General Catalog - John F. Kennedy University

The Graduate School of Professional Psychology (GSPP) providesaspiring clinicians, educators, and consultants an array of opportunities to develop theknowledge, skills, and understanding needed to help individual, group, and organizationalclients reach their potential. Each of our school’s four academic programs (viz., Doctorof Psychology in Clinical Psychology, MA in Counseling Psychology, MA in Sport Psychology,and MA in Organizational Psychology) provide a solid foundation in the theoreticalbases of psychology, options for specialized study, and an abundance of supervised traineeships.Certificates in the Sport Psychology program (Sport Management and Exercise andSport Performance) and the Organizational Psychology program (Coaching and OrganizationalPsychology) offer additional learning and career preparation options that position ourgraduates to assume positions as consultants in a variety of business, industry, and athleticcommunities. All of our programs are also designed to help graduates solidify their commitmentand confidence to be effective change agents. At GSPP, the academic environment isrigorous, supportive, and exciting.This is an inspiring and challenging time to enter the helping profession. California continuesto undergo major shifts in the diversity of its population and myriad existing challengesand opportunities relative to the environment, community relationships, family structures,education, health care, housing, employment, and engagement in the political process havebecome more complex as a result of this ever-changing demographic profile. Events such as9/11, Hurricanes Katrina and Rita, and the crisis in affordable health care that test our characteras a nation have never been more prominent or felt more in urgent need of solutions.The world is wonderfully complex and alluring with its abundant treasures and resources.At the same time, events such as the international AIDS epidemic, war in the Middle East,cultural and religious persecution, and genocide and global warming remind us that there isa global community that is frighteningly out of control and starved for ways to restore a senseof balance and harmony. The Graduate School of Professional Psychology prepares itsstudents to be able to engage in the discourse about regional, national, and global challengesand to participate with integrity in generating solutions aimed at calming the seeminglyuniversal disarray. We bring the science and practice of psychology to daily living.Graduate Schoolof ProfessionalPsychologyOur Doctor of Psychology in Clinical Psychology program is accredited by the AmericanPsychological Association (APA) and a multicultural emphasis is infused in every aspectof the didactic and experiential training. For clinical training, students have over 100community, mental health, and hospital sites to choose from. The MA in CounselingPsychology program has an important focus on marriage, family, and child counselingleading to MFT licensure. Three community counseling centers serve the multicultural BayArea and are used as captive training/field placement sites for our MA Counseling Psychologystudents. A strong field placement component also defines our MA in Sport Psychologyprogram that can also be linked to the Doctor of Psychology program. The OrganizationalPsychology program boasts an organizational development and consultation skills focus.Innovative and progressive certificate programs in the Organizational Psychology and SportPsychology programs round out the list of offerings for career preparation, career advancement,and personal growth through self-discovery.The Graduate School of Professional Psychology provides students with far more than a solidgrounding in the basics of counseling and consultation. Intrinsic to all of its programs is anappreciation of the concepts of human dignity, integrity, and social advocacy. True educationtakes place within a solid ethical framework, one that is based on equality. The schoolstrives to create this environment in the classroom and encourages students to explore theseissues and incorporate what they learn into their traineeships and, ultimately, their futureprofessional lives.