There are many programs that provide a good foundation for our 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. It is important to also consider having a minimum 10 courses at the 300 and 400 level that can be used within your GPA calculation. 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.

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 (6 semesters).

No. We are not able to offer individual courses or co-ordinate an internship. Candidates must be accepted into the full-time Stream 1 program. All courses build upon child life competencies, scaffold knowledge and skills across the curriculum and incorporate application to practice as a primary focus.

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. **Some alternative experience has been considered due to volunteer limitations during COVID.  Please see our volunteer hour requirements on our website for the most up to date information.**

We do not have a current listing of available volunteer opportunities across Canada. Contacting Volunteer Resources departments at community settings, children’s hospitals and general hospitals is a great place to start. They can advise on what volunteer opportunities may be available within their child life program.

**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.**

Yes, your application will still be accepted. Should you be offered admission into the program, you will receive a conditional offer with the expectation that your hours be complete before June 30 (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.

While our program would like to make recommendations on specific courses to take, we cannot attest to the quality of other courses, or when they are offered at each institution. We do require a minimum of 2 courses that cover normative growth and development (physical, cognitive, social and emotional development) from birth to 18 years, and follow the Association of Child Life Professionals (ACLP) definition of these. Our Child Development Course Review form is available so applicants can submit course work prior to application.  Our review team will review and inform future applicants on whether their courses meet prerequisite eligibility requirements. Those that have had their forms reviewed prior to application should include their reviewed form within their application.

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 18 years of age; one that covers birth to 18 years of age 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 typical development provides a base to then apply in graduate course work, and in future assessment of pediatric patients.