At a Glance
- 2-year, 74 quarter unit program with 100-hour practicum and 600-hour internship
- One-on-one academic and internship advising
- Small class size to maximize learning
- Multiple clinical experiences within the Loma Linda University Health system of care
- Association of Child Life Professionals (ACLP) endorsed graduate program
- Christian environment emphasizing integrated learning, respect for all persons, and compassionate whole person care
- Embedded professional self-care
Request Information Information Packet (PDF)
Program Director: Michelle Minyard-Widmann, MS, CCLS
Director of Clinical Training: Alisha Saavedra, MA, CCLS
MS in Child Life Specialist Degree
The Master of Science in Child Life Specialist is a 74 quarter credit program, which includes a 100-hour practicum and a 600-hour internship. Students are admitted into the program during the fall quarter.
As one of the few graduate programs in the nation that is endorsed by the Association of Child Life Professionals, students can expect a high level of both preparation and personal interaction as they embark on their career. Since inception, we have kept our commitment to maintaining small class sizes. Loma Linda University shares the same campus as the Loma Linda University Children's Hospital. This enables the program to provide in-class clinical training by utilizing the hospital staff and their facilities as a working lab. All of the core child life courses are taught by certified child life specialists that have ten or more years of experience working in a clinical setting. Additionally, we collaborate with our nursing department to teach within our program.
We pride ourselves on exposing our students to various clinical experiences within the community. Students are able to facilitate and actively participate in our Family Grief Support Group, Teddy Bear Clinic, Annual Child Life Symposium, Family Health Fair, Grief Camps and Teen Retreats. Students also have the opportunity to engage in research within our department. Additionally, students enrolled in the program engage in global community work in areas such as China, Belize, Bolivia, and Honduras, where they provide lectures on psychosocial care of children and their families and facilitate Teddy Bear Clinics.
Based on the program's alumni surveys, results indicate a high success rate of employment in the field and on the child life professional certification exam.
