Lactation support is a fundamental health care responsibility. It serves as a high value care option, steeped in cultural heritage, and impacting our community’s health. Now you can start your path to be a member of this passionate profession by joining the ASU Academy of Lactation Programs.
This non-credit lactation program is ideal for anyone working with childbearing women and their families, or those aspiring to become an International Board Certified Lactation Consultant (IBCLC). Students receive accessible and inclusive health science and lactation education through research-based, ethically grounded teaching
The clinical internship provides in-person training for IBLCE Pathway 3 candidates. Our faculty act as primary mentors as interns receive a variety of clinical experience including hospital (labor & delivery, postpartum, nursery, and neonatal ICU).
Program graduates are armed with tools and techniques to support breastfeeding, while being adaptable to multiple health care roles including nurses, healthcare providers, clinic specialists, childcare providers, public health professionals, and policy makers.
Health Science Prerequisites
Health science courses are required to take the IBLCE exam. ALP offers these courses as non-credit courses in alignment with the IBLCE requirements.
This 95-hour course is a bundle of three courses: Fundamentals of Lactation, Advanced Lactation, and Communication and Counseling for the Lactation Consultant. Self-study, self-paced.12 month course access. Perfect for those aspiring to become International Board Certified Lactation Consultants and those eager to add breastfeeding to their professional practice.
Start: Anytime
Duration: 95 hours
100% Online
$995 + textbooks
530+ hour clinical training meeting the requirements for International Board of Lactation Consultants Examiner (IBLCE) Pathway 3. Clinical environments include hospital, out-patient clinics, and our own ASU Breastfeeding Clinic. Successful completion of this internship/course meets the IBLCE supervised clinical internship requirement for clinical hours. It is overseen by experienced lactation consultants and educators. There are 3 phases to the internship: Observation of IBCLC Mentor and Skills lab, Transition to Clinical Practice, and Supervised Independent Practice.
Cohort start dates are January, May, and August Duration: 530+ hours (up to 18 months) On site $2,500 + fees
Gain a fundamental understanding of the maternal and infant anatomy and physiology as it relates to breastfeeding. This course fulfills 45 of the 95 hours requirement of lactation-specific education eligibility criteria.
Start: Anytime Duration: 45 hours 100% Online $550 + textbooks
Those who have previously completed Fundamentals of Human Lactation or an equivalent. This course fulfills 45 hours of the 95 hour requirement of lactation specific education eligibility criteria.
Start: Anytime Duration: 45 hours 100% Online $550 + textbooks
Course content includes non-verbal and verbal communication skills, online communication considerations, therapeutic communication techniques, and elements of counseling techniques.
Start: Anytime Duration: 5 hours 100% Online $75 + textbooks
Angela Lober, PhD, RNC-MNN, IBCLC
Dr. Angela Lober is a breastfeeding advocate, academic, and writer. She has been an IBCLC since 2005, providing evidence-based care to breastfeeding families in her community. In addition to being a Clinical Associate Professor in the Edson College of Nursing and Health Innovation, she is the director of the Academy of Lactation Programs. She is involved in multiple professional and community organizations supporting breastfeeding families, including an associate editor for the journal Clinical Lactation and on the editorial board for the Journal of Human Lactation. Angela focused her PhD on the breastfeeding complexities of late preterm infants. She is dedicated to work for a better world for families. Angela is also committed to education and mentorship as a means of uplifting and uniting the lactation profession.
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Michelle Martinez, RN, BSN Michelle Martinez has over 17 years of experience in the nursing field. She has an extensive clinical background in complex long-term acute care and in the Woman Infant Services Department. She has served as a clinical manager and house-supervisor in hospital settings. She was responsible for facilitating and overseeing nursing care and multidisciplinary collaboration to ensure safe, compassionate care that is evidence-based practice. Michelle obtained her Bachelor of Science in Nursing at Arizona State University and is excited to return and be a part of Edson College of Nursing and Health Innovations. Throughout her nursing career, Michelle has strived to achieve quality performance in delivering exceptional nursing care. She has worked in a variety of roles which will assist her in supporting others in their journey to continue their education and nurture their growth. She is passionate about advancement of nurses and their nursing practice. |
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Sara Deharty, RN, BSN, IBCLC Sarah has been a nurse for 12 years, the majority of those years working in postpartum and nursery. Her passion for breastfeeding really sparked after she became a mother, which led to becoming a lactation consultant. She loves helping families throughout their breastfeeding journey and having the honor to teach students, healthcare workers, and family members. |
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Monique Guerrero, MS Monique Guerrero is the departments Senior Program Manager, and her work includes collaborating with faculty, instructional designers, and external partners in creating non-credit education courses for the Edson College of Nursing and Health Innovations Learning Enterprise. Monique attended Arizona State University for her undergraduate studies, and obtained her Master’s degree in Organizational Leadership with an emphasis in project management through Northern Arizona University. Her role as a Senior Program Manager has allowed her to assist in the ongoing success of Edson’s Clinical Lactation program, the development and launch of the Human Trafficking in Healthcare program, and participate on other various program teams to provide leadership and program management insight to meet timelines and deliverables. Monique has a passion for higher education learning and providing opportunities to lifelong learners seeking to better their understanding on topics and achieving personal growth. |
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Eliza Kent Eliza Kent is an undergraduate student at the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences as an English (Creative Writing) major. She creates promotional content for the Academy of Lactation Programs, and also works for the Sun Devil Fitness Center at Polytechnic, focusing on marketing, photography and videography. After college, she plans to get her MFA in Creative Writing and publish poetry books and novels in various genres like thriller and horror. |
| Carol Thomas Osborne, RN, IBCLC Bio and photo coming soon! |
Continuing health education is provided through the ASU Office of Interprofessional Continuing Health Education which is accredited by JAICE (Joint Accreditation for Interprofessional Continuing Education). Nursing Continuing Professional Development – NCPD - 95 credit hours can be taken separately and commensurate credit hours will be awarded.
In support of improving patient care, Arizona State University is jointly accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME), the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education (ACPE), and the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC) to provide continuing education for the healthcare team.
This program is approved by the Lactation Education Accreditation and Approval Review Committee (LEAARC) and qualifies as the lactation specific education required for the qualifying exam of the International Board of Certified Lactation Consultant Examiners (IBLCE).
Questions about the lactation program? Please contact alp@asu.edu.
