Child Life Specialist, MS

Program Description

Child Life Professionals are experts in the field of child development. They promote effective coping through evidence-based, developmentally appropriate intervention through therapeutic play, preparation, education, and self-expression activities. Child Life Specialists provide emotional support for families, and encourage optimum development of children facing a broad range of challenging experiences, particularly those related to health care and hospitalization. Understanding that a child's well-being depends on the support of the family; child life specialists provide information, support and guidance to parents, siblings and other family members. They also play a vital role in educating caregivers, administrators and the general public about the needs of children under stress. (www.childlife.org)

Program Website | Catalog

Program Length

2 years

Possible Careers

Child life is a growing but competitive field. Although child life has its traditional foundations in hospitals, an increasing number of child life specialists are applying their unique expertise to help children in other environments, including outpatient healthcare facilities, doctor offices, hospice care, specialized camps, schools, court systems, and funeral homes.

Qualified graduates of the School of Behavioral Health are given priority interviewing for behavioral health positions with Loma Linda University Health.

Application Deadlines

Admissions Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in the Social Sciences or equivalent
• Minimum grade point average 3.0 (on 4.0 scale) in bachelor’s coursework for at least the final 45 units prior to graduation
• GRE is not required
• Health clearance
• Prior to matriculation students must pass a background check
• Official transcripts on file
• Three letters of recommendation as specified
• Written statement of purpose for applying to the Child Life program
• Volunteer experience under the direction of a Certified Child Life Specialist is highly recommended
• Interview with department faculty as scheduled (on-campus group interviews are scheduled for mid-January through late March; other on-campus and phone interviews are scheduled individually)
• Those for which English is not their first language must present a minimum score of 80 for the computer test and 550 for the pencil test on the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL)

Prerequisites

Please see admission requirements

Integrating faith and health

Loma Linda University educates and encourages a balanced life by living our values of humility, compassion, justice, integrity, excellence, freedom and self- control. You will be surrounded by faculty who are committed to healthcare innovation and research while engaging your spirituality.

Expected Cost of Attendance

Academic Year 2019-2020

Notes

Expected costs for the 2019-2020 academic year are based on full time attendance. From year to year, increases are anticipated consistent with inflation in the professional education sector.