Child Life Concentration
The child life concentration is designed for students interested in pursuing certification as a Child Life Specialist through the Association for Child Life Professionals in order to pursue certification. Students in the Child Life concentration are encouraged to check with the Child and Family Studies division director related to non-academic requirement for becoming a certified Child Life Specialist.
Concentration Requirements
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Must complete all requirements for the Health and Human Sciences BS Core and the | ||
| CFS 3358 | Infant and Toddler Development | 3 |
| CFS 3362 | Child Life Theory and Practice | 3 |
| CFS 3368 | Theory and Principles of Play | 3 |
| CFS 4363 | Middle Childhood and Adolescent Development | 3 |
| Required Courses in Other Fields | ||
| Complete 13 semester hours from the following: | 13 | |
| Human Anatomy and Physiology of Motion and Innervation | ||
| Medical Terminology | ||
| Human Sexuality | ||
| Dying and Death Education | ||
or SWO 4316 | Trauma, Loss, and Mourning | |
| Professional Electives | ||
| Select one of the following options: | 15 | |
| Option 1 | ||
Completed minor in a supporting area, such as Communication Sciences & Disorders, Educational Psychology, International Studies, Leadership Studies, Medical Humanities, Nutrition Sciences, Poverty Studies and Social Justice, Religion, and Women’s and Gender Studies. No more than one course in the minor can count for any other area in the major or degree requirements. See individual minors for course and grade requirements. General electives hours may be required to complete some minors. | ||
| Option 2 | ||
Select 15 hours in addition to any courses selected in "Required Courses in Other Fields" above from the following: | ||
| Human Anatomy and Physiology of Metabolism and Processing | ||
| Children's Literature | ||
| Young People's Literature | ||
| Maternal and Infant Health | ||
| Cross-Cultural Ministry | ||
| Christian Ethics | ||
| Bioethics | ||
| Sociology of Medicine | ||
| Health Inequalities in America | ||
| Trauma, Loss, and Mourning | ||
| Option 3: Family Life Education Certification 2 | ||
Complete the following courses to satisfy coursework requirements for certification in Family Life Education: | ||
| The Family: A Global Perspective | ||
| Family Transitions, Stress, and Resilience | ||
| Child and Family Policy and Advocacy | ||
or SWO 4322 | Social Policy for Social Work Practice | |
Six additional hours of upper-level elective from Option 2 | ||
| A grade of “C” or better in Human Sciences and Design Courses (ADM, CFS, HSD, ID, or NUTR), required courses in other fields (section B above), and all professional electives used for the major. | ||
| An approved, on-site internship is required following the completion of prerequisite courses. 1 | ||
| Students will need 50 – 100 volunteer hours of clinical experience, a Child Life practicum, a Child Life Internship, and a passing grade on the Child Life Certification exam to become a Child Life Specialist. | ||
| Grade point average – minimum of 2.75 (“B-“) to enter and remain in the concentration | ||
| Total Hours | 40 | |