The Chicago School of Professional Psychology has brought its singular focus on preparing extraordinary psychology practitioners to the East Coast. Building on the success of campuses in Chicago, Los Angeles, and Orange County, Calif., we will begin offering our practitioner-focused doctoral and master’s degree programs in the heart of Washington, D.C., in August 2010. Few cities or metropolitan areas are better matches for our long-held commitment to diversity and our steadfast determination to work within multicultural communities, with a particular commitment to addressing the needs of underserved populations.
Our long-planned expansion became official June 23, when the Higher Learning Commission of the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools (HLC) notified us that it had extended our accreditation to include our newest campus. Previously, we had received a license to operate by the Education Licensure Commission of Washington, D.C.
Located at the center of the political and governmental action, our newest campus provides students easy access to the historical and cultural riches that our capital city has to offer. Students will find themselves close to national monuments and museums, eclectic dining and shopping, and a plethora of organizations and agencies that can provide unparalleled real-world experiences for the psychology-professional-in-training. Like those enrolled at longer-established Chicago School campuses in other cities, Washington Campus students will learn from distinguished faculty members whose teaching credentials reach far beyond research and theory. All are active practitioners and leaders in their fields of expertise, bringing a wealth of first-hand understanding, perspective, and insight to the classroom. Integrally engaged in the community around them, faculty will immerse students in dynamic learning communities that include an unsurpassed level of hands-on skill building.
The Washington Metropolitan area is served by a robust public transit system, which facilitates travel within the area as well as to and from neighboring areas such as Baltimore and the suburban areas of Maryland, Virginia, and Delaware.
Psy.D. in Clinical Psychology
Our Clinical Psychology doctorate program in Washington will be based on a practitioner/scholar model of training, which focuses on providing students with a broad knowledge of scientific and theoretical clinical psychology principles they can apply to a variety of clinical disorders in the diverse populations they will encounter in their professional practices. D.C. Doctoral students will choose from concentrations in Child and Adolescent Psychology, Forensic Psychology, International/Multicultural Psychology, and General Clinical Psychology.
M.A. in Counseling Psychology
Students enrolled in our Counseling Psychology program will gain the knowledge and develop the skills they need to become outstanding mental health counselors. Graduates will be prepared for work in a variety of settings including hospitals, substance abuse programs, private practices, and other fields. They may help individuals and families overcome mental health challenges and emotional issues that prevent them from living life to the fullest. While they may work with a wide range of clinical populations, including those with severe or chronic mental illness, more typical cases involve clients who are strolling with common problems such as depression, anxiety, grief, relationship issues or personal crises.
M.A. in Forensic Psychology
Students in the Forensic Psychology program will learn to apply the art and science of psychology within the legal system and related fields. Graduates may work with individuals residing in correctional institutions, psychiatric facilities, or community-based agencies, or they may work with the court system, the federal criminal justice and security systems or victimized or traumatized populations.
