Child Life Specialty Emphasis Area
Child Life Specialty Emphasis Area
Overview
Child Life Specialty emphasis program in Family Sciences is a 5-year accelerated B.S./M.S. program (in Human Development and Family Science/Family Sciences) that capitalizes on the Accelerated Master's Pathways (AMP) offered at the University of Kentucky. Students complete all coursework and all clinical internship hours required by the Association for Child Life Professionals. They are trained in the full breadth of both required course work as well as clinical experiences to prepare them for a career as child life specialists which will include direct care, consultation, supervision, education, advocacy, and environmental planning.
This unique program based on a collaboration between UK HealthCare and the Department of Family Sciences positions students to be exceptionally competitive on the job market, both locally and Kentucky as well as nationally. Currently, students who are accepted into this program have a guaranteed and funded internship at University of Kentucky Children's Hospital that they complete over the course of two semesters during your fifth year of training.
Following the rigorous training and upon successful completion of this program, students are immediately eligible to begin working as a Child Life Specialist and will take the certification exam within their first year of employment, to become Certified Child Life Specialists (CCLS). This process is administered by the Child Life Certification Commission (CLCC) part of the Association for Child Life Professionals which is the exclusive credential for the child life profession. Individuals wishing to become certified must meet specific academic and clinical experience requirements in addition to passing the Child Life Professional Certification Exam.
Faculty & Facilities
Emily Bollinger, MA, CCLS serves as a Clinical Instructor supervising the CLS academic program.
Coursework
Due to certification requirements by the Association of Child Life Professionals, and to meet Child Life Competencies and Standards, there is little flexibility in the coursework required for CLS students. All CLS students complete the 120 credit hour curriculum part of the HDFS undergraduate major, as well as specfiic courses Including Child Development (IEC 255), Ethics in Health Care (HHS 353), Death and Dying (PHI 380), Sociology of Health and Illness (HSP 355), Supporting Hospitalized Children (FAM 301), as well as Therapeutic Play (FAM 302).
In addition, they complete 47 credit hours of graduate course work, which includes 3 foundational courses (9), Advanced Child Development (IES 659, 3), Play Therapy (FAM 745, 3), Research Methods (FAM 690, 3), a statistics or other relevant research course (3), Professional Development (FAM 775, 1), an elective (3), thesis or project credit hours (6), and finally 16 hours of internship during their final year of training (FAM 781 - 5 credits fall semester; FAM 782 - 11 credits spring semester).
FAQs
AMP applications are due on February 1st each year. Students should apply during their junior year. Qualified applicants will then be offered an interview with our selection committee and applicants will be notified of our decision in early March.
Acceptance is based on the supervision capacity of Kentucky Children's Hospital and is currently capped at a maximum of 5 students per year.
Competitive applicants will have demonstrated a strong academic aptitude by consistently earning high grades and taking relevant courses. They should also have significant experience working with children and/or families, particularly those with unique support needs.
Throughout their academic coursework, students are taught by faculty members in the Department of Family Sciences and other departments; core Child Life courses are taught by the Child Life Clinical Instructor. During the internship semesters, students will be directly supervised by Certified Child Life Specialists working in both inpatient and outpatient areas of Kentucky Children's Hospital.
To date, 100% of students who have graduated from the Child Life academic program at UK and taken the Child Life Certification Exam have passed on their first attempt.
Students who are not accepted into AMP are eligible to apply for enrollment in the Child Life undergraduate certificate program. Students in that program complete all required coursework as well as a pre-internship experience in a community setting and are eligible to apply for internships or graduate programs at other universities after graduation. Applications are due in May of each year.
Quick Links
Admission
Application materials by juniors (3rd year undergraduate students) are due no later than February 15 to begin the accelerated B.S./M.S. CLS emphasis fall semester of the same calendar year. Applicants for the CLS emphasis area must also be admitted to the UK Graduate School Department of Family Sciences Master’s program during their senior year (4th year undergraduate student).
Applicants are required to submit a letter of intent, what motivates them to become a child life specialist, an updated CV with relevant volunteer experiences, two letters of reference or recommendation (one from a faculty member and one focused on an applicant's work with children or adolescents). Finalists will be invited for an in-person interview with a panel of faculty members who will then make a final decision about admission to the accelearted CLS emphasis B.S./M.S. program.
Funding
See our Funding page for more information about the cost of the program and financial support available.
Community
We do not discriminate against students or applicants on the basis of race, age, ethnicity, nationality, gender identity, sexual orientation, socioeconomic status, disability, or religious and spiritual beliefs.
Contact Us
If you have questions about the CLS Emphasis Accelerated Bachelor's/Master's program or the application process, contact:
Emily Bollinger, MA, CCLS
Clinical Instructor
emily.bollinger@uky.edu
If you have questions about our Master's program or the application process, contact:
Alexander T. Vazsonyi, Ph.D.
Director of Graduate Studies
vazsonyi@uky.edu
859-257-9762
