Now more than ever, our nation’s hospitals and healthcare settings need thoughtful, compassionate, and knowledgeable professionals who can help children and their families cope with the emotional trauma of acute or chronic illness and injuries. Child life specialists are specifically trained to see children through the distress caused by health experiences like surgery, pain management, diagnostic testing, or being placed in an intensive care unit.
To help support the development of knowledgeable child life specialists in this growing field, Bank Street Graduate School of Education has launched a new partnership with Molloy University to offer eligible students an accelerated pathway towards completing a master’s degree in Child Life.
Through this innovative partnership, Molloy University students currently minoring in Child Life can apply during their senior year to Bank Street’s fully online master’s program. Qualified students will be eligible to transfer up to 15 undergraduate Child Life credits toward the 42-credit graduate program, allowing them to save approximately 35% on tuition costs.
The first cohort for the online program is accessible to Molloy students nationwide and will begin its coursework in June 2025.
“At Bank Street, we view child life specialists as advocates who prevent and mitigate medical trauma for pediatric patients and their caregivers,” said Shael Polakow-Suransky, President of Bank Street College of Education. “This accelerated master’s degree partnership program with Molloy University combines the study of human development, family systems, medical aspects of healthcare, and hands-on clinical practice, preparing future child life specialists to meet the psychosocial needs of children and their families during challenging times.”
Through the accelerated graduate program, students will deepen their understanding of child development and learn how to help children process medical experiences in ways that make sense to them using concepts that support the psychosocial development of children through therapeutic play, self-expression, and other age-appropriate techniques that help disrupt the long-term cognitive effects of hospitalization. The curriculum includes:
- Highly interactive online coursework taught by Certified Child Life Specialists with extensive field experience in pediatric care settings
- Targeted support in applying to clinical internships at leading medical establishments, ensuring the completion of the required 600 hours of hands-on training
- Skill development in guiding children through medical experiences, such as surgery, pain management, and diagnostic testing
- Professional networking opportunities with mentors and peers in the field
- Full preparation for the Child Life Certification Exam
By graduation, students have built deep relationships and started a professional network of mentors and peers that can last a lifetime.
Heather Bragg, GSE ’25, said, “At Bank Street, I felt part of a community, connecting online with peers and professors through interactive classes and activities. A team of passionate professionals with years of experience encouraged me to think outside the box. In Child Life, we’re taught to advocate for our patients and to know what will best support them. My professors did the exact same thing for me, helping me navigate my practicum and internship.”
Applications for the online Child Life Master’s in Science degree are now open. Scholarships and financial aid are available.
To learn more about the new accelerated pathway for Molloy University students, visit bankstreet.edu/childlife-molloy or attend the Virtual Info Session, which will be held on Monday, April 28, 2025.