Resources

• Child life specialists are pediatric health care professionals who work with children and families in hospital and community settings to help promote coping and adjustment to the challenges of hospitalization, illness, disability and other life changing events.Interventions such as play, explaining a new diagnosis in developmentally appropriate language, providing psychological preparation for procedures, incorporating self-expression activities and opportunities that encourage normalization, and promote children’s continued growth and development are a few examples of child life work.
• For more information on the child life profession, ​click here.

• The Child Life Studies diploma program ​closed in September 2016.  Stream 1 of the Masters of Child Life & Pediatric Psychosocial Care program has replaced the diploma program to prepare students at a graduate level with the knowledge, skills, and professional behaviours to practice as entry level child life specialists.

• There are two residency periods that are mandatory to attend at McMaster University in Hamilton, Ontario. Each residency is four days of in class learning with students and faculty. All other courses are online. Please see the appropriate course schedule to see when each residency occurs: Stream 1 or Stream 2.

• Our online learning program consists of several learning modalities to ensure the coursework is interactive, engaging and of high academic quality. In many cases, online learning offers more choice, is adaptable to various learning styles and allows for flexibility in your learning environment. Our diverse faculty hold a wealth of expertise and the interactions with your classmates, sharing knowledge, perspectives and experiences will add to the quality of your online learning experience, while creating a community of practice.

• New students are only admitted each fall semester. Please review the course schedules for Stream 1 and Stream 2. Each course will occur in either the fall, winter or spring/summer semester. All courses have a start and end date.

• At the beginning of each course, your course outline will detail the expectations of your instructor, assignment guidelines and how soon you can expect feedback from your assignments.

• Some courses may involve synchronous learning (being online at the same time as your classmates and instructor) and you will be given notice ahead of time if synchronous sessions are booked. Most of the learning that takes place online will be asynchronous (you complete your work and posts to the discussion board within a specified period of time).

• Included in each course outline will be preferred contact information for your instructor(s). Instructors will also indicate when they will hold online office hours.  In person office hours at McMaster University (for those students who are local) may also be booked depending on your instructors availability.

• Your course outline will detail the evaluation methods for each course. All courses will have a number of evaluation strategies including quizzes, assignments, knowledge assessments, major papers and/or exams.

• All courses will have required and recommended readings. Some textbooks will be required. This information will be included in all course outlines.

• Please monitor Mosaic for updates regarding the status of your application. Following successful submission of all application components, you will receive an email confirming your application has been received by the program.

• We do not accept late applications. All applications must be complete by the deadline.

• No, Stream 1 can only be completed as a full- time student due to the course schedule and clinical internships. Stream 1 is a two year full- time program.

• It's important to consider that with online coursework, required readings need to be completed and lectures viewed before you begin taking part in the weekly discussion boards.  Online learning requires good time management throughout each semester. 
• For each 3 credit course that you take, you can estimate an average of 8-10 hours per week for required readings, online discussions and assignments.  Some weeks will be heavier when assignments are due in addition to your weekly lectures, readings and discussion board engagement.  This means as a full-time student with 2-3 courses you may have up to 30 hours of academic work each week.

• No, the hours would not count as they do not take place in a child life program. The 100 volunteer hours must provide exposure to a child life program and the form must be signed by a child life specialist. It is important to have exposure to child life prior to starting our program to apply in course work and to provide a foundation for your clinical education in year 2 of the program.

• Yes, your application will still be accepted. Should you be accepted into the program, you will receive a conditional offer with the expectation that your hours be complete before August 15 (of the year you are applying). You are still required to submit the volunteer hours form for the hours that are in progress at the time of your original application, and a final form once the 100 hours have been completed.

• Yes, please have all transcripts from all post-secondary institutions attended sent to our program office directly by the issuing institution(s).

• No. Academic references should be submitted through Mosaic by your referees. The confidential professional reference form should be emailed to childlife@mcmaster.ca directly by your referee. An official transcript(s) of academic work completed to date at all post-secondary institutions attended, must be sent directly from the issuing institution(s).

• 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.​

• The minimum requirements for all graduate programs is an Honours bachelor’s degree. Please keep in mind that you also require a minimum of two courses in child development covering birth to 18 years.

• While our program would like to make recommendations on specific courses to take, we cannot attest to the quality of other courses, nor whether the Association of Child Life Professionals (ACLP) will accept them for certification eligibility once you graduate from our program. For the purposes of our program, we require courses to cover normative development (physical, cognitive, social and emotional development) from birth to 18 years. We feel it is important to inform applicants in our communication of the greater specification the ACLP is looking for so the applicants can use this information when making potential course selection decisions. These decisions will serve them both applying to our program and towards child life certification eligibility upon graduation.

While our program would like to make recommendations on specific courses to take, we cannot attest to the quality of other courses, nor whether the Association of Child Life Professionals will accept them for certification eligibility once you graduate from our program.

To meet the program's admissions eligibility criteria, all applicants must have a minimum of 2 undergraduate courses in normative child development. Together, these courses should address development (physical, cognitive, social and emotional development) from birth through 18yrs. of age. This means you could have two courses which both cover birth to 18yrs; one that covers birth to 18yrs and one for a specified age range (e.g. adolescent development); or several courses which when combined together cover this developmental age range (e.g. course in infant development, course in early & middle childhood & course in adolescent development). Courses that incorporate lifespan development will not meet this criteria, as the focus must be on children and youth to ensure sufficient coverage of content. This foundation in normative development provides a base to then apply in graduate course work, and in future assessment of pediatric patients

• There are many programs that provide a good foundation for our Masters in Child Life program. Please make sure that the program you choose will provide an Honours bachelor's degree and there are course options to meet our child development prerequisites. We also recommend that during your undergraduate years, you look for volunteer opportunities in child life programs to work towards the 100 required hours of exposure to child life programming.

• The 100 volunteer hours must be completed in a child life program that has a child life specialist available to sign your volunteer hours form.We do not have a current listing of available volunteer opportunities across Canada. Contacting Volunteer Resources departments at community settings and children's hospitals is a great place to start!They can advise on what volunteer opportunities may be available.

*This is not an internship or placement where you need to work alongside a child life specialist. We require you to have exposure to volunteering with children, youth and families in a child life program that is overseen by a child life specialist.*

Visit the Stream 1 Financial Matters page for more information.

• Our minimum requirement for admission is a B+ average in your final year of study. Applicants may apply during the fourth year of their degree. The pre-admission GPA for eligibility purposes would then be calculated using the most recent 10 courses towards your degree. Post-graduate coursework will also be considered in GPA calculation, and calculated on a case-by-case basis.

• All references are due by the application deadline in order for your application to be complete.

• Stream 1 students will commence their first clinical internship in the Fall of their second year of study. Upon successful completion, their second clinical internship will commence in the Winter semester of their second year.

• We cannot guarantee clinical internships, but our clinical education coordinator will work with each student to determine best fit for each of the two internship opportunities.There are many factors that are included in the placement process, and some sites do require an interview.

• Before joining our program, you will be asked to sign a statement of understanding that outlines that interns may have to move within Canada to complete clinical internship requirements. Students are responsible for their own transportation and all associated costs in order to meet this program requirement.

• Your clinical education coordinator will work with you to help with placement issues, however, securing housing is the responsibility of the intern.

• The clinical education coordinator will work with international students to determine if internship opportunities outside of Canada are possible. The related procedures including affiliation agreements between McMaster University and internship sites, etc. will need to be investigated.

• We prefer that all preceptors and interns do not have a prior relationship so that assessment and evaluation of performance in the clinical education courses is unbiased and free of any conflict of interest.

• All clinical preceptors are required to meet the Association of Child Life Professionals requirements for supervision which includes a minimum of 4000 hours of paid experience as a Certified Child Life Specialist (equivalent to 2 years of full time employment).

• Students may identify where they have an interest in completing an internship. The clinical education coordinator is however responsible for all final placement decisions in collaboration with internships sites, and will work with each child life intern to ensure a best fit and take into account preferences and past experiences working with children, youth and families.

• Yes, some sites offer more than one internship opportunity so one or more of our interns may be located at the same site. Internship locations vary year to year, so there is however no guarantee.

• Clinical skills seminar takes place once a week for the semester during which clinical internships occur.

• Clinical skills seminar allows each child life intern to reflect, process and learn with, from and about one another while they complete their internship experiences. As each intern will be placed in a different area of child life practice, the opportunity to share evidence based practices, techniques and case study based scenarios is unique to our clinical skills seminar. There are also opportunities for guest speakers and additional clinical knowledge to be gained as we follow a child life internship curriculum.

• Each course is individually graded. For clinical internship courses, interns must successfully complete the academic requirements and achieve a grade of 70% or above, as well as a satisfactory clinical skills evaluation from their preceptor. For the clinical skills seminar, interns must successfully complete the academic requirements and achieve a grade of 70% or above.

• The clinical education coordinator is Allison Sohanlal and she can be contacted at sohan@mcmaster.ca

• Yes, we do not prescribe a specific title or regulated profession when we state health care professional. Stream 2 is suitable for those with professional experience working with children, youth and families in health care. Only after reviewing all application materials can we determine suitability for the Stream 2 option.

• Potential applicants should apply for Stream 1 if they are interested in becoming a Certified Child Life Specialist (CCLS). Stream 1 prepares students with the academics and clinical internships necessary to practice as entry level child life specialists upon graduation. Stream 2 is appropriate for child life specialists and health care professionals with experience working in healthcare who are seeking advanced practice skills and knowledge in pediatric psychosocial care.

• Stream 2 can be completed as a full-time OR part-time student. During the application process, you will be asked to identify whether or not you intend to pursue full or part- time studies. The anticipated completion time for full-time students to complete all Stream 2 program requirements is one calendar year (fall, winter, spring semester).Part- time students have up to four years from initial enrollment to complete the degree.

• 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.​

Please refer to School of Graduate Studies Calendar (see attached links):

1. Click here for financial information
2. Click here for regulations for full and part-time status

• There are two residency periods that are mandatory to attend at McMaster University in Hamilton, Ontario.Each residency is four days of in class learning with students and faculty. The remainder of courses will take place online. Please see the Stream 2 Course Schedule for more information.

• Academic references are a standard requirement for graduate study, and must be completed by a faculty member or instructor who can attest to your suitability for graduate coursework. Consideration on the use of an employer reference will be provided on a case-by-case basis for those who have been out of school for a number of years.

• Yes. Faculty who taught in the child life diploma program, and who are also involved in the current Masters in Child Life program’s application committee will however recuse themselves from reviewing your application if they act as an academic reference on your behalf.

• Your first residency week will take place for four full days in the fall of your first year of study, and the second residency week will take place for four full days in your final year of study. We require all students to be present on campus for the duration of these residency weeks. 

• It's important to consider that with online coursework, required readings need to be completed before you begin taking part in the weekly discussion boards.  Online learning requires good time management throughout each semester. 
• For each 3 credit course that you take, you can estimate an average of 8-10 hours per week for required readings, online discussions and assignments.  Some weeks will be heavier when assignments are due in addition to your weekly lectures, readings and discussion board engagement.  This means as a full-time student with 2-3 courses you may have up to 30 hours of academic work each week.

• Some courses have text books and others do not. Final books costs are still being determined at this time. All courses will include required and recommended readings accessible within our online learning platform.

• Visit the Stream 2 Financial Matters page for more information.