Master of Arts in
Child Life

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About

The Advanced Track 1-Year Master of Arts in Child Life at Eastern Washington University is a fully online graduate program designed for aspiring Certified Child Life Specialists (CCLS) and current CCLSs seeking to deepen their expertise and expand their professional impact.

This accelerated 12-month program is for students who already hold a bachelor’s degree and have completed the 10 required Association of Child Life Professionals (ACLP) coursework prerequisites. It focuses on developing advanced professional skills in areas such as grant writing, research, leadership, advocacy, program development, and family systems.

Graduates leave the program prepared not only for certification readiness but also equipped with an enhanced capacity for leadership, innovation, and impact across clinical, community, and systems-level child life roles.

What sets this program apart is its combination of academic excellence, flexibility, and professional relevance, making it ideal for students who are balancing work, life, or relocation while preparing for a career supporting children and families in healthcare and related settings

Whether you’re a practicing specialist aiming to advance your skillset or taking your first step toward CCLS certification, EWU’s online MA in Child Life gives you the tools, confidence, and community support to thrive in diverse clinical environments.

Admission Requirements Curriculum Practicum

Why Earn a Master's Degree at the Region's Polytechnic?

Get a hands-on education, real-world experience, and personalized support from faculty so you can launch your career with confidence.

Virtual Practicum

By completing a virtual child life community practicum experience, you'll be competitive in securing internships and job placements.

Skill Development

You'll develop research skills specific to the child life field, along with supervisory and managerial skills for administrative positions.

Flexible Courses

Study anytime, anywhere while still getting one-on-one guidance from professors and building industry connections.

Admission Requirements

Applications are open!

Criteria

To be eligible to apply for this program, applicants must meet all of the following criteria:

  • Hold a bachelor’s degree from an accredited institution.
  • Completed all academic coursework required by the Association for Child Life Professionals (ACLP) for certification eligibility. A full list of required courses is available on the ACLP website.

Provisional admission:
Applicants who have completed most, but not all, ACLP-required coursework may be considered for provisional admission.

Provisionally admitted students must complete any remaining ACLP academic requirements prior to progressing fully in the program.

Applicants who have not yet completed the required ACLP coursework should apply through EWU’s post-baccalaureate pathway to complete the necessary academic preparation before entering the MA program.

If you’re unsure whether your coursework meets ACLP requirements, we encourage you to complete the ACLP Eligibility Assessment or reach out to the Program Director for guidance.

Application Components

As part of the application process, applicants will be asked to complete the following:

  • Request official transcripts from every institution where college credit was earned. Transcripts should be sent electronically to Eastern Washington University.
  • Upload a current résumé outlining relevant academic, volunteer, and professional experiences.
  • Submit a cover letter (1–2 pages) describing:
    • your interest in the EWU Child Life MA program,
    • your professional goals related to child life, and
    • how this advanced program aligns with your background and career trajectory.
  • Provide contact information for two references, including:
    1. one Certified Child Life Specialist (CCLS), and
    2. one academic reference who can each submit a letter of recommendation on your behalf.
  • Upload an essay (300–500 words) responding to the following prompt: “What is your child life philosophy? Provide an example of how your philosophy has influenced an interaction you have had with a child in a hospital or pediatric healthcare setting.”
  • Complete the ACLP Eligibility Assessment. This assessment is required to verify that you have completed (or are completing) the 10 academic courses required by the Association of Child Life Professionals (ACLP) prior to beginning the graduate program. The ACLP Eligibility Assessment:
    • is completed directly through the ACLP website.
    • allows you to self-report completed coursework.
    • generates a summary confirming whether academic requirements have been met.
  • Upload completed eligibility assessment results in the application portal. If you have questions about the eligibility assessment or are unsure whether your coursework meets ACLP requirements, we encourage you to reach out prior to submitting your application.

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What You'll Learn

The following information comes from the official EWU catalog, which outlines all degree requirements and serves as the guide to earning a degree. Courses are designed to provide a well-rounded and versatile degree, covering a wide range of subject areas.

Child Life, Master of Arts (MA)

Required Core Courses25
FAMILY SYSTEMS IN HEALTHCARE
CHILD LIFE RESEARCH METHODOLOGIES
ADMINISTRATION IN CHILD LIFE PROGRAMS
CHILD LIFE GRANT WRITING
CHILD LIFE THESIS
CHILD LIFE RESEARCH PROJECT
Required Electives–All students are required to take four electives. Additional electives available with prior approval from Child Life Advisor.19-20
DIVERSITY, EQUITY, AND INCLUSION IN CHILDHOOD
TRAUMA-INFORMED CARE WITH CHILDREN AND FAMILIES
MINDFULNESS AND ALTERNATIVE PRACTICES FOR WORKING WITH CHILDREN
DEVELOPMENT OF COMMUNITY-BASED PROGRAMS FOR CHILDREN
PEDIATRIC MEDICAL TERMINOLOGY
CHILD LIFE PRACTICE ASSESSMENT AND PREPARATION
SCHOOL REINTEGRATION AND SUPPORT
PEDIATRIC PALLIATIVE CARE
NON-TRADITIONAL CHILD LIFE
INTERNATIONAL CHILD LIFE
Required Clinical Experience–for students who need hospital affiliation for child life practicum or child life internship.0-6
CHILD LIFE PRACTICUM AND INTERNSHIP
Total Credits44-51

Child Life Community Virtual Practicum

Eastern Washington University offers a child life community practicum opportunity, giving students over 140 hours of hands-on experience. This practicum is available once a year for MA Child Life students, typically during the summer and fall quarters.

Students in the practicum are required to commit to 12-15 hours per week to complete the 120+ hours of practicum content.

There is also a 20+ hour in-person shadowing experience of a Certified Child Life Specialist (CCLS). Schedules are coordinated between the student and the hospital.

This practicum is designed for graduate students who have completed or are in the process of completing 10 ACLP-required courses. Before starting the practicum, students need to complete the CCLS-taught Theory & Practice course and at least one course focused on development.

EWU Child Life graduate students receive priority placement, and any remaining spots will be available to graduate students from other programs. Participating students must be eligible to complete the required COVID-19 vaccines to perform the 20+ hours of shadowing.

EWU was the first to offer a virtual child life community practicum experience, beginning in 2020. Unlike traditional practicums, which typically involve in-person shadowing in one or two hospital units, our virtual program encompasses both traditional hospital settings and community-based child life opportunities. This approach introduces many of our students to diverse career paths within the field of child life.

Our students actively participate in virtual medical camps and in-hospital studio programming, gaining hands-on experiences with pediatric patients and the application of technology in their interactions.

In-person shadowing experiences allow our practicum students to work closely with a child life team for more than 20 hours. This includes opportunities to use technology for therapeutic interventions and gain exposure to a variety of child life practice settings. As a result, our past students have been able to provide unique examples of their experiences and goals, which has helped them stand out among internship candidates.

This practicum experience adheres to the standards recommended by the Association of Child Life Professionals (ACLP) and incorporates all the Internship Readiness Modules outlined by the ACLP.

Program Learning Outcomes

Upon successful completion of the advanced track MA in Child Life, students will be able to:

  1. Apply theory to inform a given child life service.
  2. Apply evidence-based, developmentally appropriate practices to support children and families.
  3. Design a child life research study.

Children’s Studies

E: childrenstudies@ewu.edu
P: 509.359.6085

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