<p>Does anyone know anything about stand alone psychology graduate schools? Example: The Chicago School of Professional Psychology. These are schools that offer masters and doctor degrees in psychology, but "stand alone", i.e., are not connected with a university, in the same way that many medical schools and law schools stand alone. I'm wondering if anyone out there has any knowledge of or experience with any of these institutions in terms of their reputation, etc.</p>
<p>On the whole, professional psych schools are <em>bad</em> ideas: low APPIC/APA internship match rates, generally marginal to poor reputations, and high/extremely high debt levels without high salaries to compensate. While good, succesful psychologists do come out of these schools, such schools are a <em>huge</em> risk, professionally and financially, one probably not worth taking.</p>
<p>I think psych’s reaction may be a bit extreme. Some schools of professional psychology have a fairly good rep. But you must be sure that the program is APA approved before you invest that kind of time and money. So I’d suggest doing some research and asking the schools you are interested in about the issues psych raises (e.g., internship rates). Good luck!</p>
<p>I have to echo what psych said. Even if the training is good, the debt levels can be crippling.</p>
<p>Not sure what places psych and bethievt are familiar with. To build on my earlier comment, let me offer some basic info about the Mass School of Prof Psychology (MSPP), a school in my area. (Please note that I know virtually nothing about their quality, internship opportunities, etc. So again, do your homework!)</p>
<p>This is from MSPP’s website. Note that the tuition, while quite high, is substantially LESS than most of the undergrad institutions we tend to focus on here at CC. So this might not be unreasonable for a doctorate; however, I think it would be totally over-the-top for a MA or CAGS:</p>
<p>Doctor of Psychology (PsyD), Master of Arts (MA), and Certificate in Advanced Graduate Study (CAGS) Tuition: Tuition is charged on a per credit basis. The rate for 2009/2010 has been set at $906 per credit. The semester tuition for a student who takes 16 credit hours each semester is $14,496 ($28,992 per year).</p>
<p>I suppose that I can contribute to this post from a different point of view. I am actually a student at The Chicago School of Professional Psychology in the Business Psychology program. My experience here has been very rewarding and practical. Though all of my professors come from the world of academia, they also are practitioners in the field, which makes them valuable networking resources. </p>
<p>I can also speak to my schools ability to help us secure internships. My department has a full-time internship coordinator (as well as a very active career center) who helps us seek out and apply for internships. I was able to get two really good internships. My first internship was as a project manager intern at a H.R. Solutions, while my second internship (which was introduced to me through networking with one of my professors) was completed at IPATa global company and the author of the 16pf, IPI, and a number of personality and ability assessment batteries. Though I am in the PsyD program and still have a few years before graduation, the masters students who graduated during this last summer commencement are already finding good workeven during this climate of economic instability.</p>
<p>Cadbury makes a good point by saying that accreditation is exceedingly important when you are considering a school of professional psychology. Do some research before applying, as not all schools are equal in their approach to teaching or their reputation within the community. I chose this school over a couple of other universities because of its active approach to teaching and its professional involvement and partnerships within the greater Chicago area. If you are considering a doctoral-level education with the intention of practicing psychology as a consultant, then there are also many benefits the PsyD Vail model (practitioner-scholar). Again, its important to do your research.</p>
<p>BusinessPsychGuru, your post sounds credible enough, but as it is your very first post, we need to get you caught up with the veterans. So, for your next post, please establish your credibility by telling us some things you don’t like about your school.</p>