Child Advocacy and Policy, Public Child Welfare Concentration (M.A.)

This Master of Arts will offer students an applied course of study in child advocacy. As an emerging field, child advocacy includes an understanding of parts of several disciplines:

• psychology,
• sociology,
• law.

However, it is a field where the whole is equal to more than the sum of its parts. Briefly stated, this program aims to provide:

• A comprehensive view of the field of child advocacy that includes both multidisciplinary and interdisciplinary components.
• A particular understanding of the intricacies of the public child welfare system.
• Competencies in knowledge, methods, and applications needed for careers and professional development in the field of child advocacy.
• Field work experience in occupational settings such as the offices of the Division of Children & Families (DCF), Child Advocacy Centers, Residential Treatment facilities, the Juvenile Justice System among others.
• Access to the program to individuals living in the central and southern regions of the state through a distance-learning component.

Admissions

In order to gain admission into the program students must meet the following criteria:

• Grade Point Average (GPA) of at least 3.0 in their undergraduate major
• Complete an interview by a committee of faculty teaching in the program
• Include a writing sample to be completed at the time of the interview

In addition, students must meet all standards set by The Graduate School for admission to a graduate program.

Program Requirements