MA International Psychology

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Program Overview

The MA International Psychology program is designed for adults who are interested in starting to work in the international psychology field or individuals that are already working in the international field and would like to have an additional master’s degree that could potentially make a difference in their ability to participate in global mental health, international organizations and environmental fields. This program will bring a unique perspective of age-old global challenges in order to encourage the promotion of new solutions offering students the ability to apply a continuum of theoretical psychological concepts from Western to non-Western dimensions to further understand global practices and explore behaviors across cultures and diverse groups. Throughout the program students will learn and develop a personal paradigm to understand globalization, the principles of humanitarianism including the universality of human rights, and will be encouraged to develop a fundamental sense of belonging and interconnectedness, with the global community to advocate for social justice, social responsibility and the respect and dignity of all living-organisms and peoples adopting actions shaped by universal ethical principles.

The MA International psychology is a 36 credit hour program, consisting of core courses totaling 27 credits, (including a capstone project and field experience course) and 9 credits of elective courses that will ensure graduates are well prepared to work as international psychologists and respond to the needs of current and future demands in the field. This degree program offers the opportunity to acquire and build knowledge and abilities through the completion of a comprehensive core of courses.

Program Philosophy

The MA International Psychology introduces the philosophy of psychology as a transformational field supporting the development of agents of change who are able to critically reflect about their identities, as cultural beings that promote social justice, and to identify and understand their impact on others. The field of international psychology proposes a new paradigm that facilitates the integration of psychological theory, research and practice that is context and culture specific on an attempt to respond to of current global challenges such as trauma generated by poverty, migration, abuses inter-group conflicts, and matters pertaining to the process of globalization and environment change.

Program Learning Outcomes

Upon successful completion of this program student will be able to:

Professional Practice

• Design and evaluate ethical domestic/international programs and interventions based upon national and global theories, research, and the scientific professional literature to guide the development and evaluation of interventions in global mental health, international, organizational, and environmental fields.
• Develop professional bridges within and across borders to facilitate culturally competent verbal and written communication, scholarship, and shared knowledge.

Diversity

• Effectively evaluate the process of economic and political globalization and its impact in diverse populations, socio-cultural identity construction, systems of power, human rights, provision of assistance to humankind and environmental threats.

Professional Behavior

• Evaluate ethical principles endorsed by the Universal Declaration of Ethical Principles for Psychologists and the American Psychological Association to choose actions that are shaped by universal ethics, respect, and care for the rights of all life.

Scholarship

• Evaluate major Western and Non-Western theories influencing the development of the field of international psychology, life-span development and psychopathologies, supported by empirical findings, including historical and current trends.
• Analyze variations in International, Cross-Cultural and Multicultural research, and master research methodology and techniques of data collection and analysis.

Admission Requirements

For information on where The Chicago School is currently authorized, licensed, registered, exempt or not subject to approval, please visit https://www.thechicagoschool.edu/why-us/state-authorization/

Application to The Chicago School’s MA International Psychology program is open to any person who has earned a bachelor degree from a regionally accredited institution and who meets other entrance requirements. Applicants will be judged on their overall ability to do graduate work. 

Factors and materials to be considered for admission will include: 

• Completed application and $50 application fee.  
• Generally, an undergraduate GPA 3.0 or higher on a 4.0 scale. 
• Official Transcripts  
  • Students must submit official transcripts from all schools where a degree was earned.  
  • It is recommended that transcripts are submitted from all schools where credit was received to enhance their applications. 

Applicants with a cumulative GPA below 3.0 are required to submit additional documentation: 

• Resume/CV indicating work history. 
• Essay answering the following questions: 

• How will the successful completion of this program support your professional career goals? 
  • Please identify and discuss the factors impacting your past academic performance.
  • What strategies would you use to improve upon your past academic performance?

Applicant Notification

The Chicago School reviews applications on a rolling basis. Once review begins, complete applications will be considered by the Admission Committee and applicants will be notified regarding the admission decision. The Chicago Schol does not share information or provide any feedback regarding admission decisions.

If a student is offered admission and in order to secure a place in the incoming class, a non-refundable tuition deposit of $250 will be required by the deposit deadline indicated in the offer of admission. The non-refundable deposit will be applied in full toward the student’s tuition upon enrollment.

Articulation Agreements

The Chicago School has established an agreement between the MA International Psychology and the PhD International Psychology programs to allow qualified students to enroll in doctoral level courses while completing their master’s degree that will count toward the doctoral degree. 

• Early Acceptance into PhD International Psychology      

Degree Completion Requirements

• Successful completion of 36 credit hours
• Successful completion of Capstone Project
• Successful completion an approximately nine-day international field experience.

Policies

The following policies are located under Academic Policies and Procedures : Academic Calendar, Admissions Requirements, Attendance, Satisfactory Academic Progress, Service Learning, and Transfer Credit/Course Waiver. Click the link above for detailed information.

Articulation Agreements

The Chicago School has also established an agreement between the MA International Psychology and the PhD International Psychology programs to allow qualified students to enroll in doctoral level courses while completeing their master’s degree that will then count toward the doctoral degree. Click on the link  for details.

Academic Partnership with the Peace Corps

The Chicago School signed a Memorandum of Agreement with the Peace Corps to offer the Paul D. Coverdell Fellows Program to returned Peace Corps Volunteers applying to The Chicago School’s  MA in International Psychology. For information about the Coverdell Fellows Program, including program eligibility and student benefits, please visit the program webpage: http://www.thechicagoschool.edu/online/peace-corps-fellowship-program/

Earning a Certificate in Crisis-Informed Care for a Diverse, Globalized World

Students may petition for degree conferral of the Certificate in Crisis-Informed Care for A Diverse, Globalized World  upon successful completion of 3 the following courses. For some students completion of certificate requirements may add 3 credit hours to total program credit hours.

All students seeking conferral of the Certificate in Crisis-Informed Care for a Diverse, Globalized World must meet the additional requirements listed below:

• Student meets Financial/Financial Aid Good Standing.
• Student meets Academic Good Standing at the time the requirements for the certificate (or degree) were completed.
• Student’s cumulative GPA for the coursework required for the certificate must meet the graduation requirements of the certificate.
• The petition for Degree Conferral must be submitted within 1 year from the date the final certificate requirement was completed.
• All Student Community Standards (SCS) referrals for behavioral misconduct or issues of professional comportment must be deemed as fully remediated by SCS before the certificate can be conferred.

Ethical Guidelines

Students are expected to engage in all graduate work, including but not limited to course work, field placement and scholarship, with a high degree of integrity and professionalism. It is essential that students approach professional working relationships, collegial relationships, and client/partner-contact with respect. Further, students are expected to adhere to the Universal Declaration of Ethical Principles for Psychologists and the American Psychological Association’s (APA) Ethical Principles of Psychologists and Code of Conduct as well as the “evolving universal code of ethics” (Gauthier, 2005). Students who choose to seek employment in the field of psychology shall not work beyond their level of competence and shall not use titles governed by credentialing statutes and/or regulations unless authorized by the relevant jurisdictional authority. Students who fail to comply with ethical and professional behavior guidelines are subject to department remediation and/or referral to Student Community Standards for disciplinary action and possible dismissal.

Capstone Project and Field Experience

This program culminates in a capstone project and field experience that is a collaborative participatory action project with an identified local community service agency supporting social justice and human rights on an international or global scale. Agencies will specifically address underserved, marginalized and vulnerable populations. Preparation for the capstone project and field experience on-ground work will begin in the following courses: Introduction to International Psychology, Universal Ethics and Professional Development (IN500), International Psychology and Diversity (IN528), and Culture Centered Interventions - Program Design and Evaluations (IN535). The capstone project will require the integration and synthesis of knowledge and abilities gained in previous coursework to develop a culturally sensitive project. Students will develop the project based on the needs expressed by the community agencies or organizations. The participatory action projects will be grounded in an existing theoretical or conceptual framework in the field of international psychology. Supporting literature and recommendations for best practices and evidence-based strategies will be identified in international peer reviewed journals.

Students will participate in an approximately nine-day field experience at an international destination to develop a more complex understanding of the socio-cultural, historical, political and economic practices and structures affecting the dynamics of people, organizations, and environments. The goal is to facilitate the development of interculturally competent skills for interaction, and an understanding of how to engage in respectful and ethical relations with global populations. Students will consider the impact of their own culture on global cultures. They will also analyze cross-cultural theories and research in order to design appropriate interventions. 

The capstone project and field experience form the summative assessment component of this program and they are designed as a culminating experience to satisfy the requirements of the competencies of the MA in International Psychology.