Program Options at The Chicago School
The Chicago School appears in our ranking of the 20 Best Online Schools for Forensic Psychology.
Programs offered at The Chicago School of Professional Psychology are offered at several campuses throughout the United States and online. Applicants may attend classes in the cities of Irvine, Los Angeles, and San Diego in California, as well as Washington D.C., New Orleans in Louisiana, or Chicago. The school also has a campus in Dallas, and most degrees are also available online.
While enrolled, students can choose to attend all classes on campus, all classes online, or enroll in a hybrid or blended format. Not only are classes offered on the weekends in the variable weekend format, but students can even attend some classes online and other classes on campus in a fifty-fifty split. The school also offers some executive education with degrees like a Ph.D. in Organizational Leadership.
Fields of study available include business psychology, applied behavior analysis, forensic psychology, and marriage and family therapy. Prospective students can also enroll in programs in clinical psychology, the behavioral sciences, international psychology, and health services. Further programs are offered in clinical psychopharmacology, educational and school psychology, clinical mental health counseling, nursing, and counselor education and supervision.
When searching for the most appropriate program, students will notice that each location that offers a particular degree has multiple formats available. For example, the Ph.D. in Business Psychology features several tracks and formats. Students can focus on industrial/organizational psychology or consulting, as well as attend full-time, in a blended format, online, on campus, or in an online-residency format.
Different locations offer different formats, as well as licensure options, so it’s important for students to note the location of their program, as well as the available formats for that campus. For example, students may choose the Ph.D. in Applied Behavior Analysis with a credential track in Los Angeles or San Diego, as well as non-credential tracks in those cities via full-time or on-campus study.
Some of the programs offered that are outside the realm of psychology include a Master of Public Health and a Master of Health Services Administration. Students can also enroll in the dual enrollment options that award a Master of Health Services Administration alongside a Master of Public Health.
An additional dual enrollment option is the Master of Arts in Counseling Psychology, along with a Master of Science in Applied Behavior Analysis. These dual enrollment plans are designed for students who already have a bachelor’s degree. High school students must wait until they have earned an undergraduate degree before applying to one of the dual enrollment programs at The Chicago School.
About The Chicago School
The full name of The Chicago School is The Chicago School of Professional Psychology, and the institution is a private college in the City of Chicago. Around 5,600 students attend classes at campuses in Chicago and around the United States. A group of local educators and psychologists established the school in the late 1970s with the goal of providing professional psychology training.
The school was created and initially funded by a nonprofit organization called the Midwestern Psychology Development Foundation. The first classes were held at a temporary campus in Chicago before the school was moved to a more permanent location in a building on Michigan Avenue. The school would eventually adopt a new home in Downtown Chicago on Wells Street.
The Chicago School Accreditation Details
The Western Association of Schools & Colleges Senior College and University Commission is the regional accreditation organization for The Chicago School, as well as schools throughout the Midwest. The school was first accredited in 2011, and students can learn more about the accreditation status and process by reading the college’s Statement of Accreditation Status.
In advance of the reaccreditation process, the college will write an Institutional Report and undergo an Offsite Review. Other accreditations have also been earned by the university. The Illinois State Board of Education has accredited the School Psychology Ed.S. program, and the American Psychological Association has accredited the doctoral program in clinical psychology that is delivered on the Chicago campus.
The Chicago School Application Requirements
The Chicago School describes its application process as holistic and that it reviews all applications in a transparent and fair manner. Students will be individually examined for how well-prepared they are for graduate study and work in a professional setting. The school will also examine traditional admissions factors like standardized test scores, essays, and the student’s GPA.
Students can apply to The Chicago School at any time of the year and may begin classes during several starts. Students can also apply to take classes on campus or online. Students who aren’t yet sure which program or route they should take at The Chicago School can attend regularly held information sessions and open houses held throughout the year.
Tuition and Financial Aid
The Chicago School charges tuition by the credit hour for different programs and different delivery options. Students in the MPH and MHSA programs will pay $789 per credit for on-campus study and the same rate for online study. Students will pay $1,492 per credit for on-campus or online study in the Psy.D., Ph.D., and Ed.D. programs. The Ed.S. program is $1,238 per credit.
For students who want to enroll in certificate programs, the rate for study at any campus or online is $1,198 per credit. The rate for the Bachelor of Arts program is $458 for on-campus or online study. Students in the RN-BSN program can only attend classes online, and the rate is $293 per credit. There is also the option to audit classes, and students may do so on campus or online at a 50 percent tuition rate.
Students may qualify for several scholarships and grant programs when they attend The Chicago School, which can dramatically reduce the overall cost of attendance. Scholarships include the Dean’s Scholarship, President’s Scholarship, and the Global Impact Scholarship. Students can also apply to the Ricardo Grunsten Scholarship Fund or the Theodore Weber Scholarship Fund.
Enrollees can also apply for traditional student loans to help cover the cost of tuition at The Chicago School. One of the options available to graduates who have some student loan debt from their degree program at The Chicago School is the Public Service Loan Forgiveness Program, which may help some individuals eliminate their student loan debt by entering public service jobs.
