Child Advocacy and Policy (MA) – ONLINE
Child abuse and neglect continue to be among society’s most pressing and preventable problems. For this reason, child advocates—trained professionals committed to the well-being of children—are in high demand. However, at present, many individuals working in this capacity are self-proclaimed child advocates. That is, they are dedicated to helping improve the life quality of children and families, but do not have specialized training in the complex dynamics of child abuse and neglect. Child advocacy also extends beyond protection to other domains of children’s lives, spanning multiple systems, including social welfare organizations, investigative roles, community based agencies, children and youth justice, etc. To effectively advocate in these areas, it is necessary to be culturally informed and have an understanding of the child serving systems with a multidisciplinary lens.
The Online Master of Arts in Child Advocacy and Policy offers students an applied course of study in child advocacy. It is offered fully online and designed to provide students with an understanding of the role of the child advocate as seen through the disciplines of law, social work and psychology. This unique perspective, encompassing these three areas of learning, equips graduates with the training that will enhance their skills in a variety of settings. The Master’s degree offers advanced coursework focused on family empowerment, forensic interviewing, child abuse and neglect, child welfare policy, applied advocacy, and more. Students are required to complete 11 fully online courses to achieve their MA degree.
Along with the Child Advocacy and Policy (MA) – Online degree, the Child Advocacy Certificate – ONLINE is available for graduate study. Please refer to our
programs of study page for a comprehensive list of all of the graduate programs offered within the university.
*F1/J1 seeking students are not eligible for this program.
In order to gain admission into the program, students must meet the following criteria: bachelor’s degree and a preferred grade point average (GPA) of at least 3.0 in their undergraduate major.
*F1/J1 seeking students are not eligible for this program.
The Office of Graduate Admissions requires the equivalent of a U.S. bachelor’s degree in order to be eligible to apply for a graduate program. Applicants with non-U.S. degrees, please visit the International Applicants page to review the U.S. degree equivalency information.
In order to make applying for graduate school as seamless as possible for you, we have
created an application checklist. This checklist can be a reference point for you during the
application process to ensure that you have a comprehensive understanding of the steps
needed to apply, as well as all corresponding supplemental materials for your specific
program of interest.
- Application Deadline: Rolling Admission
- Submit Online Application: Please create your online account and submit your application by following the general application instructions. Once this step has been completed, the online portal will allow you to upload your supplemental materials.
The following is a list of the supplemental materials that will accompany your application for the Child Advocacy and Policy (MA) – ONLINE program:
- Transcript: One from each college attended.
- Please provide a personal statement of no more than 1,000 words, in which you answer the following questions:
- How will earning a graduate degree in child advocacy and policy help you reach your professional goals?
- In what ways do your academic background and your professional experiences provide evidence of your potential for success in the program you selected and in your eventual career?
- Please give specific examples of relevant coursework and/or professional experience.
- If your undergraduate GPA does not meet the requirements (preferred undergraduate gpa of 3.0 for MA and preferred undergraduate gpa of 2.5 for Certificate), please make sure you address why and how you plan to mitigate it.
- How do you identify regarding positions of privilege and/ or marginalization?
- How have those positions influenced your professional/ social situations?
- Serving children and families requires working with individuals of all cultures, races, ethnicities, and other diverse and varied backgrounds. Please describe your commitment to and engagement with social, racial, and/or economic justice.
- Address what, if any, challenges you have had or foresee to have, balancing work/ life/ coursework. How do you plan to address these challenges, if admitted to the program?
- What has your previous online academic experience been?
- How did you perform in it?
- How do you plan to mitigate potential future challenges in an online program?
- Letters of Recommendation: Two
- Applicants with non-U.S. degrees, please visit the International Applicants page to review the US degree equivalency information.
An 11 course, 33 credit hour master’s program that provides a comprehensive view of the interdisciplinary field of child advocacy and policy and the skills and knowledge needed to succeed as a child advocacy professional. Those students enrolled full time attend class year-round (fall, spring, summer) taking two, 8 week courses per semester. Students take one course at a time. Courses are taken entirely online. Career advising available. For more information, please visit the program listing in the University Catalog.
If you have any general questions regarding the application process and requirements, please email or call us:
Office of Graduate Admissions
Email: graduate@montclair.edu
Telephone: 973-655-5147
Fax: 973-655-7869
If you have specific inquiries, please contact the Child Advocacy and Policy (MA) ONLINE Program Coordinator:
Program Coordinator: Lucy Takagi
Office: Dickson Hall 366
Email: takagil@montclair.edu
*During the summer months, there will be a rotating department chair available to answer your inquiry. Find the updated summer chair for this program.*
