Children's Studies

Children’s Studies is an interdisciplinary field that examines children and childhood from various perspectives, including psychology, health, education, and community contexts. This field views childhood as a significant stage of life in its own right and examines how social structures influence children’s experiences. It emphasizes the importance of understanding childhood in the present while also exploring how children grow and develop over time.

The Children’s Studies program at EWU adopts a holistic approach to understanding childhood, focusing on ways to support and enhance children’s lives. Students will learn to:

• Study childhood as a meaningful and complex stage of life
• Understand children’s perspectives and lived experiences
• Examine how culture, policy and society influence childhood
• Explore childhood in both contemporary and intergenerational contexts
• Use research methods to study child development and well-being

The Children’s Studies program at EWU combines strong theoretical foundations with hands-on learning experiences to prepare students to work with children in a wide range of settings. The program also includes all 10 courses required by the Association of Child Life Professionals (ACLP), allowing you to complete your prerequisites as part of your degree. This streamlined pathway prepares you for certification and positions you for admission into our one-year Master of Arts in Child Life program.

All program options can be completed fully online, making the BA and MA degrees flexible and accessible for working professionals and transfer students.

Courses draw from multiple disciplines to help you understand children’s development, learning, and social experiences from different perspectives. This holistic approach helps you build a versatile “toolbox” of skills you can apply in schools, community programs, healthcare settings, and research environments.

A degree in Children’s Studies prepares graduates for careers supporting children, youth, and families across various fields, including education, social services, health, research, and community programs. Career paths may include:

• Education
  • Lab schoolteacher at community colleges
  • After-school program director
  • Children’s museum staff
  • Community recreation program staff
  • County extension specialist
  • Researcher
• Social Services
  • Youth shelter worker
  • Facility provider for at-risk children
  • Adoption counselor
  • Parent and family support
  • Family Literacy
  • Childcare licenser
  • Foster care supervisor
• Legal
  • Juvenile justice worker
  • Family mediation (Court)
  • Policy analyst
• Health
  • Child life specialist
  • Child health worker
  • Early interventionist

Many graduates also pursue graduate study in education, social work, counseling, child development or public policy.

The Children’s Studies curriculum offers a comprehensive foundation in child development and learning, spanning from birth through adolescence. Students explore how children grow and develop within families, communities, and broader social systems. The program integrates theory and practice from psychology, education, and related disciplines, giving students a well-rounded understanding of children’s experiences and needs.

Core courses required by all students focus on:

• Foundations of children’s studies
• Research methods for studying children
• Children’s rights and advocacy
• Professional practices for working with children
• Child development and learning

Students then choose a pathway—social services or certification—with specialized courses designed to prepare them for their professional goals.

To enroll at EWU, students must complete a high school diploma or equivalent. Students planning to major in Children’s Studies are also required to take two years of a single foreign language in high school, or one year of a college-level foreign language.