Prospective Students

Applicants will be required to meet the admission requirements of the School of Graduate Studies:

• Degree Requirement: An Honours bachelor's degree or the international equivalent from an accredited university

• GPA: B+ average (77-79%, equivalent to a McMaster 8.5 grade point average) in the final year of undergraduate study

• English Language Requirements: Applicants whose native language is not English will be required to demonstrate proficiency in the use of the English language, as outlined in the Graduate Calendar. Similar to several other graduate programs, a minimum acceptable TOEFL (iBT) score  will be 92 overall with a minimum of 22 for reading 24 for speaking, 24 for listening and 22 for writing. Alternately an overall minimum IELTS score of 7.0 will be required.

For admission to the MSc in Child Life and Pediatric Psychosocial Care program, an applicant must also meet the criteria listed below to ensure the appropriate background and success of our learners.

For those applying to Stream 1 of this program, which provides the academic and clinical preparation to enter the field of child life, applicants will also be required to demonstrate the following:

• Volunteer Work: A minimum of 100 hours of volunteer work in a child life program is required. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, we recognize that child life volunteer opportunities may be limited in both hospital and community settings. Please download a copy of our revised Volunteer Hours Form for opportunities that will be considered for Fall 2022 only Stream 1 applications. Please note, volunteering within a child life program remains encouraged above all others when possible to provide exposure to the profession. Download a copy of the Volunteer Hours Form.

• Pre-requisite Courses: A minimum of two undergraduate courses in normative child development. This course work must cover growth and development from birth to 18 years of age as a requirement for child life specialist certification eligibility through the Association of Child Life Professionals (ACLP). For specific child development course requirements from the ACLP please click here.  A conditional offer of admission can only be made to those still completing this course work. Admission will be contingent upon confirmation of these courses being successfully completed by June 30th in that year. Download a copy of the confirmation of the 2 child development course here and email to childlife@mcmaster.ca. Submitted forms must be saved and sent in word format and not Adobe PDF; the committee needs to comment on the form within the document.

• Interviews: Successful completion of the program’s multiple-mini-interviews.

Meeting the above minimum admissions requirements for does not guarantee admission. Limited space will be available, and the admission process is expected to be competitive.

Please click here to download the Stream 1 application checklist to confirm all items required for your online application.

STREAM 1 APPLICATIONS FOR FALL 2022 ARE NOW CLOSED.

• Demonstrate comprehension of research methods and the ability to critically evaluate the validity of key assumptions and evidence
• Demonstrate ability to apply theoretical knowledge and patient and family-centered care principles to diverse pediatric health and community settings
• Apply concepts of pediatric psychosocial assessment incorporating child, family and healthcare variables
• Utilize effective communication strategies and documentation of pediatric psychosocial assessment and interventions to advocate for the diverse needs of infants, children, youth and families

• Meet child life professional certification eligibility requirements
• Integrate knowledge of ethical principles and professional responsibility in accordance with the standards of child life professional practice
• Demonstrate capacity to assess and develop a plan of care for pediatric patients and families that is responsive to and inclusive of diverse needs
• Illustrate scope of child life practice through clinical internships and clinical seminars

Stream 1 Full Time Students (24 months - 48 units) Sample Schedule

Required Online Modules

Online modules must also be taken by all graduate students; Students may not graduate or register in a subsequent academic term without having successfully completed these:
• SGS 101/ Academic Research Integrity and Ethics
• SGS 201/ Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities act (AODA)

The School of Graduate Studies SGS 101 and 201 courses must be completed by September 30 in the Year 1 Fall term

Course Listing

Online modules must also be taken by all graduate students; Students may not graduate or register in a subsequent academic term without having successfully completed these:
• SGS 101/ Academic Research Integrity and Ethics
• SGS 201/ Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities act (AODA)

The School of Graduate Studies SGS 101 and 201 courses must be completed by September 30th in the Year 1 Fall term

In addition to fulfilling the Masters in Child Life and Pediatric Psychosocial Care program's Admissions Requirements, please review the complete application checklist here. Download a copy of the Volunteer Hours Form. Please note the full hours of volunteer experience must be complete and verified on this form by June 30.

An online application is required to be filled out through the School of Graduate Studies at McMaster University. Please visit the "How to Apply" section of the School of Graduate Studies for more information.  When you are ready to begin the application process, click here

To begin the online application process, you will need to select the stream you are applying to so you can be directed to the appropriate page. Please refer to the application checklists above for instructions.

Following successful submission of an online application, you will receive an email confirming that your application has been received by the department.

McMaster University pioneered the Multiple Mini Interview (MMI) format for use in the selection of medical school candidates beginning in 2002. The Child Life program at McMaster University, situated in the Division of Pediatrics within the Faculty of Health Sciences adopted the MMI format for our child life program candidate interviews beginning with the prospective students for the incoming class of 2014-2015.  Our traditional format for interviewing prior to this year involved single candidate interviews in a panel format (one interviewee with four interviewers present).

Given the high stakes involved in candidate selection, we use the MMI format to help assure a fair selection and interview process, not only to those that apply, but also for children and families for whom the profession serves. For this purpose, we feel the MMI interview provides a more accurate portrayal of a candidate's suitability for graduate education and for suitability to the child life profession and a career in health care.

Following application review, selected candidates will be invited to interview. Our MMI interview process allows us to interview a greater number of candidates (generally 30-40 applicants) and provides them with opportunities to respond to questions in a one-to-one environment (one interviewee and one interviewer per station).  Within our MMI format, candidates move to separate rooms or stations for a series of short independent interviews with a different interviewer in each station. At each station (usually lasting 8-10 minutes), the candidate discusses a scenario or responds to questions. The interviewer uses a standardized scoring form to rate candidates.

At the end of the MMI interview process, there will also be an opportunity to attend a general information session about our program in a group format (all candidates interviewing on that day are invited to attend).