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Undergraduate Endorsement

We are currently reevaluating this program and are not accepting new applications at this time.

The Association of Child Life Professionals (ACLP) defines endorsement of undergraduate academic programs in child life as an assurance that a program meets the standards and requirements set forth in the Standards for Academic and Clinical Preparation Programs found in the most current Official Documents of the ACLP.  Endorsement is a voluntary process of self-study and external review intended to evaluate, enhance, and publicly recognize undergraduate academic programs which meet the standards prescribed by ACLP.  The endorsement is not intended to prescribe a program’s educational goals or the process by which they should be attained. The purpose of this process is to promote the interests of students through improving the quality of teaching, learning, and professional practice.

Interested programs should submit their Intent-to-Apply Forms to be assigned an application deadline. Intent-to-Apply Forms can be submitted to UndergraduateEndorsement@childlife.org


Interested Individuals:

High school graduates and/or students who have not already obtained a bachelor’s degree who wish to satisfy the 2019 course work requirements for exam eligibility plus demonstrate their commitment to the field through graduation from a recognized institution

Students graduating from an endorsed program will still need to complete an eligibility assessment with ACLP but will not need to have each course reviewed as endorsement signifies inclusion of all areas of the course work requirement.

Students completing coursework at unendorsed academic programs will still be eligible for the certification exam but will need to have all of their 10 courses reviewed by ACLP, as is the current practice.

The Endorsement Process

1. Apply

  • Email your Undergraduate Endorsement Intent-to-Apply Form to UndergraduateEndorsement@childlife.org.
  • ACLP staff will send you information on logging into the ACLP Application Portal and an invoice for the application fee.
  • Applicants can submit their applications at any time but they will be processed quarterly. Our dates for beginning the review process are: January 1, April 1, July 1, and October 1.

2. Review

  • Once submitted, applications are evaluated for completeness by the ACLP staff. This initial review can take up to 2 weeks. If an application is incomplete, it will be returned to the applicant.
  • Applications are then reviewed by a team of reviewers from the Undergraduate Endorsement Review Committee. Reviews can take up to 3 months to complete.

3. Decision

  • Applicants will receive decision letters via US Mail.
  • If endorsed, the academic program will be recognized as ACLP-accredited for 5 years, pending annual submission of maintenance materials.
  • If denied, the academic program can appeal or re-apply. Appeals must be made in writing to the ACLP office within 3 months of the decision. 

Fees

  • Application Fee: $1750
  • Annual Maintenance Fee: $250
  • Appeals Fee: $500
  • Re-endorsement Fee: $1750

View Endorsed Undergraduate Programs

Endorsed Program Directory

If you have any questions about these materials or processes, please contact us at UndergraduateEndorsement@childlife.org.

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