Concentrations
Child Life Specialist
Beyond core requirements, students complete the major requirements by choosing a concentration. Based on a student’s primary interests, the choice of a concentration enables the student to begin to prepare for post-baccalaureate work in psychology. Concentrations should be declared in the spring semester of the sophomore year.
The Child Life Specialist program offers a unique approach by which students receive a solid theoretical and experiential background in the psychological sciences which prepares them not only for the Child Life Specialist Exam, but also for further graduate study in child life or other areas of the behavioral sciences.
Students in the Child Life Program have good preparation both academically and clinically for work in child life. Students receive cross-disciplinary instruction from specialists in recreational, art, play, family, and child therapies. Child life students will also be prepared to work in a variety of settings including early childhood education, child development centers, and special education settings.
| Child Life Specialist Concentration | 32 units | |
|---|---|---|
| Required General Studies Requirements | ||
| ENGL 434 | Children's Literature** | 3 |
| Select one of the following: | ||
| BIOL 101 | Fundamentals of Biology* | 4 |
| BIOL 151 | General Biology I* | 4 |
| Recommended General Studies Foreign Language Requirement | ||
| It is recommended that the child life specialist student take Spanish or American Sign Language. These two options best meet the needs of children in this geographic region. | ||
| Required Psychology Courses | 25 units | |
| PSYC 345 | Psychology of Child and Adolescent Development | 3 |
| PSYC 385 | Health Psychology | 3 |
| PSYC 430 | Intervention Strategies with Children | 3 |
| PSYC 432 | Recreational and Psychosocial Interventions for the Ill and Injured Child | 3 |
| PSYC 445 | Psychology of the Family | 3 |
| PSYC 450 | Counseling | 3 |
| PSYC 455 | Behavioral Science Practicum I | 3 |
| PSYC 485 | Stress and Coping | 3 |
| PSYC 494 | Professional Studies in Child Life | 1 |
| Recommended Courses | ||
| AT 160 | Acute Care of Injury and Illness (F, S) | 2 |
| BIOL 115 | Anatomy and Physiology | 4 |
| PSYC 440 | Psychology of Religion** | 3 |
| SOCW 351 | Child Welfare*** | 3 |
| UNRS 380 | Transcultural Health Care Outreach | 2 |
*Meets a General Studies Core (or elective) requirement.
**Meets a General Studies elective requirement.
***Meets the Upper-Division Writing Intensive requirement.
