MA in Clinical Psychology, Child Studies Specialization
Help children lead healthy lives from a young age.
Children are inherently malleable, conforming to their surroundings and shaping perceptions without the deep consideration adults are capable of. Our approach to understanding and healing children and teens is to focus on the whole child and children’s multiple ecologies: family, peers, school, spirituality, neighborhood, and community. The Child Studies Specialization prepares you for the California MFT while also providing specialized insight into state-of-the-art assessment, diagnosis, and effective interventions with young children, school-age children, and adolescents.
This degree is offered by Antioch University's Los Angeles Campus.
Program Overview
We established the Child Studies Specialization in 1999 as the first dedicated master's level program of its kind in Los Angeles. From the first cohort of 12, the Child Studies Specialization has grown to serve approximately 50 students annually, all of whom are preparing for the California MFT (Marriage and Family Therapy) and LPCC (Licensed Professional Clinical Counselor).
In addition to the now-traditional approaches to interventions with children and teens (play therapy and family therapy), the Child Studies Specialization emphasizes both scientific and humanistic perspectives and supports evidence-based practice within a flexible, integrative, multimodal, multicultural, and multisystemic approach.
Licensure Information
This program is designed to lead to state licensure.
President's Merit Scholarship
The President’s Merit Scholarships are awarded to new students seeking a master’s degree. Awards are determined by prior academic performance (minimum 3.40 GPA) and work/life experience. Awards of $6000 are distributed equally over the first two academic years of a student’s program. You must remain enrolled full-time, and your academic progress will be reviewed each term. You must complete each course in which you are registered in order to continue receiving the scholarship.
Additional Information
Specialization Courses (17 credits)
Courses in the Child Studies Specialization at AULA are integrated with the Master of Arts in Clinical Psychology program, and are part of our Comprehensive Professional Development Approach. Each required course provides you with a set of skills necessary to work effectively with children and adolescents in a wide variety of post-degree settings. In addition, you will complete your required clinical training hours at a site designated as appropriate for child studies, so that a minimum of 50% of the clinical training hours are spent directly with children and adolescents, either individually or in the context of family therapy.
- Developmental Psychopathology I: Diagnosis
- Developmental Psychopathology II: Intervention
- Brain and Behavior: The Child
- Cross-Cultural Infant Observation
- Child Advocacy and Social Policy
- CS Electives (3 credits)
The Child Studies Specialization prepares you to work in a wide variety of settings, including private practice, community mental health centers, hospitals, schools, and social agencies devoted to advocacy. The specialized coursework includes work in developmental psychopathology, cross-cultural infant observation, child advocacy and social policy, and developmental neuroscience.
In addition, you will have elective courses and workshops available that cover a broad array of clinical skills and concerns. These include art therapy and play therapy, foster care and adoption, attachment issues, psychodrama, parenting, cultural diversity, eating disorders, sexual development, trauma assessment and intervention, and evidence-based practice.
Faculty Spotlights
Jeshana Avent-Johnson, PsyD
Adjunct Faculty
Roger Nolan, PsyD
Adjunct Faculty
Manny Kemphues
Adjunct Faculty
Victor Cohen
Adjunct Faculty
Admissions
How to Apply
- Complete an online application.
- Submit the Application Fee $50. Note: The application fee is waived for anyone attending an information session. Interested in attending? Sign up now!
- Submit an official transcript indicating Bachelor’s degree conferral from a regionally accredited college or university to AULA Admissions.
- Complete and submit the admissions essay. The admissions essay must be typed in 12 pt. font and double-spaced, with your name typed on the top of each page. The admissions reviewer(s) is interested in your capacity for self-reflection and your ability to think critically, as well as your writing ability. Some people may be asked to take steps to improve their writing skills when they enter the program so that they are writing at the graduate level. (Min. 800 words, Max. 1500 words)
- The applicant should choose to respond to one of the following essay prompts in support of the application. 1.) How have your life experiences to this point prepared you for graduate study in psychology? (Please be specific) OR 2.) What does the term social justice mean to you? What is a personal bias you would be willing to address during your participation in the MAP Program?
- OPTIONAL: Applicants can submit one professional letter of recommendation. The letter must come from a faculty member (present/former teacher), employer, or mental health professional. Letters from peer co-workers, friends, relatives, or personal therapists are not acceptable and will not be reviewed. The letter should address the applicant’s potential for success in graduate study in psychology. Please attach the written recommendation to the form when submitting the recommendation. The letter of recommendation must be submitted in either Word or pdf format and we strongly encourage that the letter of recommendation be one page in length.
- After we receive your application materials, we will contact you to make an appointment for a group interview. This interview is an opportunity for you to present your goals and qualifications and to ask questions about Antioch University’s program.
Please submit all materials to: Admissions Office, 5150 W. Goldleaf Circle, Suite 101 Los Angeles, CA 90056 or [email protected]. All application materials submitted become part of an applicant’s file and cannot be returned.
Application Deadline
| Quarter | Priority Deadline* | Application Deadline*** |
|---|---|---|
| Summer | February 1 | May 1 |
| Fall | May 1 | August 1 |
| Winter | August 1 | November 1 |
| Spring | November 1 | February 1 |
| *International application deadline is priority deadline | ||
| Please review the Academic Calendar for additional details. | ||
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Cost
Clinical Psychology (MA) & Psychological Studies (MA)
| Cost per credit | $ 956 |
|---|---|
| View the Cost of Attendance Components | |
Please note: Additional fees for all AULA programs may include (but are not necessarily limited to) charges for materials, late registration, enrollment maintenance, parking, graduation, transcripts, tuition payment plan, late payments, late registration, and returned checks.
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Financial Aid
A majority of AULA students finance their education through some form of financial aid. You may not be sure which federal, state, public and private aid packages – such as loans, scholarships, and grants—are right for you. Our staff is here to help you, so you can focus on what’s most important: beginning your academic program at AULA.
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