 |
|
 |
|
|
Department of Human Development and Family Studies
Child Life
The child life curriculum consists of a comprehensive foundation of courses related to the growth and development of the healthy child as well as the hospitalized child. Students participate in many laboratory and practicum experiences with children. These experiences, along with theoretical information, provide a foundation necessary for working with hospitalized children and their families. This curriculum leads to child life certification by qualifying students to sit for the Child Life Professional Certification Examination upon graduation.
For more information, see "What is a Child Life Specialist?"
Students must make application to the Child Life Program usually during the first semester of their junior year. Acceptance and retention into the program is determined by: 1) satisfactory recommendation of HDFS faculty committee, and, 2) an overall Grade Point Average (GPA) of 2.2 or a GPA of 2.5 in the major core courses. Please note that intern placements are competitive and are determined by the hospitals. Students who have below a B average will have limited options for hospital placements. Application for the internship (HD 423) also should be made during the first semester of the junior year. Additional volunteer hours in the pediatric unit of a hospital is strongly recommended.
To be admitted into the Child Life Program, an application packet must be submitted after the student has completed 60-90 hours, including at least 12 hours of HD courses. Students must be accepted into the program before they can take HD 426, Hospitalized Children and Youth (only offered in the fall semester), and before they can be scheduled for an internship. Internships are nationally competitive, require formal application to the desired hospital or health care setting, and, typically, need to be arranged one to two semesters ahead of time. Most hospitals require a 3.0 GPA to apply to their internship program. Please see your advisor for additional information.
More Information
For more information on the concentration in Child Life contact:
Ms. Sherwood Burns
229 Child Development Research Center
Tuscaloosa, Alabama 35487
Telephone number: 205-348-2653
Office fax number: 205-348-8153
