The Master of Arts in Child Advocacy and Policy provides students an applied understanding of the role of a child advocate as seen through an interdisciplinary lens. Through the disciplines of psychology, social work, and law, the curriculum equips graduates with advanced knowledge and skills to promote the well-being of children and their families. The master’s degree offers advanced coursework with a particular focus on policy and practice issues relevant to vulnerable children and families including family empowerment, forensic interviewing, child abuse, families in crisis, child welfare and advocacy policy. Our graduates go on to pursue careers as helping professionals who work with, and on behalf of, children in a range of contexts and settings.
The program provides graduates:
- A comprehensive perspective of the field of child advocacy by emphasizing the interdisciplinary components of child protection.
- The ability to navigate the intricacies of the public child welfare system.
- Competencies in the methods and applications needed to develop as a professional in the field of child advocacy.
MA in Child Advocacy – Online Program This is a two year, year-round program. Courses are offered three terms per year (fall, spring and summer). There are two sessions per term and one course per session meaning students take two courses per academic term excluding the last term. Each course is eight weeks. ** In spring 2025, the University is transitioning to 7 week online courses.
View required Child Advocacy and Policy courses (11 courses, 33 credits)
Students from all 50 states are eligible to apply to our online programs. As a SARA state approved institution, Montclair State University offers distance education programs to students in the 47 SARA member states and is not subject to approval or exempt in the non-SARA states of California and Massachusetts. For more information, please visit NC-SARA.
The Application portal is currently accepting applications for FALL 2025
Submit:
- Fee (waived)
- Online Application
- Essay
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 (or graduate certificate) 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 minimum undergraduate gpa of 3.0), 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?
- Official transcripts (BA/ BS)
- 2 References
If you would like more information or to speak with an advisor contact us:
Email us: chad@montclair.edu
Phone: 973-655-6971
Sample career opportunities:
- 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