The Adler School of Professional Psychology

Organization and Governance

The Adler School of Professional Psychology is a private, independent, not-for-profit institution of higher education. The School is incorporated in and operates under the provisions of the State of Illinois General Not-For-Profit Corporation Act and is declared a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt organization by the U.S. Department of the Treasury, and is extra-provincially registered under the laws of British Columbia as the Adler School of Professional Psychology.

Rights Reserved

This Catalog and its contents are not to be construed as a binding contract between the Adler School and the student. The Catalog presents the offerings and requirements in effect at the time of publication. The Adler School may amend, without prior notice, the policies or procedures as stated in this catalog, Adler School handbooks and other documents. These changes include, but are not limited to, changes in admission or academic requirements, rules, policies and procedures, tuition, fees, curricula, courses, course content, and graduation requirements. Changes to the Adler School’s policies, procedures, and requirements affect all students who have not yet graduated. Clarification of matters contained in this Catalog or institutional handbooks can be obtained from the directors of the appropriate administrative or academic departments and offices. The School, while always working to communicate changes that affect its learning community, may make such changes as necessary and with or without advance notice. Course offerings and requirements are continually under examination, and revisions are expected.

The Adler School reserves the right to refuse to admit or readmit any applicant. The Adler School reserves the right to dismiss any student at any time who fails to give satisfactory evidence of academic or clinical ability, earnestness of purpose, acceptable student conduct, or active cooperation in all requirements for acceptable program completion.

Library Services

The Harold and Birdie Mosak Library of the Adler School of Professional Psychology is a dynamic partner in mentoring socially responsible practitioners through learning, research, and individual service. The Library collaborates with faculty, clinicians, and researchers to support students in their progress to achieve the Adler School’s institutional learning outcomes.

The Library is staffed by professional librarians, paraprofessional staff members, and student assistants, who help the Adler Community to make the fullest use of academic resources for research and curricular needs. In the service of our mission, we select, organize, present, preserve, and teach the resources that best address the current and anticipated academic needs of our students, faculty, and community affiliates.

The Library is a member of the I-Share integrated library system that serves as the online catalog for 76 member libraries in Illinois. I-Share member libraries agree to share resources, so that the Adler School community has access to a combined collection of over 9 million unique items.

Library services for students and faculty at the Chicago Campus include:

Individual instruction in the selection and use of databases

Interlibrary delivery of books and articles not owned in our collection

Individual research consultation for papers, theses, or dissertations

Subject-specific classroom instruction sessions

Identification of online resources for course enhancement

Provision of links to online resources for faculty syllabus development

A reserves collection of required and recommended class materials

Vancouver Campus students and faculty have access to all electronic resources, including full-text e-book and e-journal content. Interlibrary loan of articles and book chapters is also available. A librarian liaison provides remote individual and classroom instruction to the Adler Vancouver community.

The Library’s print collection comprises approximately 17,000 circulating books, over 100 print journal titles, and more than 500 instructional audiovisual materials. The Library also licenses over 90 research databases in psychology and the related social sciences, as well as full-text electronic content from more than 36,000 unique journal titles, over 17,000 electronic books, and several collections of newspapers. Major electronic resources include: PsycINFO, PsycARTICLES, PsycBOOKS, ProQuest Psychology Journals Collection, ProQuest Theses and Dissertations Full Text, Science Direct, SAGE Journals Online, LexisNexis Academic, Academic Search Premier, Credo Reference, Counseling and Therapy in Video, Mental Measurements Yearbook and Tests in Print, GenderWatch, SocIndex Full Text, Psychiatry E-books Online, and MEDLINE plus Full Text.

Students and faculty at the Chicago Campus have on-site access to electronic resources through public computers in and around the Library and Computer Lab, as well as via wireless nodes throughout the campus. The Library maintains a Web presence on the institution’s site [http://www.adler.edu/page/home/global/library] and an online community within Moodle. Equipment is available in the Library for individual or group audiovisual viewing.

The Library maintains and circulates a supplemental collection of selected psychological testing material for the use of students currently enrolled in training placements. The collection includes current editions of most of the widely used group and individual tests, such as the MMPI, PAI, Rorschach, TAT, WAIS, WIAT, WISC, Woodcock-Johnson, and WRAT.

Active participation in consortial activities facilitates interlibrary loan delivery of materials not held at the Library. The Library is a member of the Center for Research Libraries and of Reaching Across Illinois Library System (RAILS), as well as a governing member of CARLI, the Consortium of Academic and Research Libraries in Illinois. These memberships enable the Libraries to participate in resource sharing and collection development programs on a statewide and a national scale.

The library houses Adlerian psychology materials, as well as theses, dissertations, internal publications, and archives that document the institution’s unique history. This rich collection preserves the collective memory of Alfred Adler’s teachings through a wide variety of materials by and about its central figures.

Center for Learning and Teaching

The Center for Learning and Teaching (CLT) supports and advances the Adler School’s culture of academic excellence. The CLT supports students by providing services that help them take their personal next steps towards scholarly excellence. For faculty, the CLT serves as a place to connect with colleagues, explore new pedagogical approaches, and dialogue on issues in teaching and learning. Here, faculty-student forums facilitate discussion and learning outside the traditional classroom environment. The CLT supports all members of the school’s learning community and challenges them to maximize their personal and professional potential. The CLT is committed to exploring and sharing diverse approaches to learning and professional growth and offers space for private consultation, quiet study, and large group workshops and seminars.

Among the services offered by the Center for Learning and Teaching are personal consultations, workshops, and groups focused on writing and research, presentation skills and poster preparation, stress management and meditation, time management and exam preparation, and statistics and research methods.

Writing Boot Camp

The Center for Learning and Teaching offers Writing Boot Camps for incoming and continuing students. These workshops offer students the opportunity to hone their writing skills, familiarize themselves with on-campus writing resources, and develop strategies for addressing their writing concerns. Students may register and arrange to pay the associated fee by contacting the CLT.

For more information

Appointments are available in person as well as by telephone and videoconference. Individuals wanting more information or wishing to set up an appointment with CLT staff may contact the CLT by email ([e-mail]) or telephone [phone]).

Adler Online

Adler Online provides individuals with another approach to learning through support of a variety of online and hybrid (combined online and face-to-face) programs that build upon abilities and experiences, add knowledge, and develop skills to promote the personal and professional development of our community.

The Adler School offers a selection of online courses and degree programs that are offered with a unique program structure to fit your schedule. As you work to expand your knowledge and skills through our online courses or degree programs, Alder Online can assist you.

The courses at Alder Online are offered through Moodle, an Open Source Course Management System (CMS), also known as a Learning Management System (LMS) or a Virtual Learning Environment (VLE). It is used by educators around the world as a tool for creating online dynamic web sites for their students.

Moodle can be accessed through the Global Login page, or by going to the website directly (http://adler.mrooms.org).

Adler Community Health Services

Adler Community Health Services (ACHS), the clinical services division of the Adler School of Professional Psychology, provides psychological services to underserved populations through its clinical training programs. ACHS has two service divisions: community mental health and juvenile justice.

Clinical Training

Through the community mental health division, ACHS offers the Adler Pre-Doctoral Internship Program in Clinical Psychology which is approved by the American Psychological Association (APA) and is a member of the Association of Psychology Postdoctoral and Internship Centers (APPIC). The internship is a fully affiliated program, reserving seven full-time positions for Adler School students. The Adler internship program participates in the APPIC match process. Additionally, ACHS offers practica (externships) for Adler students in psychotherapy and in diagnostic assessment.

ACHS’s community mental health division has partnerships with a number of community based service agencies. Interns and externs (trainees) offer clinical services at and through community based partnerships. A trainee will be assigned to one or more community site(s) based on his/her interests, training and educational needs, and abilities. In addition to providing direct clinical service, trainees receive individual, group, and peer supervision; may participate in case management and case disposition meetings; and attend didactic workshops and seminars.

Through the juvenile justice division, ACHS offers a Pre-Doctoral internship and diagnostic assessment and advanced practica (externships) through a partnership with the Illinois Youth Center – St. Charles. The Adler Juvenile Justice Internship is a member of the Association of Psychology Postdoctoral and Internship Centers (APPIC).

Community Services

Services provided in the community through community partnerships include individual, group, family, and couples psychotherapy; neuropsychological, personality, and cognitive ability assessment; support groups; parenting groups; consultation; and psycho-educational programs.

The ACHS’s programs and services are designed to assist children, adolescents, adults, couples, families, and groups in dealing with personal issues including marital/family problems, depression, anxiety, stress, school adjustments, family conflict, partner distress, grief/loss, substance abuse, and other emotional/psychological issues. ACHS provides services to underserved and disadvantaged populations. Populations served include currently and formerly incarcerated persons, the homeless, people affected by HIV, and children, families and elders who are struggling with poverty.

ACHS’s psychological services are primarily provided by masters, doctoral, and post-doctoral trainees under the supervision of licensed staff clinical psychologists. Additional supervision may be provided by ACHS consultants or individuals holding supervisory responsibility at community partner locations.

Adler Institutes for Social Change

The Institutes for Social Change (ISC) are an integral element of educational programming at the Adler School. Their purpose is to advance the School vision of a more socially just society through research, outreach, and public awareness programming.

Born out of the belief that the field of psychology can make invaluable contributions to the social good by working in close collaboration with other professions, the Institutes are staffed by professionals in the fields of law, social work, urban planning, and sociology/criminology. Students may work with the Institutes as research or teaching assistants. They may also conduct their Community Service Practica at the Institutes. There are two Institutes for Social Change: The Institute on Social Exclusion; and, the Institute for Public Safety and Social Justice.

Institute on Social Exclusion

A central theme in the work of the Institute on Social Exclusion (ISE) is the idea that structural and systemic features of our society, such as laws, public policies, and institutional behaviors cause unjust social outcomes; and that social justice requires the reconstitution of these structures. To accomplish this goal, the ISE implements a dynamic and progressive research, community outreach, and public awareness agenda.

Recent ISE research activities involve investigations of the mental health implications of a proposed amendment to Chicago’s Vacant Buildings Ordinance that holds banks accountable for maintaining and securing houses and other structures on which they foreclose. Another involves investigations of the mental health implications of a proposed revision to the United States Equal Opportunity Employment Commission’s Policy Guidance on the use of arrest records in employment decisions. All of the research activities undertaken at the ISE target issues that are of concern in low income communities. In addition to the research, students working on these projects use the research results to write and publish papers as well as present at conferences.

Recent community outreach projects include gun violence prevention programming for youth in a Chicago community plagued by high rates of gun violence; and the development of a community-based advocacy agenda around employment legislation. Our outreach efforts involve work with community based organizations, public officials, and advocacy organizations.

Recent public awareness programming includes a presentation by Professor William Bielby, who provided expert testimony to the Supreme Court in the Wal-mart class action law suit claiming systemic racism and sexism in hiring and promotion practices; and a panel discussion on the wide range of “off radar” issues faced by people of color within the LGBT community.

The ISE has two flagship activities in which students may become involved. The Social Exclusion Simulation (SES) is a group experiential learning tool for increasing understanding of complex systems and how the structural barriers that comprise them work to block access to key rights, resources and opportunities for some members of society, rendering them “socially excluded”. The Mental Health Impact Assessment tool is a process for developing “evidence-based” legislation and public policy to help promote the mental health and wellbeing of entire populations of people, especially the most excluded and marginalized. With support from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and the W.K. Kellogg Foundation, ISE-affiliated staff, faculty and students are conducting theoretical and empirical community-based research that helps ensure that legislation and public policy, through a process not employed at any other school of psychology, promote population mental health by narrow mental health disparities and enhancing mental health equity. To learn more about the Institute on Social Exclusion and connect with our work, e-mail [e-mail].

Institute on Public Safety and Social Justice

The purpose of the Adler School’s Institute on Public Safety and Social Justice (IPSSJ) is to highlight the connections between social justice and public safety through research, education, advocacy and community collaboration. We believe the best public safety approaches are those that focus on building stronger communities, with active and engaged citizens. We work with community stakeholders, institutions, and law enforcement to promote innovative justice strategies that improve well-being and empower residents to transform their neighborhoods.

The Institute aims to further the work of Alfred Adler and the discipline of community psychology by addressing safety, which is a primary need for everyone. Building safer, healthier communities is in line with Adler’s vision of what psychology can and should do.

We believe that public safety and social justice are not mutually exclusive constructs. The work of the Institute applies a social justice lens to the discourse about the critical safety and security issues our communities face. We aim to push the conversation forward – toward effective public policy, community participation in public safety endeavors, and equitable law enforcement practices.

IPSSJ's objectives for creating social change include:

Community collaboration that addresses community-identified public safety and social justice issues and technical assistance to address those issues;

Public education and awareness to encourage public dialogue around social justice approaches to public safety and security;

Applied research that informs public safety policies and practices.

Admission Policies and Procedures

Application Process

The Adler School of Professional Psychology takes pride in its diverse student body, representing a wide range of professional interests, ethnic and cultural backgrounds, and academic and work histories. The School admits individuals with a record of outstanding academic achievement and a commitment to social responsibility. Ideal candidates for admission are those who will make a difference in the lives of the individuals, families, and in the communities they plan to serve upon graduation.

All applicants should fulfill the minimum admission requirements for the program they choose and must demonstrate acceptable proficiency in spoken and written English. Applicants nearing completion of a baccalaureate degree may apply for early admission contingent upon successful completion of the undergraduate degree.

Applicants must submit the following:

Adler School Application for Admission;

Application fee ($50.00);

Autobiographic essay/personal statement;

Resume or curriculum vitae;

Official transcripts from all colleges or universities attended;

Three letters of recommendation accompanying the Adler School recommendation form; and

Graduate Record Examination (GRE) – recommended.

Application forms can be completed online or mailed to the Office of Admissions. Students submitting U.S. or Canadian transcripts should have official transcripts sent directly to the Office of Admissions. Other international transcripts must be evaluated by a transcript evaluation service such as World Education Service (www.wes.org) or Educational Credential Evaluators (www.ece.org). Please contact the Office of Admissions for specific transcript translation requirements.

Application Deadlines

Priority Deadlines

The Adler School employs a rolling admissions process. While applications are accepted throughout the year, a February 15th priority deadline is in place for the doctoral program. Programs fill early, and applicants are strongly encouraged to begin the application process at least six to twelve months before their desired term of entry.

Applicants seeking admission to the Psy.D. program should submit all application materials by the priority deadline of February 15th in order for interviews to be scheduled and notification of acceptance to be completed by April 1. Those who are admitted must notify the Office of Admissions and submit the tuition deposit no later than April 15, indicating their intent to matriculate in the subsequent Fall term. Space permitting, applications submitted after the deadline will be accepted subject to the Council of Graduate Departments of Psychology (COGDOP) criteria. These criteria state that acceptance of an offer of admission that is given or left in force after April 15 commits students to not solicit or accept an offer from the Adler School without first obtaining a written release from any institution to which a commitment has already been made. The February 15th deadline does not apply to certificate and Masters level programs.

Program Priority Deadline Term of Entry

Chicago Campus

Psy.D. in Clinical Psychology February 15th Fall entry only

M.A. in Counseling Psychology Rolling Fall entry only

M.A. in Counseling Psychology –

Online/Hybrid Rolling Fall and Spring

M.A. Counseling Psychology Specialization

in Rehabilitation Counseling Rolling Fall entry only

M.A. Counseling Psychology Specialization

in Forensic Psychology Rolling Fall entry only

M.A. Counseling Psychology Specialization

in Sport and Health Psychology Rolling Fall entry only

M.A. Marriage and Family Counseling Rolling Fall entry only

M.A. in Gerontological Counseling Rolling Fall entry only

M.A. in Counseling and Organizational Psychology Rolling Fall entry only

M.A. in Counseling Psychology: Art Therapy Rolling Fall entry only

M.A. in Police Psychology Rolling All

M.A. in Industrial and Organizational Psychology
(online) Rolling Fall and Spring

M.A. in Criminology (online) Rolling All

Specializations/Certificates Rolling All

Vancouver Campus

M.A. in Counselling Psychology Rolling Fall and Spring

M.A. in Organizational Psychology Rolling Fall entry only

M.A. in Community Psychology Rolling Fall entry only

Evaluation of Applicants

Completed applications will be reviewed by the Admissions Committee. Applicants who are approved by the Admissions Committee will then be scheduled for an interview with a member of the Adler School faculty.

Applicants are evaluated on many factors including the following:

Academic performance;

Content and clarity of written and verbal communication;

Strength of recommendations;

Personal and professional presentation throughout the admissions processes;

Community service interest and/or experience;

Professional and/or prior work experience; and

Integrity, motivation, and personal ethics.

Acceptance of Admission

Applicants who are offered admission to an Adler School program have thirty days or until the priority deadline notification for Psy.D. to accept the offer. Those who accept must return a signed statement of acceptance along with a $500 (Psy.D. students) or $300 (M.A. and certificate students) nonrefundable tuition deposit which will be credited toward payment of the first term’s tuition and fees. Applicants for admission may receive a refund of the tuition deposit if a letter requesting cancellation is received within five working days after their statement of acceptance is received by the School; otherwise, admitted applicants who choose not to enroll shall forfeit their deposit.

If a statement of acceptance is not received from applicants within the stated deadline the offer of admission will no longer be valid, and the applicant’s files will be inactivated.