Child Life - Master’s

1. Application: Online application for graduate admission and the nonrefundable application fee;
2. Transcripts: Official transcripts of undergraduate and graduate credit from all institutions attended;
3. Undergraduate degrees from regionally accredited college or university accepted include: human development and family science, family and consumer sciences, health sciences, nursing, social work, and psychology. Other undergraduate degrees not specifically listed here will be reviewed based on transcript content;
4. Prerequisites: Prerequisite undergraduate coursework must include:
   1. A minimum of 1 developmental course including ages 0-18 (early child, middle child, adolescent development) equivalent to HEC 2200: Development of Young Children: Conception to age 6 and HEC 3500: Development Middle Childhood and Adolescence. (Lifespan development courses will not be considered, because in-depth knowledge of children and childhood is required. Grade of B or higher required.)
5. GPA: Undergraduate Cumulative GPA of at least 3.0 on a 4.0 scale.
6. Volunteer/Work/Practicum Experience: Applicants must have a minimum of 50 hours of volunteer, practicum, or paid work experience in a child focused or child and family services setting, and experiences with children in healthcare settings supervised by a Certified Child Life Specialist are preferred.
7. References (2): When the application is submitted provide the contact information for two references. An email will then be sent to these references to complete an online recommendation form. At least one reference should be from a former college or university instructor with the second reference from someone who has observed the applicant interacting with children and adolescents. Both references must be able to speak to the applicant’s potential for success in a child life graduate program. The application is not complete until these recommendation forms are submitted by your references.
8. MS, Experiential Learning, or Both: Applicants will indicate on the graduate application they are applying to only the Master of Science Degree in Child Life or both the Degree and the Experiential Learning Track – The Experiential Learning Track has additional admission requirements.
9. Resume: Upload a professional resume (no more than 2 pages).
10. Personal Statement: Upload a separate document, which includes the following: state why you have the knowledge, skills, abilities, and experiences to succeed in the child life graduate degree program. This will serve as a professional writing example and must use professional, formal language and tone, correct grammar, spelling, and syntax. This statement should demonstrate your interest in TN Tech’s child life degree program and how it will help you meet your career goals. Limit the Personal Statement to a maximum of 1,200 words or fewer and specifically address the following questions in the personal statement:
    1. Explain what a child life specialist is and the child life specialist’s role and responsibilities on the healthcare team.
    2. What are your professional goals; elaborate on future career plans and the motivation for pursuing a MS in Child Life.
    3. In what ways will the MS in Child Life build upon your current knowledge, skills, and abilities?
    4. How have you prepared yourself for success in this graduate degree program?
    5. Elaborate on your unique story that motivates you to seek a child life graduate degree.

Applicants determined to be competitive upon review of the application requirements will be invited to interview with the Program Director and an admissions team via an online platform (face-to-face) for further consideration in the selection process.

Applicants are selected on a competitive basis and, therefore, admission is not granted to all applicants who meet the minimum requirements.

Application deadline for degree seeking students varies based on the semester you wish to enroll. Application deadlines may be found on the College of Graduate Studies “How to Apply” section of the website.

Those interested in the experiential learning necessary to become a Certified Child Life Specialist, must apply by the December 15 deadline for a Fall start date. If a cohort does not fill (maximum 10 students), applications for a Fall start date will be accepted until April 15.

In addition to the requirements for admission to the Master of Science in Child Life as stated above, applicants who want to also be admitted to the Experiential Learning Track must provide:

1. Evidence of Work/Volunteer Experience: Documentation of 100 hours of work or volunteer experience in child focused or child and family services settings must be completed within four years of application. Of the 100 hours, at least 50 hours must be in a child life setting supervised by a Certified Child Life Specialist. The Experiential Track Supplemental Form must be completed to document these experiences. This form will be uploaded with the Graduate application and is available on the College of Graduate Studies Online Forms webpage.
2. Prerequisites: Prerequisite coursework for applicants who do not have a Child Life Clinical Experience Verification Form from a Child Life Clinical Internship or are not Certified Child Life Specialists, the following prerequisite coursework must have been completed within five years from an accredited academic institution:
   1. A minimum of 1 development course including ages 0-18 (early child, middle child, adolescent development). Lifespan development courses will not be considered, because in-depth knowledge of children and childhood is required.
   2. The Coursework Verification Form must be used to confirm coursework completion.
3. Personal Statement: In addition to the questions listed above for the Personal Statement, applicants for the Experiential Learning Track should include why they are pursuing the Certified Child Life Specialist (CCLS) credential in a minimum of 500 words and maximum of 1000 words.