With more than 3,000 students in Chicago, Southern California, and Online, The Chicago School is the nation’s oldest and largest graduate school dedicated exclusively to psychology and related behavioral sciences. Since our founding in 1979, we have become known as innovators in the field, always exploring psychology’s potential to meet the ever-changing needs of our society and our world. We have become known for focusing not strictly on research or traditional clinical practice, but on preparing students to be true agents of change, equipped to make a lasting impact on individual lives, in business settings, in diverse and underserved communities, and around the globe.
Our approach—known as The Chicago Model of Education—builds upon, yet powerfully differentiates itself from, two earlier training models created to prepare psychologists:
The Boulder (Scientist-Practitioner) Model (1949):
Developed in response to post-World War II treatment needs, this model established the legitimacy of psychology as a recognized science. Its emphasis is on classic, quantitative research as the foundation for – and beneficiary of – scientific practice and the primary means to explain psychological phenomena, validate treatment outcomes, and develop theory and assessment instruments.
The Vail (Practitioner-Scholar) Model (1973):
This model gave birth to the doctor of psychology (Psy.D.) degree and its emphasis on training clinical practitioners to effectively provide traditional psychological services to the benefit of individuals, families, and groups. While research remains a critical piece of this educational approach, it is differentiated by a broadened range of investigative approaches and a greater emphasis on application in real-world settings.
The Chicago (Engaged-Professional) Model:
In response to increasingly diverse and complex societal needs, The Chicago Model incorporates a commitment to community engagement and social change at the systems-level. No longer limited to research or traditional clinical practice, “engaged professionals” are neither the scientist-practitioners nor practitioner-scholars who came before; they are multi-culturally and professionally proficient individuals who are integral parts of their communities, approach practice and scholarship from the broader view of innovators, transformers, and problem solvers, and use their disciplines to make positive and lasting impact on the world.
The Chicago School of Professional Psychology prepares students to be compassionate, innovative, proactive agents of change through:
