Child Life Specialist

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.

Each of Loma Linda University's eight schools evaluates the academic qualifications of individual applicants. Every effort is made to maximize the educational experience of international students during their time at Loma Linda University. In order to accomplish this, you must apply online and arrange for complete official transcripts, diplomas and/or certificates are needed to verify an applicant's educational background and qualifications. These documents, acquired from each educational institution attended by the applicant, must be sent directly to a credential evaluation service in the U.S. The credential evaluation service should be instructed to forward their evaluations to Loma Linda University records office at the following address:

Admissions Questions

Contact the admissions office with any questions you have about how to fill out the online application or about the application process:

School of Allied Health Professions: [email protected]
School of Behavioral Health: [email protected]
School of Dentistry: [email protected]
School of Dentistry, Advanced Dental Education: [email protected]
School of Nursing: [email protected]
School of Medicine, MD: [email protected]
School of Medicine, Basic Sciences: [email protected]
School of Pharmacy: [email protected]
School of Public Health: [email protected]
School of Religion: [email protected]

Child Life Specialists are well-versed in the field of child development. They promote effective coping through play, preparation, education, and self-expression activities. A Child Life Specialist provides emotional support for families, and encourages optimum development of children facing a broad range of challenging experiences, particularly those related to health care and hospitalization. Understanding that a child's well-being depends on the support of the family, Child Life Specialists provide information, support and guidance to parents, siblings and other family members. They also play a vital role in educating caregivers, administrators, and the public about the needs of children under stress. (Taken from the Association of Child Life Professionals.) Child Life is a growing but competitive field. Although Child Life has its traditional foundations in hospitals, an increasing number of Child Life Specialists are applying their unique expertise to help children and families in other environments, including outpatient healthcare facilities, doctor offices, hospice care, specialized camps, schools, court systems, and funeral homes. Qualified graduates of the School of Behavioral Health are given priority interviewing for behavioral health positions with Loma Linda University Health.