M.A in Family and Consumer Sciences — Child Life

This program is offered in-person.

The Master of Arts in Family and Consumer Sciences (Child Life track) prepares students to pursue a career in the child life profession. This 32 credit hour track (or 34 credit hour track if a Child Life practicum was not completed prior to entrance) involves course work aligned with recommendations and requirements of the Association of Child Life Professionals, the primary professional organization of child life specialists. The curriculum provides classroom and field experiences enabling students to build on skills and knowledge key to working as a child life professional.

Knowing that illness, injury and hospitalization can negatively impact the life of a child and their family, child life specialists attend to the patient's developmental, psychosocial and emotional needs. Through interventions such as play, education, preparation, procedural support and emotional support, child life specialists work with the patient and family to create and embrace positive coping practices. Research shows that the interventions done by child life specialists help to minimize the stress of the medical environment, which therefore promotes healing. Child life specialists advocate for the unique and individual needs of patients and families and work alongside physicians, nurses, social workers and other staff members to ensure those needs are met. Child life specialists have a strong educational background in child development and have significant experience in being able to recognize and combat stressors of the hospital setting. Child life programs can be found in a variety of settings all across the world. Whereas most child life programming serves children within the hospital, other child life specialists work in places such as outpatient medical areas, bereavement programs and schools as well as other facilities that support children facing challenging events.

The child life track provides students with the necessary educational foundation to pursue a career in child life or a related field. Upon graduation, students may wish to continue on and seek certification as a child life specialist through the Association of Child Life Professionals (ACLP). Upon graduation, the student is eligible to sit for the child life certification exam.

For more general information on the field of child life, and an overview of professional opportunities, please visit childlife.org.

Why child life at Western Michigan University?

• First Child Life graduate program in Michigan and only Child Life graduate program at a Michigan Public University
• Over 93% of students are working in child life positions within a few months of graduation
• Prepares graduate for pursuit of Child Life Specialist certification
• Option of Accelerated Graduate Degree Program for current WMU undergraduate students
• Active and engaged child life registered student organization (instagram)
• Child life advisor offers workshops each semester to help students secure practicum and internship

Who should apply?

Individuals passionate about the well-being of children who hold a bachelor's degree from an accredited school with a major closely related to the selected track AND current WMU undergraduate students eligible for the accelerated graduate degree program.

Currently certified child life specialists - Certified child life specialists interested in pursuing a master’s degree are encouraged to contact Karin Rourke, CCLS, to discuss program options.

Undergraduate students and recent graduates - Current undergraduate students and recent graduates who have taken a Department of Family and Consumer Sciences child life course are encouraged to contact  Karin Rourke, CCLS, to discuss program options.