According to the Child Life Council, there are no specific child life degree programs at any Nebraska university. However, the majority of colleges in Nebraska offer programs that are acceptable for child life certification. To meet the educational requirements for certification, a candidate needs to have a completed bachelor's degree with 10 college-level courses in child life or a related field, which may include education, health or child development. The majority of colleges and universities in Nebraska have a variety of appropriate courses to choose from.
There are a variety of online schools that meet the educational requirements for child life certification. Although none of them offer a degree with a child life focus, all of them offer a chance to take 10 college courses in child life or a related field. According to Education-Portal.com, there are six online schools available to Nebraska residents that offer bachelor's degrees that meet the Child Life Council's educational criteria: Walden University, The University of Phoenix, Grand Canyon University, Colorado Technical University and Saint Leo University. The Child Life Council states that it doesn't certify educational programs, therefore the student should make sure that a program meets his needs before enrolling.
Though there are no child life degree programs in Nebraska, several neighboring states have dedicated child-life programs, according to the Child Life Council. The University of Missouri and Missouri State University offer degrees that concentrate in child life. The University of Iowa offers a leisure studies major with a child life concentration, and Colorado State University has a human development and family services program that focuses on child life.
According to the Child Life Council, 480 hours of clinical child-life experience must be completed under an approved child life specialist before certification will be granted. The Nebraska Medical Center offers an internship program for child life students to meet the criteria of the Child Life Council. The internship lasts for 14 weeks and involves four rotations focusing on a variety of child life specialties. The internship is offered three times a year, in the spring, summer and fall.