A child life internship is the final step in the process of working toward certification as a child life specialist. The Johns Hopkins Child Life internship program, accredited by the Association of Child Life Professionals, offered twice a year in fall and winter/spring sessions. The program is full-time for 16 weeks, a total of 640 hours.

The internship program consists of two clinical rotations, in which interns spend seven weeks each and work to become an integral member of the multidisciplinary team. The level of responsibility progresses gradually from initially observing to ultimately providing services independently. In addition to the clinical experiences, interns are provided with ample learning opportunities in the form of weekly seminars, readings and assignments all geared toward applying theory to practice, encouraging a reflective approach to child life practice and preparing interns for the child life certification exam.

To Apply

Applicants should apply through the Association of Child Life Professional’s Internship Readiness Common Application process. To learn more about this process, please read the Internship Readiness Common Application Guide. Once all application tasks have been completed, please email materials to [email protected].

Once all applications have been reviewed, selected candidates will be asked to send pre-recorded video responses to specific questions. Of the candidates who have sent in video responses, several will be selected to participate in a live video call interview. All interviews will be conducted via video call, regardless of candidates’ distance to the Baltimore area.

Equity Stipend

In an effort to contribute to creating a more diverse child life profession, representative of the patients and families we serve, we are committed to prioritizing candidates with identities underrepresented in the field of child life. In order to increase accessibility to the profession, we offer our interns a stipend to assist with the costs associated with completing an internship. 

More Information

Please also see the Association of Child Life Professionals website for recent updates and more information regarding certification eligibility requirements.

For additional information regarding the Johns Hopkins Child Life Internship Program, please contact the child life training coordinator, Jennifer Seiler, via email at [email protected].