Running head: AZUSA PACIFIC UNIVERSITY 1

Corinne Baum

Self-Study of Graduate Programs: Azusa Pacific University

Indiana University East

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Azusa Pacific University secured a place in the most prestigious category of U.S. News

& World Reports Americas Best Colleges 2017 rankings, placing at No. 183 in Tier One of the

National Universities category (Help children and families in times of stress with a child life

degree, n.d.). In addition, The Princeton Review named Azusa Pacific University as 1 of 124

institutions in the 2017 Best Colleges in the West, Forbes ranked Azusa Pacific University

among the best schools in the nation for 2017, and G.I. Jobs named Azusa Pacific University a

Military Friendly School for 2017, placing APU among the top 15 percent of schools in the

country helping military students reach their education dreams (Help children and families in

times of stress with a child life degree, n.d.).

For undergraduates, I found that Azusa Pacific offers a 15-unit emphasis option in child

and adolescent psychology. Students in this program complete the emphasis as part of a

bachelor's degree program paired with programs in applied psychology, applied studies,

leadership, management, criminal justice, or health sciences (Azusa Pacific University, n.d.).

Coursework includes crisis counseling, intervention, family systems, child and adolescent

psychology, and conflict management. The program can prepare students for research-based or

clinically-focused graduate programs in the field. The bachelor's degree in psychology program

also offers a child life specialist concentration.

At the graduate level, Azusa Pacific offers a Master of Arts in Psychology with an

emphasis in developmental psychology. This emphasis includes relevant courses in behavioral

assessment, child and adolescent psychology, cognitive development, and family issues.

In 2016, Azusa Pacific was ranked within the top 200 national universities by U.S. News &

World Report (Azusa Pacific University, n.d.).

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Closer to my interests, I found that APU offers an masters program in Child Life. Child

life specialists are allied health care professionals who support children and their families facing

challenging experiences, particularly traumatic medical situations. Azusa Pacific

Universitys masters in child life program prepares men and women for this special role,

utilizing advanced academic preparation and hands-on experiences within a framework of

Christian compassion. The need for child health care professionals is increasing. As of 2022,

everyone seeking credentialing as a child life specialist will be required to have a masters

degree with an emphasis in child life (Help children and families in times of stress with a child

life degree, n.d.).

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References:

Azusa Pacific Univesity. (n.d.). Retrieved December 1, 2017, from https://www.apu.edu/

Help children and families in times of stress with a child life degree. (n.d.). Retrieved December

1, 2017, from https://www.apu.edu/bas/programs/masters-in-child-life/