East Carolina University

Transfer Guide

East Carolina University
Child Life, BS

Transfer Guide for Associate in Arts

2024-2025

Delivery Method: On-Campus

Program Admission Notes:

To apply to ECU as a transfer student:

  • Complete, or have in progress, a minimum of 24 transferable college-level courses
  • Have a minimum 2.0 cumulative GPA for all college-level coursework attempted

Acceptance into the Child Life major is on a competitive, space-available basis with admission each year prior to fall semester. 

To be considered, an application packet must be submitted to the Child Life program coordinator after the student has 

  • completed a minimum of 45 semester hours including:
    • HDFS 2000, HDFS 2001, HDFS 2021, HDFS 3002, HDFS 3150, and NUTR 1000
  • a minimum GPA of 3.0

The application packet must be submitted no later than the last Friday in March each academic year. It should include: 

  • a completed application
  • a typed one-page (double-spaced) statement of purpose regarding why you would like to be admitted to ECU's Child Life program
  • 2 to 3 letters of recommendation from faculty outside the Child Life program
  • CV or resume
  • transcript of undergraduate work 
  • 2 to 3 selected examples of writing assignments 
  • documentation of a minimum of 50 volunteer hours and/or practicum hours working with children in a health care or special needs setting

Contact:

Health & Human Performance Advising
hhpadvising@ecu.edu

Revised: February, 2025

College Level Foreign Language Requirements:

There is no foreign language requirement for this major. 

Major-Specific Course Recommendations:

Students are encouraged to build the North Carolina Community College (NCCC) course recommendations below into the associate degree to best prepare for the intended university and major.

Recommended NCCC Course Credit
Hours		 University Equivalent Associate Degree
Requirement Fulfilled		 University Requirement Fulfilled
ENG 111: Writing and Inquiry 3 ENGL 1100: Foundations of College Writing English Composition Required Course
ENG 112: Writing/Research in the Disc 3 ENGL 2201: Writing About the Disciplines English Composition Required Course
COM 231: Public Speaking 3 COMM 2410: Public Speaking UGETC Humanities/Fine Arts Required Course
PHI 240: Introduction to Ethics 3 PHIL 1175: Introduction to Ethics UGETC Humanities/Fine Arts Required Course
PSY 150: General Psychology 3 PSYC 1000: Introductory Psychology UGETC Social/Behavioral Sciences Required Course
SOC 210: Introduction to Sociology 3 SOCI 2110: Introduction to Sociology UGETC Social/Behavioral Sciences Required Course
MAT 143: Quantitative Literacy 3 MATH 1050: Explorations in Mathematics UGETC Math Required Course
BIO 110: Principles of Biology
OR
BIO 111: General Biology I 		4 University Equivalencies UGETC Natural Sciences Required Course
BIO 163: Basic Anat & Physiology 5 BIOL 2130: Survey Hum Physiol and Anatomy & BIOL 2131: Surv Hum Physiol Anatomy Lab Elective/Pre-Major Courses Required Course
HEA 110: Personal Health/Wellness 3 HLTH 1000: Health in Modern Society & KINE 1000: Lifetime Phys Act and Fit Lab Elective/Pre-Major Courses Required Course
EDU 145: Child Development II 3 HDFS 2001: Child Dev II: Mid Ch to Yng Ad Elective/Pre-Major Courses Required Course
EDU 144: Child Development I 3 HDFS 2000: Child Dev I: PrenatalEarly Chi Elective/Pre-Major Courses Required Course

Remaining Associate Degree Requirements:

In addition to major-specific course recommendations above, students should work with a community college advisor to select additional community college courses to fulfill the remaining associate degree requirements identified below.

Recommended NCCC Course Credit
Hours		 University Equivalent Associate Degree
Requirement Fulfilled		 University Requirement Fulfilled
Student Choice/No Preference (Approved Course Options) 3 University Equivalencies UGETC Humanities/Fine Arts General Education
Student Choice/No Preference (Approved Course Options) 3 University Equivalencies UGETC Social/Behavioral Sciences General Education
Student Choice/No Preference (Approved Course Options) 13 University Equivalencies Additional General Education Courses General Education
ACA 122: College Transfer Success 1 COAD 1XXX: College Transfer Success Academic Transition Elective

Additional Information From East Carolina University:

General Education waiver information, for students completing an AA, AS, AATP, or ASTP, can be found on our Transfer Hub.

ECU does not have a transfer credit limit.

  • A minimum of 25 percent of the credit hours required for the degree and at least 50 percent of the total hours required in the major must be completed through enrollment in East Carolina University.

New updates of ECU's Undergraduate Catalog are published in July each year. For the most up to date information, visit https://registrar.ecu.edu.

For more transfer information, visit ECU’s Transfer Hub, https://transfer.ecu.edu.

Note: Completion of a BS degree with a major in child life does not include certification as a certified child life specialist (CCLS). The Child Life Certification Commission, a subsidiary of the Association of Child Life Professionals oversees the administration of the certification examination. The Department of Human Development and Family Science will verify completion of degree requirements, but meeting other requirements for certification is the responsibility of each candidate.

Remaining Bachelor’s Degree Requirements at University:

University Course Credit
Hours		 University Course Notes
ANTH 1050: Global Understanding 3
HDFS 1103: Indiv, Family, & Romantic Rela 3
HDFS 2021: Introduction to Child Life 2
HDFS 3002: Fam Sys & Par Across Life Cycl 3
HDFS 3022: Death, Dying, and Bereavement 3
HDFS 3150: Intro Early Child Intervention 3
HDFS 3321: Infant and Toddler Curriculum 3
HDFS 3413: The Hospitalized Child 3

WI
HDFS 3600: Play in the Lives of Children 3
HDFS 4000: Intro Child & Family Research 3
HDFS 4201: Assessment for Intervention 3
HDFS 4210: Child Life Practicum 3
HDFS 4303: Families & Cultural Diversity 3
HDFS 4415: Child Life Internship 12

Students must have a minimum 3.0 GPA to enroll in the child life internship (HDFS 4415) and earn a minimum grade of B (3.0) in the internship to graduate as a child life major. Internships are competitive, require formal application to the desired hospital or health care setting and typically need to be arranged one semester before enrollment. Students are responsible for interviewing and securing their own internship.
HDFS 4993: Early Childhood Practicum 3
HIMA 3000: Med Term for Hlth Prof 3
MUSC 4277: Music for Group Activities 2
MUSC 4287: Music Group Activ Practicum 1
NUTR 1000: Contemporary Nutrition 3
PSYC 3310: Introduction to Neuroscience 3
SOCW 4505: Commty Srvcs for Children 3
Choose 9 hours: 9
  • ANTH 1050 - Global Understanding
  • ANTH 3252 - Medical Anthropology or SOCI 3327 - Medical Sociology
  • ART 3850 - Art in the Elementary School
  • ASLS 2020 - Sign Language Studies I
  • CSDI 2100 - Introduction to Communication Disorders
  • HLTH 2125 - Responding to Emergencies with Basic Life Support
  • HLTH 2126 - Responding to Emergencies with Basic Life Support Laboratory
  • IRHE 2000 - Introduction to Rural Health Care Teams
  • LIBS 3200 - The Art of Storytelling
  • MUSC 3048 - Music for Exceptional Children
  • MUSC 3058 - Music for the Preschool Child
  • RCTX 2200 - Principles and Practices in Stress Management