Child Life, Administration and Family Collaboration M.S.
Degree: Master of Science
https://www.towson.edu/cla/departments/familystudies/grad/childlife/
Program Director: Lisa A. Martinelli Beasley
Phone: 410-704-3766
Email: lmartinelli@towson.edu
The Master of Science program in Child Life, Administration and Family Collaboration provides advanced education for Certified Child Life Specialists (CCLS) currently working in the field and for those students seeking CCLS certification. This program has a broad scope of curriculum that not only engages students from the eyes of a child life specialist through applied research, but also focuses on family collaboration and prepares students for management and administrative positions.
The program is 39-41 units. Upon completion of this program, students will have earned a graduate degree that includes course work related to Child Life, a Post-Baccalaureate Certificate in Family-Professional Collaboration, as well as course work related to administration. Students may opt to complete the Post-Baccalaureate Certificate in Clinician-Administrator Transition. The curriculum design of this graduate program is intended for students who are interested in pursuing graduate study in Child Life at the entry level as well as practicing Certified Child Life Specialists returning to school to advance their clinical, research and professional knowledge and skills through a graduate degree.
Accelerated Bachelor’s-Master’s Program
Students may also earn the M.S. in Child Life, Administration and Family Collaboration through the bachelor’s to master’s degree program in child life. The B.S./M.S. program is designed to allow students to complete accelerated undergraduate and graduate degrees in a shorter time frame, including 9 units taken during the summer terms. This program is open only to undergraduates pursuing the Introduction to Child Life Track in the Department of Family Studies and Community Development.
Admission Requirements
Application deadlines and a full listing of materials required for admission can be found on the website.
Prerequisites for Admission
Applicants must have completed the following courses with a grade of "C" or higher:
- Human development across the lifespan (one lower-level course)
- Infant and/or child development and adolescent development course work (two courses - 6 upper-level units)
- Research methods (one upper-level course)
Applicants must have a minimum of 100 hours of volunteer, child life practicum or paid work experience (example, child life assistant) with children with special health care needs in a child life department under the direct supervision of a Certified Child Life Specialist. Applicants with volunteer hours beyond the minimum will be viewed more favorably.
Applicants must submit a completed Volunteer/Work Experience Verification Form for each institution at which volunteer, practicum or work hours in the child life department under the direct supervision of a Certified Child Life Specialist have been collected.
Degree Requirements
Students Who Are Not Certified Child Life Specialists
| Code | Title | Units |
|---|---|---|
| Child Life Specific Courses | ||
| FMST 540 | THE HOSPITALIZED CHILD AND FAMILY | 3 |
| FMST 545 | INTRODUCTION TO ART THERAPY | 3 |
| FMST 602 | CHILD LIFE PROFESSIONAL SEMINAR | 1 |
| FMST 603 | THERAPEUTIC BENEFITS OF PLAY | 3 |
| FMST 604 | BEREAVEMENT, GRIEF AND LOSS: A CHILD LIFE PROSPECTIVE | 3 |
| FMST 640 | MEDICAL ASPECTS OF ILLNESS: A CHILD LIFE PERSPECTIVE | 3 |
| FMST 697 | GRADUATE INTERNSHIP IN FAMILY STUDIES AND COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT | 4 |
| Family-Professional Collaboration Courses | ||
| FMST 601 | APPLIED FAMILY RELATIONSHIPS | 3 |
| FMST 610 | FAMILY-PROFESSIONAL COLLABORATION | 3 |
| FMST 615 | APPLIED RESEARCH METHODS IN FAMILY SCIENCE | 3 |
| FMST 620 | PROJECT IN FAMILY FOCUSED PROGRAM DEVELOPMENT | 3 |
| Healthcare Administration Courses/Electives | ||
| Clinician-Administrator Transition Courses | ||
| IDHP 600 | TRANSITIONS: HEALTHCARE PROFESSIONALS IN A CHANGING ENVIRONMENT | 3 |
| IDHP 605 | MANAGING HEALTH CARE PROFESSIONALS | 3 |
| IDHP/HLTH 651 | PLANNING AND MARKETING HEALTH IN BUSINESS AND INDUSTRY | 3 |
| Total Units | 41 | |
Degree Requirements
Students Who Are Child Life Specialists
Entering students who are already Certified Child Life Specialists are required to complete 6 units of child life course work, 12 units of Family-Professional Collaboration course work, 6 units of Graduate Project/Thesis and 9-15 units of healthcare administration course work. Students who take 9 units of healthcare administration course work must select 6 units of elective course work. Elective courses must meet the approval of the program director.
| Code | Title | Units |
|---|---|---|
| Child Life Specific Courses | ||
| FMST 545 | INTRODUCTION TO ART THERAPY | 3 |
| FMST 640 | MEDICAL ASPECTS OF ILLNESS: A CHILD LIFE PERSPECTIVE | 3 |
| Family-Professional Collaboration Courses | ||
| FMST 601 | APPLIED FAMILY RELATIONSHIPS | 3 |
| FMST 610 | FAMILY-PROFESSIONAL COLLABORATION | 3 |
| FMST 615 | APPLIED RESEARCH METHODS IN FAMILY SCIENCE | 3 |
| FMST 620 | PROJECT IN FAMILY FOCUSED PROGRAM DEVELOPMENT | 3 |
| Healthcare Administration Courses/Electives | ||
| Students may choose to meet the administration course requirement by either completing the Clinician-Administrator Transition (CAT) course work (15 units), or students may select 9 units of CAT courses and 6 units of elective course work for a total of 15 units 1, 2 | 15 | |
| Clinician-Administrator Transition Courses | ||
| TRANSITIONS: HEALTHCARE PROFESSIONALS IN A CHANGING ENVIRONMENT | ||
| MANAGING HEALTH CARE PROFESSIONALS | ||
| ADMINISTRATION OF HEALTH CARE ORGANIZATIONS (This course is only available for students completing 15 units of Healthcare Administration course work) | ||
| HEALTH CARE FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT | ||
| PLANNING AND MARKETING HEALTH IN BUSINESS AND INDUSTRY | ||
| Electives (6 units) for students who choose to complete 9 units of health-care administration course work | ||
Electives must be preapproved by the graduate program director or department chairperson and shall be selected from the following content areas: family studies, education, psychology, sociology, health science or related field | ||
| Graduate Project or Thesis | 6 | |
| Select one of the following options: | ||
| Graduate Project | ||
| GRADUATE PROJECT IN FAMILY STUDIES | ||
Research Elective (3 units): may include additional research courses in fields such as child development, education, psychology, family science or FMST independent study (department approval required) | ||
| Graduate Thesis 3 | ||
| FAMILY AND HUMAN SERVICE THESIS | ||
or FMST 898 | FAMILY AND HUMAN SERVICE THESIS | |
| Total Units | 39 | |
- 1
Students who complete 9 units of healthcare administration course work will complete 6 units of elective course work, for a total of 15 units.
- 2
Students who complete 15 units of health-care administration course work will earn a Post-Baccalaureate Certificate in Clinician-Administrator Transition.
- 3
FMST 897 (6 units) - taken once, FMST 898 (3 units) - taken twice over two semesters and FMST 899 (1 unit) - taken as many times as needed if the thesis is not finished in the first 6 units.
- Students will demonstrate acquisition and application of knowledge in child life theory and practice, family professional collaboration and administration. Students will demonstrate literacy and technological competency in course work.
- Students will demonstrate critical thinking and clinical reasoning when providing direct or administrative services.
- Students will demonstrate professional skills necessary for practice as a child life specialist within the multidisciplinary team.