CHL-MS - Child Life, M.S.

*Beginning Fall 2026*

The Master of Science in Child Life degree program is designed for candidates pursuing careers applying evidence-based research knowledge to clinical child life practice for positive patient outcomes and patient experiences. This master’s degree is a practitioner’s degree to provide advanced content knowledge in child life clinical practice, psychosocial care of children and families, and evidence-based practice to credentialed CCLS professionals seeking a graduate degree for employment enhancement, bachelor’s prepared individuals seeking child life academic preparation for child life professional certification eligibility, and undergraduate human development and family science students seeking child life academic preparation for professional child life certification eligibility. The program is grounded in developmental theory, family science, and stress and coping for in-depth understanding of children and families.

The degree only option is 36 credits. For students who wish to pursue the Child Life Certification, an additional 7 credits of Experiential Learning courses are required for a total of 42 credits.