Bachelor of Science Maternal Child Health: Human Lactation

There are three pathways through the International Board of Lactation Consultant Examiners (IBLCE) by which individuals can become IBCLCs. Each pathway requires 14 health science pre-requisite courses, 90- hours of didactic lactation education, and a certain number of clinical hours.  We are a CAAHEP accredited Pathway 2 academic program.

Yes, our CAAHEP accredited Pathway 2 academic lactation program provides all of the requirements to sit for the IBCLC exam.

Yes, we have quite a few students who come to us already holding the IBCLC credential. Within the Maternal Child Health: Human Lactation (MCHL) major there are three concentrations: General MCHL, Health Disparities and Childbirth, and Pathway 2 Lactation.  If student already has an IBCLC, he/she would enter as a general MCHL concentration student or a Health Disparities and Childbirth concentration student.

No, there is no travel needed in our program.  The internship is remote and student-identified, so you can choose a preceptor and location that is convenient to you.  We have a Clinical Coordinator who works directly with students to help them secure internship sites and all of the necessary agreements with the facility.

• The 300-hour internship is split between two courses (150 hours per course). Within each course there is a set of competencies that students must complete along with the hourly requirement.
• Internships can take place in hospitals, public health clinics, federal Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) clinics, obstetrics offices, pediatric offices, or private lactation practice.
• Students must have a preceptor who is an International Board Certified Lactation Consultant (IBCLC) at their internship site in order to oversee and facilitate that on-sight learning. We encourage students to use the S. Lactation Consultant (USLCA) website and the International Lactation Consultant Association (ILCA) website to search for IBCLCs in their area upon admission into the program.   Internship courses occur in the students’ third or fourth semester, but it never hurts to get things lined up early.
• The internship itself requires a completed Internship Application, background check, proof of health insurance, proof of professional liability insurance, and a completed Affiliation Agreement between UI&U and the internship facility. An Internship Packet, detailing all of this information, is available to all current students.
• The internship approval process can take upwards of 6-8 weeks or longer.

Many of our graduates have taken traditional career paths beyond graduation while others have taken nontraditional paths.  Many of our graduates go on to work in a clinical setting such as a hospital, obstetric office, or pediatric office.  Others have chosen to work in the public health setting for federal programs such as the USDA Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) Program.  Still others have gone on to open their own private lactation practice or nonprofit organization.