Master of Science (M.S.) Major in Human Development and Family Sciences (Child Life Specialist Concentration Thesis Option) | Texas State University

Skills & Competencies

Skills developed through this program

Auto-populatedfrom O*NET via SOC 21-1021.00

Skills

Active ListeningSpeakingCritical ThinkingSocial PerceptivenessReading ComprehensionService OrientationJudgment and Decision MakingComplex Problem Solving

Knowledge

Customer and Personal ServiceTherapy and CounselingPsychologyEnglish LanguageAdministrative

Abilities

Oral ExpressionOral ComprehensionProblem SensitivityWritten ComprehensionWritten ExpressionSpeech ClarityDeductive ReasoningInductive ReasoningSpeech RecognitionInformation Ordering

Tasks

Maintain case history records and prepare reports.
Interview clients individually, in families, or in groups, assessing their situations, capabilities,
Serve as liaisons between students, homes, schools, family services, child guidance clinics, courts,

Technology

Computer based training softwareData base user interface and query softwareSpreadsheet softwareOffice suite softwareElectronic mail software

Tools

Computer laser printersDesktop computersLaptop computersLaser facsimile machinesMulti-line telephone systemsPersonal computersPhotocopying equipment

Work Values

RelationshipsAchievementIndependenceWorking ConditionsSupportRecognition

Career Pathways

Occupations this program prepares you for

Auto-populatedfrom O*NET + BLS

Occupations matched to this program, with median wage, top wage, growth, and openings
SOC	Occupation	Method	Wage	Growth	Openings
Match confidence: medium21-1021.00	Child, Family, and School Social Workers	title_inference	$58,570 median$94,030 top	+3.35%	1,340

Program Pathways

Credentials this program stacks toward

No program pathways.

What You'll Learn

Key competencies developed through this program

Auto-populatedfrom NSX Competency Framework

Mastery: advanced (Level 4)(based on Master's Degree)

Agency case record standards — establish and enforce documentation policies and quality-assurance protocols that ensure legal compliance and clinical integrity across the entire organization.
Assessment framework development — design evidence-based intake and needs-assessment tools adopted agency-wide to improve the consistency and accuracy of client evaluations.
Interagency partnership leadership — build and sustain formal collaboration agreements between child welfare agencies, judicial systems, schools, and healthcare networks to address community-level service gaps.
Service delivery systems design — lead organizational planning to create, evaluate, and continuously improve service delivery models that achieve measurable outcomes for children and families.
Policy and legal advocacy — represent the organization in legislative, regulatory, and judicial arenas, shaping child welfare and family law policy through expert testimony and stakeholder engagement.
Staff mentorship and clinical supervision — provide advanced clinical supervision, professional development, and performance coaching to emerging and developing social workers across program units.
Organizational consultation strategy — direct school district and community partnerships, guiding systemic responses to truancy, behavioral health crises, and educational inequity at a population level.
Interdisciplinary diagnostic protocols — lead the design of interdisciplinary referral and diagnostic processes — integrating medical, psychiatric, and social findings — to drive comprehensive client care.
Workforce competency frameworks — develop and implement training curricula and competency standards that elevate ethical practice, cultural responsiveness, and critical decision-making across the social work team.
Organizational technology strategy — oversee the selection, implementation, and optimization of case management database, medical software, and presentation platforms to enhance service delivery and reporting capabilities.

Course Pathway

19 courses in this program

119 courses