SAYBROOK GRADUATE SCHOOL

Graduate Programs in Psychology, Human Science, and Organizational Systems
San Francisco, California

Founded in 1971, Saybrook Graduate School and Research Center has been a leader in distance learning for graduate education. Saybrook's Master of Arts (M.A.) and Doctorate in Philosophy (Ph.D.) degrees in psychology, organizational systems, and human science are accredited by the Western Association of Schools and Colleges (WASC). Saybrook was founded on the humanistic belief and emphasizes the study of and inquiry into the human experience. Programs are designed as a transformational process where students increase their knowledge and their capacity to make a difference. Saybrook believes that graduate education should prepare scholars and practitioners to take effective leadership roles in fostering the higher levels of individual and organizational awareness that are needed to realize the immense possibilities of the modern day. Students benefit from a teaching model whose premise is that students should have choices in what to study and how they want to learn.

Distance Learning Program

For more than thirty-five years, students have earned M.A. and Ph.D. degrees through Saybrook's distance learning model. This interactive learning environment blends unique and individualized one-on-one faculty mentoring, online academic courses, and residential conferences with intensive seminars and workshops with faculty members and students. With the School's one-on-one faculty mentoring format, students have the opportunity to develop their own curricula aligned with their personal and professional interests. Students who want to pursue a Ph.D. have the opportunity to transfer all credits from their master's degree, if the master's degree was earned at Saybrook.

Delivery Media

In Saybrook's virtual classroom, students who are enrolled in an online course begin and end the course together as a group. Saybrook requires students to use technology to perform research, send assignments, communicate regularly with faculty members, and connect with fellow students and administrators during their course-work. Consistent with the unique distance learning process, students are able to use many different learning methods: Web-based classrooms, e-mail, bulletin boards, residential conferences, faculty mentoring, and others to interact with faculty members and students.

Programs of Study

Students can earn M.A. and Ph.D. degrees in human science, organizational systems, and psychology. Each program emphasizes the study of and inquiry into understanding people in their entirety. Courses center on humanistic philosophical, scientific, social, and political contexts as well as practical, real world implications.

Students are eligible to take classes in any program Saybrook offers, although students have the option to focus their study by selecting a concentration from the following areas: consciousness and spirituality, humanistic and transpersonal psychology, integrative health studies, organizational systems, and social transformation.

The human science program explores the human experience in historical, contextual, cross-cultural, political, and spiritual terms. In particular, it addresses the ways in which self-reflection, art, music, poetry, drama, language, and imagery reveal the human state. Human science puts the person back into science and reopens the discussion between science, art, and philosophy. Students enter the human science program with an interest in how a person's outlook and perspective inform the theory and practice in their field.

The organizational systems (OS) program studies how to better understand organizations as systems, the ability to assess the need for change, and ways to implement productive changes for organizational and social systems. Students learn the theoretical and intervention skills necessary to bring about effective change. The OS program offers four optional focus areas: human systems inquiry and social systems design, leadership in the systems design of education, organization develoment and transformation, and sustain-ability and organizational systems. Note: Students earning a master's or doctoral degree in OS may not choose another concentration.

The psychology program is designed for a growing core of individuals with cutting-edge clinical interests and practices that embrace both individuals and culture. The program is designed for students planning for or engaged in careers in health, teaching, clinical work, community development, consultation, mediation and conflict resolution work, human resources, and counseling and guidance. Saybrook offers the coursework necessary to take the licensing exam for both the marriage and family therapy license and the psychologist license in most states. Please note that states' requirements could vary greatly and licensing grounds constantly shift, so students are encouraged to take the responsibility to checkher or his state's licensing requirements.

Student Services

Saybrook's intent is to be responsive to student and institutional needs. As a distance learning graduate school, most administrative business can be conducted online. Students can find information at http://www.saybrook.edu/student_resources/ and students can e-mail or phone the appropriate department at any time.

Faculty

Students have the opportunity to work with an internationally recognized faculty of scholars and practitioners, all of which hold a doctoral degree in their field. In addition to teaching, faculty members have extensive experience as researchers, practitioners, consultants, authors, business people, and organizational leaders. They are committed to Saybrook's ideals and values and strongly support students' personal and scholarly growth.

Admission

All applicants seeking admission into a master's program must hold a bachelor's degree from a regionally accredited institution. The minimum expected grade point average (GPA) requirement is 3.0 from the last degree-granting institution; however, exceptions may be made with the approval of the Vice President of Academic Affairs.

Doctoral degree applicants must have an appropriate master's degree from a regionally accredited institution. Candidates wishing to pursue the doctoral degree but who lack a master's degree should apply to one of Saybrook's M.A. programs and, upon graduation from the master's program, apply for the Ph.D. program and transfer a maximum of 31 Saybrook credits toward Saybrook's Ph.D. degree.

Tuition and Fees

The annual tuition for the 2006–07 academic year is $16,800. The annual marriage and family therapy (MFT) tuition for the 2006-07 academic year is $15,800. Also required are fees of approximately $800 each for twice-a-year Residential Conferences (RCs). The fee covers the cost of registration, meals, conference materials, and meeting space, but does not include travel and lodging costs.

Financial Aid

U.S. citizens or eligible permanent residents may borrow up to $18,500 per year through the Federal Stafford Student Loan Program. Saybrook offers limited tuition assistance to qualified students.

Applying

It is strongly recommended that applications are completed at least three months before the proposed enrollment date. Priority is given to applications received by June 30 for a September enrollment. Applications received by December 15 have priority for March enrollment. Applications are reviewed on a case-by-case basis until the Residential Orientation for each term. The financial aid process should be initiated at least three months prior to the proposed enrollment date to guarantee timely disbursement of tuition funds.

An online admission fee of $50 is required for first- and second-degree candidates. An application fee is required every time an application is submitted for review.

CONTACT

Saybrook Graduate School and Research Center
747 Front Street, 3rd Floor
San Francisco, California 94111-1920
Phone: 415-433-9200
800-825-4480 (toll-free)
Fax: 415-433-9271
E-mail: [email protected]
Web site: http://www.saybrook.edu