Child Life Student Internship and Practicum Programs

Duke Children's Hospital

Short Overview

Duke’s Child and Adolescent Life Program accepts university-affiliated undergraduate and master's level candidates for both practicum and ACLP-accredited internship positions. Please refer to the links below for more information on the individual programs and how to apply.

Child Life Internship

We are accepting online internship submissions following the ACLP guidelines and deadlines. If you are interested in applying for the Duke Child Life Internship Program, please review the internship requirements and the ACLP guidelines and complete the Internship Readiness Common Application.

Please note, Duke Children’s only offers a spring and fall internship and requires the following additional requirements for intern candidates:

  1. Successful completion of a Child Life practicum under the supervision of a Certified Child Life Specialist
  2. All coursework on the ACLP Eligibility Assessment must be “completed” and not in progress prior to the application deadline.
  3. Affiliation with an academic institution for the duration of the student placement (internship semester)

Once complete, please email your PDF application to childlifestudents@dm.duke.edu to ensure our Student Coordinators receive it. Simply attach your completed PDF application to the body of an email along with your full name and the semester you are applying to. 

If you have questions regarding the Duke Child Life Internship program, please email childlifestudents@dm.duke.edu.

Child Life Practicum

We are accepting internship applications through an online program. If you are interested in applying for a child life practicum position at Duke Children's Hospital and Health Center, please review the Practicum Application Information and email childlifestudents@dm.duke.edu for the appropriate links and information for submission. Please include “Practicum Application Request” in the subject line, the semester and year you are interested in applying for, your full name, and your email address in the body of the email.

Practicum Offer and Acceptance Dates 2023-2025

Internship Session Application Deadlines Interview Dates Acceptance Dates
Fall (Sept-Dec 2023) March 13, 2023 Early June 2023 June 21, 2023
Winter/Spring (Jan-Apr 2024) October 16, 2023 Early November 2023 November 17, 2023
Fall (Sept-Dec 2024) May 13, 2024 Early June 2024 June 21, 2024
Winter/Spring (Jan-Apr 2025) October 16, 2024 Early November 2024 November 20, 2024

If you have questions regarding the Duke Child Life Internship program, please email childlifestudents@dm.duke.edu.