Child Life Internship

The child life internship program at RUSH Children’s Hospital is accredited through the Association for Child Life Professionals (ACLP) and meets all requirements for certification readiness. Rush Children’s Hospital offers an internship three times a year. The internship experience is outlined below:

• Follow the child life curriculum outlined by the Association for Child Life Professionals (ACLP)
• Full-time (40 hours per week), unpaid positions
• 600 hours (spread over 15 weeks)
• Begin in January, May/June and September each year (based on the ACLP internship schedule)

Requirements to Apply

We are only able to interview applicants who meet the general prerequisites and criteria below:

Education Requirements

• PLEASE NOTE: we DO accept unaffiliated candidates who meet all other ACLP/internship eligibility requirements
• Course work reviewed/accepted according to ACLP Eligibility Assessment and/or participation in an ACLP endorsed academic program

Experience Requirements

• Course work requirements according to ACLP standards
• Completion of a child life practicum (supervised by certified child life specialist)
  • Please note: You do not need to submit any verification form related to this experience. We should be able to garner this information from your Internship Readiness Application
  • We will accept virtual practicums, traditional practicums and practicums in progress.

Apply for a Child Life Internship

Submit an Application

To apply for the child life internship at RUSH Children’s Hospital, we require the following:

• Completed Internship Readiness Common Application
• Two references
  • Include name of reference, relationship, phone number and email address. 
  • One reference must be from a child life specialist and one reference must be someone who can speak to your work with children. 
  • Please note that references will only be contacted in the final phase of our internship process.

When you click the "Submit an Application" button above, you will be directed to a form submission portal that will prompt you to complete a one page form and upload your completed Internship Readiness Application and and two references. These are the only necessary requirements to apply for an internship.

Please do not submit applications or other materials by mail or e-mail.

Application Deadlines

All application materials should be uploaded by the following deadlines below:

For inquiries or clarifications regarding student programs, please contact the internship and practicum committee:

(312) 947-0373
ChildLife_Students@rush.edu