Desired Educational Outcomes

Regardless of the level of the degree program or the focus on either clinical or organizational psychology, twelve outcomes are fundamental to the school:

1. An understanding of the full range of normal developmental processes of humans and how these influence behavior and functioning across the life span.
2. The capacity to influence community life through multiple roles and functions, including those of teacher, learner, scholar, researcher, leader and advocate.
3. An understanding of both traditional and nontraditional research methods that illuminate the human condition and the ability to comprehend and appreciate literature coming from many different disciplinary perspectives.
4. An ability to work with other leaders and professionals from different disciplinary backgrounds and an appreciation of the methods and scope of other disciplines.
5. An understanding of the ethical issues in leadership and psychological practice and of the principles of effective and ethical performance in a professional role.
6. An ability to relate psychological knowledge to the social and cultural context of those individuals and organizations that are being served. An attitude of ongoing and critical self-evaluation, including the ability to know when and where to get consultation, coaching, and other forms of assistance.
7. An attitude of ongoing and critical self-evaluation, including the ability to know when and where to get consultation, coaching, and other forms of assistance.
8. A broad familiarity with the disciplinary foundations of human knowledge: biological, social, cognitive, and affective, and the capacity to appreciate, integrate and apply psychological knowledge in a wide variety of social and cultural settings.
9. Understanding of the critical/reflective process, based on personal experience, and an understanding of the relationship between scholarship, research and application.
10. Dialogical skills, including the skills of hermeneutic and phenomenological inquiry.
11. An understanding of an array of intervention models and the strengths and limitations of each, as well as an integration of other models and empirical information into a personal model that provides a basis for informed practice.
12. Flexibility, tolerance of ambiguity, and commitment to ongoing professional development and learning.

The Mission of the Professional School of Psychology is the guiding principle of which all constituencies of the school share and participate in order to create an effective educational environment. As an institution of higher education, we are committed to providing high quality education to mature adults in order that they may fully participate in multiple roles in their community. Furthermore, we are committed to maintaining the cost of masters and doctoral education as affordable in order that students do not suffer additional burdens of financial hardship. Ultimately, we perceive ourselves as members of interconnected local, regional, national and international communities.

While the Professional School of Psychology is small, with a student body of approximately 120, it is our intent to provide a high quality education that meets the needs of a diverse population of learners.