There is an increasing demand for trained professionals who understand the complex challenges faced by today’s children and their families, many of whom lack adequate access to education, healthcare, and other basic services. The Child Advocacy and Policy major provides students with an interdisciplinary foundation that incorporates the fields of psychology, social work, and the law, to prepare our graduates to serve vulnerable children and their families.
Our curriculum includes the following content areas:
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Child abuse and neglect, child protection, and the child welfare system
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Disparities, disproportionalities, and biases in human service work
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Trauma-informed care
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Aging out of foster care
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Child and human trafficking
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Undocumented, unaccompanied, and immigrant children
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LBGTQ youth needs and human service systems
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Juveniles in the criminal justice system
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Forensic interviewing of children
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Best approaches and practices to working with vulnerable children and families
In addition, all students complete an internship, which provides students with critical experience in the field and helps make them more competitive in the job market. We also expose students to current professionals in the field and provide them with job readiness preparation and job coaching.
The Child Advocacy and Policy curriculum equips graduates with advanced knowledge and skills to promote the well-being of children and their families in a variety of settings, including child welfare, healthcare, education, law enforcement, human trafficking, immigration, family violence, legislative staff, youth mentoring and other community-based organizations. Graduates generally pursue careers in the nonprofit sector, state agencies, county or local agencies, or school systems.
In addition to our major in Child Advocacy and Policy, the department offers minors in Child Advocacy and Policy and also, Social Work.
Program Requirements Overview
Unless otherwise noted, 120 credits of coursework is required for the baccalaureate degree with a minimum 2.0 overall GPA, and a minimum 2.0 major GPA.
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| General Education Requirements | 42 | |
| World Languages and Cultures Requirements | 3-9 | |
| Major Requirements | 39 | |
| Free Electives | 36-30 | |
| Total Credits | 120 | |
Major Requirements
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Required Courses | ||
| CHAD 100 | Introduction to Child Advocacy | 3 |
| CHAD 200 | Ecological Systems of the Developing Child | 3 |
| CHAD 201 | Literacy in Child Advocacy and Policy | 3 |
| CHAD 202 | Cultural Competencies in Child Welfare | 3 |
| CHAD 210 | Child Abuse and Neglect | 3 |
| CHAD 212 | Children and Justice | 3 |
| CHAD 300 | Forensic Interviewing of Children | 3 |
| CHAD 302 | Public Child Welfare | 3 |
| CHAD 310 | Child Welfare Research and Evaluation | 3 |
| CHAD 330 | Problems of Childhood: Advocacy and Intervention | 3 |
| CHAD 420 | Practicum in Child Advocacy | 3 |
| CHAD 470 | Senior Seminar in Child Advocacy | 3 |
| Elective | ||
| Select one of the following: | 3 | |
| Fatherhood | ||
| Children and the Law | ||
| Current Social Issues in Child Advocacy | ||
| Perspectives on Law | ||
| Legal Research | ||
| Introduction to Public Administration | ||
| State and Local Government | ||
| Public Personnel Administration | ||
| Total Credits | 39 | |
General Education Requirements
Click here for a list of courses that fulfill General Education categories.
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| A. New Student Seminar | ||
| Complete a 1 credit New Student Seminar | 1 | |
| C. Communication | ||
| 1. Writing | 3 | |
| 2. Literature | 3 | |
| 3. Communication | 3 | |
| D. Fine and Performing Arts | ||
| Complete a 3 credit Fine and Performing Arts course. | 3 | |
| F. Humanities | ||
| 1. Great Works and Their Influences | 3 | |
| 2. Philosophical and Religious Perspectives | 3 | |
| G. Computer Science | ||
| Complete a 3 credit Computer Science course. | 3 | |
| H. Mathematics | ||
| Complete a 3 credit Mathematics course. | 3 | |
| I. Natural Science Laboratory | ||
| Complete a 4 credit Natural Science Laboratory course. | 4 | |
| J. Physical Education | ||
| Complete a 1 credit Physical Education course. | 1 | |
| K. Social Science | ||
| 1. American and European History | 3 | |
| 2. Global Cultural Perspectives | 3 | |
| 3. Social Science Perspectives | 3 | |
| Students in P12 Subject Area Teaching programs complete EDFD 200 as part of the Teacher Education sequence. | ||
| L. Interdisciplinary Studies | ||
| Complete a 3 credit Interdisciplinary Studies course. | 3 | |
| Students in P12 Subject Area Teaching programs complete SASE 210 as part of the Teacher Education sequence. | ||
| Total Credits | 42 | |
World Languages and Cultures Requirements
Click here for a list of courses that fulfill World Languages and Cultures categories.
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| World Languages | ||
| Based on language placement exam, complete one or two sequential courses in the same language. Requirement is automatically fulfilled by language major courses. | 3-6 | |
| World Cultures | ||
| Requirement may be fulfilled by course selected in General Education - Social Science: Global Cultural Perspectives. Requirement may also be fulfilled by major coursework. See list of courses. | 0-3 | |
| Total Credits | 3-9 | |
Recommended Roadmap to Degree Completion
This four-year plan is provided as an outline for students to follow in order to complete their degree requirements within four years. This plan is a recommendation and students should only use it in consultation with their academic advisor.
| First Year | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Fall | Credits | Spring | Credits |
| GENERAL EDUCATION: (A) New Student Seminar | GENERAL EDUCATION: (C2) Literature | ||
| GNED 199 | 1 | WRIT 106 | 3 |
| GENERAL EDUCATION: (C1) Writing | GENERAL EDUCATION: (K1) Social Science – American and European History | 3 | |
| WRIT 105 | 3 | GENERAL EDUCATION: (F1) Humanities – Great Works and Their Influences | 3 |
| GENERAL EDUCATION: (C3) Communication | GENERAL EDUCATION: (H) Mathematics | 3 | |
| CMST 101 | 3 | CHAD 201 | 3 |
| GENERAL EDUCATION: (D) Fine and Performing Arts | 3 | ||
| GENERAL EDUCATION: (K2) Social Science – Global Cultural Perspectives | 3 | ||
| CHAD 100 | 3 | ||
| 16 | 15 | ||
| Second Year | |||
| Fall | Credits | Spring | Credits |
| GENERAL EDUCATION: (F2) Humanities – Philosophical and Religious Perspectives | 3 | GENERAL EDUCATION: (I) Natural Science Laboratory | 4 |
| GENERAL EDUCATION: (G) Computer Science | 3 | World Language II | 3 |
| World Language I | 3 | World Cultures | 3 |
| CHAD 200 | 3 | CHAD 202 | 3 |
| CHAD 210 | 3 | Free Elective | 3 |
| 15 | 16 | ||
| Third Year | |||
| Fall | Credits | Spring | Credits |
| GENERAL EDUCATION: (L) Interdisciplinary Studies | 3 | CHAD 302 | 3 |
| CHAD 212 | 3 | CHAD 330 | 3 |
| CHAD 300 | 3 | CHAD Elective | 3 |
| Free Elective | 3 | Free Elective | 3 |
| Free Elective | 3 | Free Elective | 3 |
| 15 | 15 | ||
| Fourth Year | |||
| Fall | Credits | Spring | Credits |
| CHAD 310 | 3 | GENERAL EDUCATION: (J) Physical Education | 1 |
| CHAD 420 | 3 | CHAD 470 | 3 |
| Free Elective | 3 | Free Elective | 3 |
| Free Elective | 3 | Free Elective | 3 |
| Free Elective | 3 | Free Elective | 3 |
| 15 | 13 | ||
| Total Credits 120 | |||