Academics

Child Advocacy and Policy MA (Online)

MA • Master's

Adult sitting across from child

Deliver hope where it’s needed most. Montclair State University’s Online Master of Arts in Child Advocacy and Policy gives you the skills to step into advanced advocacy roles with confidence and competence. Designed to be completed fully online to fit your schedule and goals, this 33-credit program blends psychology, social work, and law to teach you how systems affect vulnerable children and families and how you can make them better.

The online master’s degree offers advanced coursework focused on family empowerment, forensic interviewing, child abuse and neglect, child welfare policy, applied advocacy, and more. When you graduate, you’ll bring not just compassion but concrete skills to your chosen field, and will be ready to lead change wherever you go: child welfare agencies, juvenile justice systems, nonprofits, advocacy groups and beyond.

This is a two year, year-round program. Courses are offered three terms per year (fall, spring and summer). There are two 7-week sessions per term and one course per session, meaning students take two courses per academic term excluding the last term.

NOTE: Students who start with the online Graduate Certificate in Child Advocacy and Policy can carry credits directly into the MA if a 3.0 GPA is maintained.

The advantage of a master’s in Child Advocacy and Policy

Trained professionals committed to the well-being of children are in high demand. However, many individuals working in this capacity do not have specialized training in the complex dynamics of child abuse and neglect and in the legal demands affecting children and families. 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.

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Online Master’s Provides Flexible Path

An asynchronous, online course schedule provides you with the convenience and flexibility you need to earn your degree and still balance life’s priorities.

Asynchronous Online

Our asynchronous program is designed for working professionals, offering fully online coursework with no set meeting times, flexible schedules and affordable tuition. Courses are delivered in 7-week terms, offered three times a year and blend theory with practical application. You’ll engage with faculty and peers at your convenience while enjoying full access to support services, including a success mentor, online library and writing resources, tech support and career advising.

Schedule of Courses

  • CHAD 501 Introduction to Applied Child Advocacy
  • CHAD 502 Child Abuse & Neglect
  • CHAD 503 Current Social Issues in Child Advocacy
  • CHAD 504 Children and Justice
  • CHAD 505 Forensic Interviewing of Children
  • CHAD 510 Culturally Responsive Practice in Child Advocacy
  • CHAD 521 Substance Use and Families in Crisis
  • CHAD 522 Family Empowerment Models for Child Advocates
  • CHAD 540 Child Welfare Policy
  • CHAD 602 Child Advocacy Policy and Practice
  • CHAD 603 Research and Evaluation

Explore Child Advocacy Careers

  • Child welfare agencies
  • Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA)
  • Office of the Law Guardian (Investigators)
  • Education Advocacy Groups
  • Victim – Witness offices/ agencies
  • Disability advocacy groups
  • Domestic violence programs
  • Youth mentoring and development programs
  • Supervised visitation programs
  • Nonprofit and service organizations
  • Division of the Children’ System of Care (Care Management Organizations, Mobile Response and Stabilization Units)
  • Division of Prevention and Community

Recent graduates from the Child Advocacy program are employed across industries at organizations including:

  • SCO Family of Services
  • NYC Department of Education
  • Department of Children Protection and Permanency (DCPP)
  • Division of Youth & Family Services
  • New Jersey Department of Children and Families
  • State of New Jersey

Admissions Requirements

  • Equivalent of a U.S. bachelor’s degree.
  • Applicants with non-U.S. degrees: Please visit the international applicants page to review U.S. degree equivalency information.
  • Preferred grade point average (GPA) of at least 3.0 in undergraduate major.
  • *F1/J1 seeking students are not eligible for this program.

Application Checklist

  • Application Deadline: Rolling admission.
  • Online Application: Submit application and $60 non-refundable fee (or waiver if applicable).
  • Transcript: One from each college attended.
  • Letters of Recommendation: Two
  • Personal statement: 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 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?

Featured Faculty

Student Voices: Montclair Online

“Montclair Online has a ton of resources available in case there is a question or concern, and the flexibility online provides is unbeatable!”

Jada B.

Program: Child Advocacy and Policy, MA


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