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Child Studies (M.Ed.)

Join a small cohort of students and learn to connect scholarship and practice through the M.Ed. in Child Studies program.

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As a master of education (M.Ed.) student in Child Studies, you'll apply what you learn in in a field-based placement engaging in hands-on work with children, adolescents, and families. Uniquely suited for specific career paths and interests, the Child Studies program prepares students to work as practitioners, researchers or interventionists with expertise in skillfully applying child developmental research to real-world problems.

Child Studies Program Overview

The Child Studies master's program focuses on being an Applied Professional, and has a more-than twenty-year history of placing graduates as teachers and school support staff, child life specialists, behavior specialists, healthcare workers and non-profit professionals across varied work settings.

If you are interested in our previously offered Clinical and Developmental Research track , please see our Cognitive and Developmental Psychology in Context program for an education relevant to your career goals.

Through the program, you'll focus on how to apply your education in hands-on experiences in real classrooms. The program is designed for students whose academic and professional goals include preparation for careers working with children and families, this program option offers students opportunities for scholarly didactic and in-depth, supervised professional experiences in child and family service organizations. Students are matched with relevant agencies and organizations within the community to gain hands-on experiences in practicum settings. These experiences are complemented by foundational coursework, wherein students have flexibility to design their program of study around areas of substantive interest and relevant career paths.

This program also allows interested students to pursue certification as child life specialists. These students can complete ACLP-required coursework for child life certification in the program while also completing a 100-hour hospital-based child life practicum program in the Nashville community during their course of study. Students may also specialize in applied behavior analysis.

Child Studies Program Outcomes

Overall, historic evidence indicates that within four months of graduation from the Child Studies master’s program, 97 to 100 percent are employed or attending graduate school.

Over the past 20 years, graduates have been successful in securing varied positions as leaders in child and family service roles. A sample of recent graduate placements includes the following:

  • Behavior Interventionist, Freedom Preparatory Academy, Memphis, Tennessee
  • Foster Care Counselor, United Methodist Family Services, Richmond, Virginia
  • Program Specialist, Nurture the Next, Nashville, Tennessee
  • Program Coordinator, National Family Voices
  • Program Coordinator, United to Learn, Dallas, Texas
  • Community Resilience Coordinator, Tennessee Department of Health, Office of Strategic Initiatives, Nashville, Tennessee

For students pursuing child life careers, 100 percent have been successfully placed in child life internships, attained child life specialist certification and secured employment as child life specialists in hospitals across the US and Canada. Similarly, students pursuing certification as applied behavior analysts are employed as BCBAs throughout the country and abroad.

Sample career outcomes in child life areas include:

  • Certified Child Life Specialist, Johns Hopkins Children's Hospital, Baltimore, Maryland
  • Certified Child Life Specialist, Cincinnati Children’s Hospital, Adaptive Care Team, Cincinnati, Ohio
  • Board Certified Behavior Analyst, Autism ETC, Nashville, Tennessee
  • Board Certified Behavior Analyst and owner, All Star Autism Services, Kansas City, Missouri
  • Board Certified Behavior Analyst, Cultivate Behavioral Health and Education, San Antonio, Texas

Explore how to use research design and data analysis for the social good with our digital guidebook.

Child Studies Degree Program Facts

Program Directors: Vicki Harris, Ph.D.
Admissions Coordinator: Ally Jacobs
Child Life Academic Coordinator: Jessika Boles, Ph.D., C.C.L.S.
Admission Term: *Summer
Credit Hours: 36

*This program begins in July during Peabody's summer term

Key Application Dates

  • Priority Decision 1

    December 1*

  • Priority Decision 2

    January 3

  • Rolling Decision

    After January 3

*For more information on application dates and requirements, and the benefits of Priority Decision, see the How to Apply page.

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Discover how an education in child and adolescent development aligns with your career goals.

Child Studies (M.Ed.) Program Curriculum

The 36-hour program consists of 24-30 credit hours of core curriculum coursework and 6-12 credit hours of elective coursework that are individually tailored to your personal interests and professional goals.

In addition to the required courses, you'll integrate child development research and theory with effective practice through a range of field experiences. Through these experiences, you will develop expertise as consumers and producers of scholarly research.

Students pursuing child life certification complete a 100-hour hospital-based child life practicum at a local children's hospital and receive credit hours for completion of a child life internship.

M.Ed. Concentrations and Practicum

  • Concentrations

    Areas of Concentration

    Throughout the program, you'll complete elective coursework according to the program guidelines and your selected area of concentration. A program of study is developed with your adviser based on your professional and academic goals. This list of courses is flexibly developed with your advisor based on your professional and academic goals.

    Sample concentrations include but are not limited to:

    • applied behavioral analysis (ABA)
    • arts and media
    • child and family services
    • developmental disabilities and early intervention
    • educational program development
    • gifted education
    • language and literacy
    • pediatric healthcare (includes but is not limited to child life interests)
    • poverty and intervention
    • positive youth development and nonprofit organizations.

    Additionally, some areas of concentration are interdepartmental and may have specific additional requirements as determined by the respective departments or credentialing organizations. Those students whose career interests include child life or board-certified behavior analysts may complete a related concentration (pediatric healthcare or ABA, respectively) in order to make sure that their coursework meets certification eligibility requirements set by relevant professional associations.

  • Practicum

    As a master of education (M.Ed.) student in Child Studies, you'll apply what you learn in the classroom as a member of a clinical or developmental research team or in a field-based placement engaging in hands-on work with children, adolescents, and families.

    Throughout the Child Studies program, you'll be matched with a community site based on your interests and career goals, a process facilitated by program advisors in the semester before your placement. Placements may last one or more semesters, based on your progress and objectives.

    The nature of the 10 hour/week commitment varies significantly depending on your specific site. You may work in such endeavors as developing community programs, providing developmental interventions, or writing educational curricula. Regardless of site, your work will be informed by evidence-based practice, and you will receive both campus and on-site mentorship. Those pursuing certification as a child life specialist will complete a practicum that includes 100 hours of  hospital-based shadowing and activities under the supervision of a child life specialist and an accompanying 3-hour course under the supervision of a doctoral-level certified child life specialist. 

    In conjunction with your field placement position, you will take two semesters of PSY-PC 7950: Child Development Practicum.

Child Studies Coursework

  • Prerequisite Coursework

    Competitive applicants to the M.Ed. program will have taken the courses below (or their equivalent) during their undergraduate program or before applying for the M.Ed. in Child Studies. Applicants who have not taken these prerequisites can discuss alternatives during the admission process.

    • Developmental Psychology, or equivalent (3)
    • Introduction to Statistical Analysis, or equivalent (3)
  • Core Curriculum and Elective Coursework

    You will be required to complete 24-30 credit hours of core curriculum classes for the M.Ed. in Child Studies. Coursework includes the following:

    • PSY-PC 6010 Applied Child Studies [3]
    • PSY-PC 6020 Advanced Applied Child Studies [3]
    • PSY-PC 7950 Child Development Practicum: Applied Professional [6]
    • Two advanced courses in Developmental Theory and Content [6]
    • Two advanced courses in Research Methodology or Statistics [6]
    • Four Electives [12]

    Elective courses are individually tailored to meet the professional and academic goals of the particular student. In consultation with the student’s advisor, courses are selected from Peabody College and other Vanderbilt schools to provide didactic experiences in the student’s concentration (e.g., clinical psychology, pediatric healthcare, family intervention, etc.).

Child Studies Frequently Asked Questions

  • How long is the Child Studies program?

    All CS M.Ed. students begin the program in the summer, completing 6 foundational credits during a 4-week session in July.

    Students complete the masters program in 18 months to 2 years, depending on the individual students’ academic and professional goals. Following summer term, students in this program complete 18 credits in research methods and statistics, hands-on community or university practicum placements, and advanced coursework in developmental science. The remaining 12 elective credits allow students to craft a program of studies that reflects their unique scholarly and professional goals (e.g., non-profit leadership, program development, child life, developmental therapy).

    Students who are pursuing certification in Child Life typically complete the masters program in 2 years, which includes completion of a 100+ hour hospital-based child life practicum experience and a 600 hour clinical internship as part of their program of studies. Students who join the program with some of the required courses for certification already completed at the undergraduate level will have the flexibility to craft a more individualized program of studies. Some students will be able to complete their child life practicum at a local hospital during their first spring semester, others will complete their practicum at hospitals across the country during the summer term. Some students choose to participate in our innovative regional child life internship match program, whereas others may elect to pursue internships with child life programs in other parts of the country closer to home, family, or long term employment goals. In addition to these clinical experiences, students pursuing certification in Child Life work closely with our local family medical camp, on-campus inclusive preschool, affiliated child development centers, world-renowned Vanderbilt Kennedy Center for Developmental Disabilities, and the top-notch children’s hospital just across the street to flex their knowledge of and skills in delivering family-centered care and developmentally appropriate communication.

  • What careers might this degree prepare me for?

    Some graduates begin doctoral psychology programs upon graduation. Others head to law school, medical school, or pursue counseling or advanced practice nursing degrees. Some take positions as developmental therapists, research coordinators, program specialists with child and family-serving non-profits, or work as leaders in public, private, and charter schools. No matter what career path our graduates take, they are armed with expertise in identifying research-informed best practices in improving the well-being of children and families. For those who pursue certification in Child Life, our program’s emphasis on Child Studies has made it very easy for our graduates to explore opportunities outside of child life practice down the line, including community development, partnerships, and outreach roles, and parent education, program management, research coordination, and deputy director positions in healthcare, nonprofit, and government organizations.

  • What kind of student thrives in this program?

    We welcome applicants with a variety of backgrounds, experiences, and post-graduation goals. The students who thrive are curious, committed to their long-term goals, and eager to grow as future leaders, practitioners, or scholars. Our students are ready to capitalize on the many unique resources and partnerships our institution and faculty can offer, seizing every opportunity to learn and connect. We review each application with an open mind, looking for individuals who are ready to engage deeply and make an impact in the lives of children and families.

  • What does a typical week look like?

    A typical week during the summer includes two classes, five days a week for two hours each, during the second half of the summer term, typically beginning the first Monday after the July 4th holiday and ending the first week of August. In the fall, all students will have opportunities for didactic classes that align with their substantive areas of interest, research methods coursework, and hands-on research lab or community placements designed to strengthen their competitiveness for their next academic or professional steps. Students pursuing certification in Child Life will be actively engaged in volunteer work at our local children’s hospitals, participating in our child life student organization, supporting and facilitating our on-campus Sibshops chapter, and contributing to child-life-specialist-led and centered research studies with patients and families through the CHILL lab.

  • Do you have any social media accounts where I can find more information?

    Here are links to our student-led Instagram accounts (@vanderbiltchildstudies; @vandychildlife). Be sure to follow us to see current happenings. Also check out @vupeabody to see what is happening at the college level.

  • How do I apply?

    You can start your application now through our application portal. Our admissions page can give you more information about our community at the Peabody College of Education and Human Development and . When you apply for admittance to the program, you’ll automatically be considered for a merit-based scholarship to support your studies.

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