530 H & I
EDUC 530H	Effects of Disease and Injuries on Hospitalized Children Part A
EDUC 530I	Effects of Disease and Injuries on Hospitalized Children Part B
	Education 530H & 530I (must be taken same semester).
EDUC 553F	Child Life Internship I
EDUC 553P	Child Life Internship II
All core courses must be completed before enrolling in EDUC 553F & 553P

Electives (Selected on the advice of the program chairperson)
SPED 457	Identification and Remediation of the Exceptional Child
EDUC 451	Infant/Toddler Group Care and Curriculum
EDUC 454F	Child Development Practicum
EDUC 550	Human Development
EDUC 558	Cognition and Brain Development
EDUC 551	Studies in Attachment
EDUC 503	Educational Psychology
EDUC 530C	Technology for Child Life Educators
EDUC 599	Independent Study - Related to the Field of Child Life

Culminating Activity
EDUC 504	Methods of Research
EDUC 596	Graduate Seminar

Program Requirements

Students in the Master's degree program must maintain at least a 3.0 grade point average. All degree coursework must be completed within five years of registration as a graduate student. To accommodate students' professional schedules and personal needs, many courses are offered in late afternoons and evenings.

Transfer Credit

Up to six semester hours of credit may be transferred into a University of La Verne graduate degree program if:

the units were acceptable as graduate degree coursework in the transferring school,
the units are applicable to the chosen degree program at the University of La Verne,
a grade of "B" or better was earned for the units, and
the coursework was taken from an accredited institution within five years prior to transfer to the University of La Verne.

Please review our Child Life Website - at www.ulv.edu/ear

Child Life is not what it is but always what it can be