Chicago School
of Professional Psychology
Chicago, Illinois
Overview
Integrating theory, professional practice, and innovation, The Chicago School of Professional Psychology provides an excellent education for careers in psychology and related behavioral and health sciences. The School is committed to service and embraces the diverse communities of society. The School educates professionals whose practices exemplify a commitment to understand and respect individual and cultural differences. The curriculum and training opportunities prepare students to deliver outstanding professional services, emphasizing the need to understand diversity and the importance of working with underserved populations.
Some 680 students are currently enrolled in the School. The students are ethnically and culturally diverse and come from a wide variety of educational and occupational backgrounds. The School attracts students from across the country and from around the world.
Clinical and forensic graduates are leaders and practitioners in a wide range of settings, including community mental health centers, social service and governmental agencies, inpatient/outpatient units, group/individual practices, state/federal forensic facilities, school-based programs, academic departments, and research hospitals. I/O students intern and work in areas such as human resource management and consulting, either externally or within a company.
The Location and Community
The Chicago School has three campuses in the greater Chicago area. The main campus, offering all programs, is centrally located in the River North neighborhood of downtown Chicago. Two suburban Illinois campuses, located in northern Lake County in Lincolnshire and western DuPage County in Lombard, offer the M.A. programs only.
Programs of Study and Degree Requirements
The Chicago School of Professional Psychology offers an excellent American Psychological Association (APA)-accredited doctoral program (Psy.D.) in clinical psychology, with an M.A. degree awarded at the end of the second year. A clinical dissertation is completed during the program. Certain areas of special interest may be pursued through concentration tracks, which include health, forensic, child/adolescent, multicultural/community, mental health administration, organizational consultation, and creative/expressive arts. The Psy.D. program bases its training on the practitioner-scholar model of education, integrating the core competencies endorsed by the National Council for Schools and Programs of Professional Psychology (NCSPP) for professional psychologists. The incorporation of issues of individual/cultural difference is a required component of all learning activities, and the program has been nationally recognized for its training in culturally competent service provision.
The Psy.D. in business psychology integrates industrial and organizational (I/O) psychology and business and individual intervention, emphasizing the skills and knowledge needed to assume professional responsibilities in human resource, consulting, organization-development, and management positions. Courses provide students with the scientific and theoretical principles of psychology and the application of these principles to the variety of work settings in which I/O psychologists are employed. Internship training ensures that students are able to transfer classroom knowledge to the "real world" of work. The Master of Arts degree in industrial and organizational psychology is based on intensive course work in I/O psychology, applied knowledge, and two internships that round out the course work.
The Master of Arts degree in forensic psychology is a six-semester program that can be completed in two years of full-time study, including summers. The program emphasizes the contributions of culture and socioeconomic concerns related to assessment and intervention in the field of forensic psychology, the principles and skills needed for evaluation and treatment of offenders, psychotic personality and risk assessment, research methodologies that critically evaluate research as it relates to forensic psychology, trauma and crisis intervention in forensic settings, mental health, and law and ethical and professional guidelines pertaining to forensic psychology.
The Master of Arts in Clinical Psychology requires two years and 48 credit hours. Students develop the diagnostic, therapeutic, and consultative skills to work with a variety of emotional, intellectual, and psychological conditions. Graduates of the counseling specialization work in varied settings, including hospitals, community mental health services, family counseling, group homes, and private practice. Students are prepared for professional counselor licensure at the master's level, or they may apply to doctoral programs. Graduates of the applied behavioral analysis specialization are eligible for board certification by the Behavior Analysis Certification Board and typically work with developmental disabilities, autism, behavioral difficulties, and mental illness.
Facilities & Resources
The School maintains an on-site library with a wide range of books and journals in psychology and related fields. Library holdings include approximately 10,000 volumes, subscriptions to more than 235 core psychology journals, and access to more than fifty electronic databases, including PsycInfo, PsyArticles, MEDLINE, and several online library networks that allow students to borrow from worldwide libraries, which hold more than 35 million items. Library consortia and reciprocal networking agreements, coupled with the library's Interlibrary Loan and Document Locator services, provide access to the collections of major public, private, and academic libraries worldwide. The library also offers Internet access and maintains its own Research Reference Links Web page to psychology-related databases and Internet Web sites throughout the world.
Expenses and Aid
The tuition for the Psy.D. program for the 2004-05 academic year was $695 per semester hour. Other fees amounted to about $225 per semester. Books cost approximately $1000 per year. The tuition for the M.A. programs in I/O, clinical, and forensic psychology was $590 per semester hour for the 2003-04 academic year. Books and fees were approximately $1000 per year.
Financial Aid:
The School participates in the federal student aid programs, including Federal Stafford Student Loans, the Federal Work-Study Program, and community service employment programs. In addition, The Chicago School offers a variety of institutional scholarships, assistantships, and fellowships to eligible students. For additional information on these and other available programs, students should visit the Web site at http://www.csopp.edu or e-mail the Financial Aid Office at finaid@csopp.edu.
Housing/Living Expenses:
All Chicago School students live off campus since there is no campus housing. Single students can expect living expenses to be $1200 a month. Living expenses may vary considerably according to standard of living, housing, and transportation.
How to Apply / Application
Application to The Chicago School is open to any person who has earned a bachelor's degree from an accredited institution. Admission requirements differ by program; students should contact the Office of Admission or visit the School's Web site at http://www.csopp.edu/pages/admissionApply.html for details on their program of interest.
Application deadlines for fall (September) enrollment are January 15 for early consideration, March 1 for regular consideration, and June 15 for space-available consideration. The deadline for spring (January) enrollment is November 7 for regular consideration. Applicants are notified of admission on a rolling basis.
International Applicants
The Chicago School's international student body is comprised of individuals from countries such as Israel, Scotland, India, Canada, and Japan. Some students studied in the United States as undergraduates, while for others, The Chicago School is their first U.S. educational experience. Whether you have studied in the U.S. before or are considering such study for the first time, there are many things you should know about being an international graduate student. More information...
Who to Contact
Director of Admission
Chicago School of Professional Psychology
325 North Wells Street
Chicago, Illinois 60610
312-329-6666
800-721-8072
Faculty
• Michael A. Barr, Assistant Professor and Director of the Center for Sustainable Solutions; Ph.D. (I/O), IIT, 2001. Areas of academic and research interest: organizational assessment, performance management.
• John C. Benitez, Associate Professor; Ph.D. (clinical psychology), Northwestern, 1982. Areas of clinical and research interest: multicultural approaches to psychotherapy, supervision, forensic issues, spirituality and psychotherapy.
• Marie Ciavarella, Assistant Professor and Assistant Director of Placement and Training; Psy.D (clinical psychology), Illinois School of Professional Psychology, 1997. Areas of clinical and research interest: organizational psychology, psychiatric rehabilitation and severe mental illness, consultation, disaster relief.
• Gladys Croom, Assistant Professor, Coordinator of Multicultural/Community Concentration, and Director, Center for Intercultural Psychology; Psy.D. (clinical psychology), Illinois School of Professional Psychology, 1993. Areas of clinical and research interest: multicultural training; health psychology; gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgendered persons; gender issues; African-American families; effects of privilege, power, trauma, and retraumatization on stigmatized group members; assessment; feminist approaches to psychology.
• Nancy Davis, Assistant Professor; Ph.D., Fielding Institute. Areas of academic and research interest: research and studies in organization development on individual, group, or organizational level; emotional intelligence, leadership, culture, competencies, conflict, and transformational change.
• Kelly Ducheny, Associate Professor and Psy.D. Program Director; Psy.D. (clinical psychology), Wright State, 1993. Areas of clinical and research interest: cultural competence and multicultural psychology; gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgendered issues; assessment; professional development; gender roles and race in Disney animation; qualitative research; cognitive-behavioral, existential, and feminist psychotherapies.
• Patricia Eggleston, Associate Professor; Ph.D., Professional School of Psychological Studies (San Diego), 1984. Areas of clinical and research interest: child and adolescent therapy, ADHD diagnosis and treatment, therapy with severely traumatized children, sand tray therapy with children and adults.
• Michelle Hoy-Watkins, Assistant Professor; Psy.D, California School of Professional Psychology, 1998. Areas of clinical and research interest: forensic psychology, criminal competencies, criminal responsibilities, fitness-for-duty evaluations, law enforcement pre-employment screening; clinical psychology, psychological assessment, child therapy, individual and group.
• Jordan Jacobowitz, Associate Professor; Ph.D., Hebrew (Jerusalem), 1984. Areas of clinical and research interest: personality assessment and psychodiagnostics, individual psychodynamic psychotherapy, life span development, clinical psychology education.
• Ken Kessler, Associate Professor; Ph.D., University of Health Sciences (Chicago), 1995. Areas of academic and research interest: forensic psychology; family court issues; disability related matters, ethics and professional practice, neurospychology/learning disabilities, police evaluations; wilderness experiences and effects on self-concept.
• Paul C. Larson, Associate Professor and Coordinator of Health Psychology Concentration; Ph.D., Utah, 1977; J.D., DePaul, 1993; ABPP. Areas of clinical and research interest: history and philosophy of professional psychology, narrative and humanistic approaches, issues of gender and sexual orientation, general systems theory.
• Clare S. Lawlor, Associate Professor and Coordinator of Child/Adolescent Concentration; Psy.D. (clinical psychology), Illinois School of Professional Psychology, 1990. Areas of clinical and research interest: child, adolescent, and family therapy; paradigms in psychology; women's issues; life span psychology; development issues.
• Chris Leonhard, Associate Professor; Ph.D., Nevada, Reno, 1994. Areas of clinical and research interest: behavior therapy with a variety of adult populations, including persons with mental retardation, severe mental illness, mood and anxiety disorders, and substance addiction; Native Americans; inner-city substance-using homeless persons; intercultural communication between Japanese and European-Americans.
• Perry C. Meyers, Associate Professor and Director, Forensic Psychology; Ph.D., IIT, 1971. Areas of clinical and research interest: juvenile justice, adult criminal forensics, child protection, child custody assessment, psychodynamic psychotherapy.
• Michele Nealon-Woods, Assistant Professor; Psy.D., Chicago School of Professional Psychology, 2001. Areas of clinical and research interest: child and adolescence, family therapy, behavioral and cognitive behavioral treatment.
• Nancy Newton, Associate Professor; Ph.D., Wayne State, 1981. Areas of clinical and research interest: life span, psychology and psychogeriatrics, women's issues, mediation, psychotherapy, executive coaching.
• Richard Niolon, Associate Professor; Ph.D., St. Louis, 1997. Areas of clinical and research interest: couples therapy (straight, gay, lesbian; married or unmarried); divorce/remarriage/Gottman Theory/Technique; Bowenian Theory/Technique; step parenting/step families; marital satisfaction.
• Robin Oatis, Assistant Professor and Associate Director of Placement and Training; Ph.D., Howard, 2001. Areas of clinical and research interest: women's issues, substance abuse, biracial/multicultural identity concerns.
• Thomas Pourchot, Associate Professor; Ed.D., Northern Illinois. Areas of clinical and research interests: life span developmental psychology, adulthood development and adult learning, research and statistics, couples therapy, the interface of spirituality and psychology.
• Deane Rabe, Associate Professor and Director of Training and Placement; Psy.D. (clinical psychology), Illinois School of Professional Psychology, 1995. Areas of clinical and research interest: clinical training, forensic evaluation, psychological testing, analytic therapies, corporate consulting, sex therapy, integration of spirituality and psychology.
• Kerri Rönne, Associate Professor and Coordinator of Expressive and Creative Arts Concentration; Ph.D. (psychology), Iowa, 1992. Areas of clinical and research interest: adult neuropsychological assessment; personality assessment; assessment of cultural and ethnic minorities; PTSD and coping in police officers, firefighters, and EMTs; creativity and creative expression; visual arts and creative writing; female- (goddess-) based religions.
• Michael Smith, Associate Professor and Associate Program Director for Psy.D.; Ph.D., IIT, 1991. Areas of clinical and research interest: cross-cultural psychology, child/adolescent; health psychology.
• Wendy Schiffman, Assistant Professor; Psy.D., Illinois School of Professional Psychology, 1999. Areas of clinical and research interest: juvenile delinquency and criminal forensic evaluation.
• Christina Studebaker, Associate Professor and Director of Research for Forensic Psychology Program; Ph.D., Northwestern, 1996. Areas of research interest: legal/juror decision making, pretrial publicity.
• Jennifer Thompson, Assistant Professor and Director, Industrial and Organizational Psychology; Ph.D., IIT, 2004. Areas of academic and research interest: legal issues, affirmative action, stereotypes; program evaluations.
• Gary Walls, Associate Professor; Ph.D., Miami (Ohio), 1987. Areas of clinical and research interest: contemporary relational psychoanalysis; transference and countertransference; history of ideas; philosophy of science; hermeneutics; issues of class, gender, race, politics, and culture in the teaching and practice of psychology.
• Grant White, Associate Professor; Psy.D. (clinical psychology), Chicago School of Professional Psychology, 1993. Areas of clinical and research interest: substance use disorders, crisis interventions, assessment, interviewing.