Antioch University Los Angeles

AU Los Angeles

Welcome to Antioch University Los Angeles!

I want to personally thank you for your consideration and interest in joining our learning community at Antioch University Los Angeles (AULA). These are unusual times, of course, yet you may find this is also an opportune time to embark on a new academic journey, to advance your educational and professional goals and to prepare yourself for a brighter future.

Please know that the AULA faculty and staff are committed to supporting you on that new direction. Our focus is on supporting your success and helping you finish your chosen program. I am proud of the adaptability our institution has demonstrated and to the deep commitment of our staff and faculty to support students in challenging times.

AULA has rightly earned its reputation as an exceptional university, offering a learning environment as intellectually stimulating as it is academically rigorous. We are exceptional in a variety of other important ways.

For starters, our adult learners range in age from their mid-20s to over 70 years. They bring with them a wealth of lived experience-personal, academic, and professional-that add immeasurable value to campus discourse and to each other’s learning.

We also are an exception to many higher education institutions that hold learning as a domain apart from the world, in which theory and practice are separate rather than integrated for greater  impact. At Antioch, social justice and community engagement are integral parts of our mission to prepare students to become active agents of change in the world.

Our academic programs are also an exception to the cookie cutter, one-size-fits-all approach that can diminish student excitement and constrain their learning.

Our unique Bachelor’s degree completion programs cater to returning students who wish to complete their degree. We offer a BA in Liberal Studies with concentrations in Business and Management, Child Studies, Creative Writing, Liberal Studies, Psychology, Addiction Studies, Queer Studies, and Urban Studies. We also offer four Bachelor’s degrees in Applied Studies that allow students to leverage their technical, occupational and professional training skills and apply these on-the-job skills toward academic credit in recognition of the value of the students’ vocational education and skills.

Our low-residency Master of Fine Arts in Creative Writing program has won accolades from publications including The Atlantic and Poets and Writers magazine, and offers unrivaled mentorship support. Our Teacher Credentialing programs and Master of Arts in Education programs provide training for those who wish to bring about positive educational reform. Our Master of Arts in Urban Sustainability is training the next generation of urban problem-solvers. Our largest program, the Master of Arts in Clinical Psychology, continues to add groundbreaking specializations, which currently include Psychological Trauma Studies, LGBT-Affirmative Psychology, Addiction and Recovery, Child Studies, Applied Community Psychology, Spiritual and Depth Psychology, and Professional Clinical Counselor. We also offer a Master of Arts in Psychological Studies which can be completed in one year and is perfect for students who want to learn and apply skills in psychological research and gain hands-on experience that they can use to further their career in psychology.

And we take “exception” to the idea that higher education is only for the lucky few. AULA’s Bridge Program has been providing college courses in the humanities to low-income adults, free of charge, since 1999.

I invite you to browse through our website to see firsthand what makes AULA such an exceptional place to learn.

Sincerely,
Mark Hower, PhD
Provost/CEO
Antioch University Los Angeles
mhower@antioch.edu

 

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Antioch University Los Angeles (AULA) is a place where individual spirit thrives and collective community grows.

Beginning with just twelve students in 1972, Antioch University Los Angeles now educates more than 1000 adult students each year. With more than 8,000 distinguished alumni, AULA has been honored to serve the diverse communities of the greater Los Angeles area for over forty years.

Our core values of social justice, service to community, and lifelong learning comprise the heart of our BA degree completion program and master’s degree programs in education and teacher credentialing, nonprofit management, psychology, urban sustainability, and creative writing. Partnerships with community organizations provide our students with unique experiential learning opportunities.

The first AULA campus catalog proclaimed, “We offer a student the opportunity to structure learning experiences out of the abundant resources available within the college walls and in the community outside the college; to accredit that learning as well as recognize the validity of past learning experiences that took place outside the academic structure and which are relevant to degree goals; and to integrate these past and present learnings into a coherent degree program.”

The AULA of today offers a unique, unconventional graduate and undergraduate education that is centered on the values of social justice, community engagement and life-long learning. In addition to classroom learning, students supplement their education experience with a variety of experiential learning options, including internships, independent study, prior learning and off-site seminars.

Antioch University Los Angeles Purpose Statement

Antioch University Los Angeles provides rigorous progressive education to prepare students for the complexities of today’s diverse societies. Combining dynamic scholarship and creative endeavor with experiential learning and reflective practice, AULA fosters personal and collective agency, global citizenship, and socially conscious leadership.

Governance

Antioch University strives to be a democratically-minded and participatory institution of higher education. Antioch University’s governance structure is based on several fundamental assumptions:

• Antioch University strives to be a unique national educational resource committed to progressive, innovative, and quality education for adult students
• The governance structure contributes to achieving Antioch University’s mission, priorities and objectives
• The governance structure clearly articulates and provides for each program’s curriculum to be developed and implemented by the faculty to achieve Antioch University’s educational mission
• The governance structure provides for appropriate and meaningful involvement of student, faculty, staff, and administration in decision-making processes and facilitates communication, promotes cooperation, and encourages effective and efficient operation
• The governance structure judiciously uses institutional, human, and fiscal resources to achieve its mission, priorities, and objectives

Antioch University provides a wide range of opportunities for broad involvement in governance. Principal legal and fiduciary responsibility for the University rests with the University Board of Governors, which appoints the University Chancellor to oversee the University’s five campuses and other operations.

Principal operational responsibility for the Los Angeles campus rests with the Antioch University Los Angeles Provost/CEO, who provides campus leadership and is responsible to the Vice Chancellor of Academic Affairs of Antioch University. AULA’s Provost/CEO, in concert with the faculty Department/Division Chairs and other directors in Academic Affairs, provides campus leadership in the development of curriculum.

The faculty as a whole is responsible for curricular innovation and excellence, for providing a challenging student-centered classroom environment, and for modeling a community of lifelong learning. Student voices related to policy issues should be directed to the appropriate Department/Division Chair or the Provost/CEO. AULA alumni are served by the volunteer Alumni Council. Key campus committees include faculty and staff, and often student and alumni, representation. The campus has several governing and advisory bodies, a wide range of faculty and staff meetings, and community-wide meetings to provide input into campus operations and directions.

AULA Specialized Support Services

The Antioch University Counseling Center

The Antioch University Counseling Center (AUCC), a sliding-fee scale mental health center, has provided distinguished service to the community since 1974. The AUCC offers psychotherapy and counseling at affordable prices to AULA students as well as members of the community. Services are provided under a broad spectrum of therapy models. Current services include individual, family, and group psychotherapy, career counseling, psychological testing, the International Counseling Center, and specialized counseling services for gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender clients.

Students experiencing difficulties are encouraged to seek help from the Counseling Center. MAP students can fulfill their requirement for personal psychotherapy by working with licensed professionals at the AUCC.

Campus Services Center

The Campus Services Center (CSC) handles all issues related to campus operations, facilities, parking, equipment, supplies, safety, and security in support of the AULA learning environment. Students may have materials photocopied for a fee. Mailboxes for faculty are located in the Campus Services Center. The Campus Services Center (CSC) is open during all hours of university operation.

CSC hours are as follows:

8:00 A.M. - 10:00 P.M., Monday through Friday

8:00 A.M. - 6:00 P.M., Saturday and Sunday

Student Mailboxes

The Student Mailbox System is used traditionally at AULA as one of the primary mechanisms for faculty and administration to communicate to students. The use of student mailboxes must adhere to FERPA regulations, state, local, and institutional policies that protect the privacy, security, and confidentiality of student information.

Student mailboxes are located in the Campus Services Center (CSC). All registered students are assigned mailboxes by CSC during the first term of enrollment. AULA will keep students’ mailboxes until the student is no longer registered at the school (e.g., have graduated, are dismissed, or withdrawn). All faculty and staff acting in their official capacity are authorized to distribute mail using the student mailboxes.

Students may retrieve, with their valid student or state-issued identification card, contents of their mailboxes during CSC’s business hours.

Parking and Parking Permits

All students who are registered for academic work at AULA are automatically assessed a parking fee that entitles the students access to parking in designated areas during the campus’ regular hours of operation. Students using the AULA campus parking lot must fill out a Parking Access Card Form in order to receive a parking access card through the Campus Services Center. Parking access card forms are available during New Student Orientation, and are available at the Campus Services Center at all times thereafter.

Parking Fee Exemptions are granted on a quarterly, case-by-case basis. Exemption forms are available in the Campus Services Center. Parking Fee Exemption Forms must be submitted to the Campus Services Center by the end of the term’s Add/Drop deadline. Exemption forms are not accepted for past quarters.

Antioch University Los Angeles is not responsible for any costs associated with misplaced, lost, or stolen parking access cards. There is a replacement fee for parking access cards, payable at the Campus Services Center.

All questions and concerns regarding parking services should be directed to the Campus Services Center.

Student Identification Cards

Student photo identification cards are available to all current students through the Campus Services Center. Validation stickers are available through the Campus Services Center at the beginning of each term. There is a $10.00 charge for replacement student photo identification cards.

Campus Security Act of 1990

In accordance with Federal Law, AULA publishes an annual report of campus crimes. This report is distributed annually through email in the Fall quarter, and is available on AULA’s website here: https://www.antioch.edu/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/aula-2019-annual-security-report.pdf. The United States Department of Education’s Office of Postsecondary Education provides a rapid customized report for public inquires relating to all campus crime data, called the Campus Safety and Security Data Analysis Cutting Tool. All Antioch University campus crime data can be found on the Campus Safety and Security Data Analysis Cutting tool website at http://ope.ed.gov/security/.

Facilities, Equipment, and Materials for Instruction

The Antioch University Los Angeles (AULA) campus is located in Culver City, California, on the west side of greater Los Angeles, in an area historically known as Fox Hills. The AULA campus is in a large office park which houses a variety of tenants, including small businesses, law firms, and creative agencies. The AULA campus is comprised of three full floors in the Culver 400 building. The campus has over 17,000 square feet of classroom and conference room space, where instruction takes place. Instructions are all in English. All dedicated classrooms have built-in audio-visual equipment, enabling use of technology and video playback for instruction. AULA also uses mobile audio-visual equipment to bring technology to smaller conference spaces when needed.

In addition to classroom space, the AULA campus has two computer labs. Each computer lab is just over 800 square feet in size, and is equipped with technology for instruction. The AULA campus also has a library space that occupies over 1,600 square feet, as well as a tutoring and instruction space called the “Teaching and Learning Center” that occupies just over 1,400 square feet.

Campus Leadership

Provost and CEO: Mark Hower
Chief Operations Officer: Sandy Lee
Assistant Director of Admissions: Ozzie Rodriguez
Executive Director, Enrollment Management & Student Services: Emee J. Dacanay
University Assistant Director of Financial Aid: Eulanie Bumagat
Student Accounts Director: Dawn Jackson
University Associate Registrar: Stacey Tulloch-Reid
Enrollment Retention Associate and Disability Support Services Coordinator: Yaru Wang
Primary Designated School Official (international student support): Emee Dacanay
School Certifying Official (VA Benefits): Dawn Jackson
Director, Antioch Counseling Center: Eric Day
Dean of Assessment and Student Learning: Andrea L. Richards
Director of Library Services: Lisa Lepore

 

AULA Academic Procedures

These academic policies and procedures apply across all programs and guide instruction at Antioch University Los Angeles. Information about additional policies specific to each individual academic program is found in that program’s section of this handbook. Policies and procedures for the quarter-based programs (Bachelors, MAP, and EDUCATION) often differ substantially from the semester-based programs (MFA in Creative Writing and USMA). Students are advised to familiarize themselves with the information in this section and in the section specific to their program. 

AULA LEARNING OBJECTIVES AND ACADEMIC STANDARDS

The University’s mission stresses preparing students for the complexities of today’s diverse societies. AULA’s educational programs foster personal and collective agency, socially conscious leadership, and global citizenship through experiential learning and reflective practice combined with dynamic scholarship. In keeping with this mission, the Antioch University Los Angeles community has adopted the following learning objectives as a yardstick of success. 

The AULA student will be able to:

●        Engage in creative, critical thinking and problem solving.

●        Integrate theory and practice.

●        Exhibit an awareness of self and others.

●        Demonstrate competencies core to one’s field of study.

●        Use knowledge and skills as an effective participant in civic and professional life.

●        Recognize oneself as a global citizen with a responsibility to effect social change.

 

Program Learning Outcomes

In addition to the above educational objectives, each academic program has its own learning outcomes listed in the individual programs’ sections in this handbook. Every course, workshop, independent study, and internship also centers on learning objectives established by the instructor and stated in the syllabus and on the final Student Learning Evaluation form. The instructor designs course standards and expectations in accordance with the AULA mission and purpose and educational objectives as well as the academic program’s learning objectives and degree requirements. The classroom instructor has authority and responsibility for the content and expectations of the course or other learning activity. The Curriculum Committee and the Provost are responsible for oversight of the curriculum. To earn credit, the student must demonstrate that she or he has met the learning objectives and other requirements spelled out in the syllabus for that learning activity, including attendance requirements. 

ACADEMIC ADVISING AND DEGREE PLANNING

Upon enrollment, each student is assigned an academic advisor from their program’s Core, Teaching, or Affiliate Faculty to assist with such issues as program planning, internship placements, graduate and post-graduate study options, academic progress, career paths, and, when necessary, problem-solving. Advisors assist students in meeting University academic requirements and understanding University and program procedures, although students are responsible as individuals for reading and following procedures and policies published in this Catalog and in additional publications. Students are encouraged to seek out their advisors and to utilize them as resources to maximize the learning experience. Faculty advisors post their office hours and also communicate with advisees by phone, e-mail, and electronic conferencing. 

In the quarter-based programs, weeks seven and eight of each term are designated as Advisement Week in advance of registration during week nine. Advisors may extend their office hours during this period in order to meet with students to plan their courses and other learning activities for the next term and to make sure that the student is on track for graduation.

Change of Advisor

After the first term of enrollment, a student may request a change of advisor if they found a faculty member who seems a more appropriate mentor. Faculty members do not object to these requests to change to a different advisor, but the new advisor must have availability to take on a new student advisee. Students should check with the preferred advisor before initiating this change process. A Change of Advisor Request Form is available in the Office of Integrated Student Services (OISS). It needs to be signed by the present and preferred advisors and then turned in to the OISS. 

Independent Studies, Internships, and other Non-Classroom Learning

The AULA curriculum in all programs supplements classroom learning with a rich mix of learning formats, including independent studies, internships, field studies, prior learning, among others. The advisor works with the student to build non-classroom studies into the student’s degree plan in a way that furthers the student’s educational goals and career aspirations. Students in all course-based programs may pursue specialized studies in subjects that are not offered in the schedule of courses by developing a proposal for independent study. All non-classroom learning activities require the permission of the student’s advisor and the participation of an appropriately qualified evaluator who must be approved by the advisor.

Independent studies are most often evaluated by core faculty members. Students are strictly prohibited from providing remuneration to their evaluators under any circumstances. Independent study is not available for MFA students. Internships are another type of non-classroom learning, which provides opportunities for hands-on learning in field-based sites throughout the city. Further, program-specific policies for Independent Studies, Internships, and other non-classroom learning activities appear in the Program section of this handbook. 

Petition for Waiver of Academic Requirements

Petition for Waiver of Academic Requirement forms are available in the OISS and must be completed and submitted to the appropriate Department/ Division Chair. Any exception from the standard requirements of the program in which the student is enrolled require this form be completed. 

Review of Student Progress

Faculty advisors review their advisees’ student learning evaluations and progress toward meeting degree requirements on a regular basis, noting strengths and weaknesses of student academic performance. 

If a student appears to be having difficulty with writing, critical thinking skills, classroom participation, attendance, Incompletes, or other recurring problems, the advisor may make specific recommendations for remediation. In some cases the advisor may determine that the student needs to follow a specific course of learning or register for a limited study load. In this case, the advisor meets with the student and communicates the concerns and actions to be taken. Depending on the seriousness of the issues or the repetitiveness of the problem, the advisor may put the student on academic probation. In this case, a written plan of Remediation must be created by the student with his/her advisor. This plan must be followed by the student or more serious academic consequences may follow. 

Letter of Concern

An advisor, instructor, or staff member may issue a Letter of Concern at any time when a student is not meeting the academic, conduct, or ethical standards of the University. The Letter of Concern is sent to the student, the advisor, and the department chair, and a copy is sent to the OISS to be placed in the student’s file.

Instructors’ Use of the Letter of Concern

An instructor may choose to write a Letter of Concern when a problem with a student’s performance in a course arises. The Letter of Concern is the product of a formal process in which the instructor states her or his concerns and specifies what a student must do to receive credit for the course. In more serious cases, the instructor may use the Letter of Concern to inform the student that credit is not going to be awarded (however, it is important to note that it is possible to receive a no-credit evaluation without having received a Letter of Concern). 

Grade Equivalents

Students may request grade equivalents for courses and learning activities. AULA instructors and evaluators are required by the University to provide grade equivalents for students who request them, except for the exempted learning activities as described below. Students interested in applying to particular graduate programs are advised to inquire whether that institution requires grade equivalents. Similarly, students should determine whether employers or financial institutions require grade equivalent information.

Students on the quarter system must approach each instructor individually to request a grade equivalent. The request must be made no later than the final course meeting, although earlier requests may be stipulated by the syllabus. A student who does not request a grade equivalent before the deadline will not have a grade equivalent submitted for that learning activity. MFA in Creative Writing students who wish to request a grade equivalent must approach their faculty mentor during the time when the Project Period Contract is being prepared. Students in the USMA program who wish to request a grade equivalent for core or elective coursework must approach the course instructor during the residency at the beginning of the semester. Grade equivalents for the capstone project must be requested as part of the capstone proposal to the faculty mentor. 

When an instructor provides a grade equivalent, they add it to the Student Learning Evaluation. Once a grade equivalent has been submitted for a credit-earning activity, it is included in the student’s permanent file and is available for the Registrar to use in the calculation of a GPA (Grade Point average) equivalent. Instructors cannot add a grade equivalent to a Student Learning Evaluation form retroactively after the instructor has submitted the form and the student has earned credit for the learning activity. University-wide policy prohibits grade equivalents from appearing on the student’s transcript.

 

Learning Activities Exempted from Grade Equivalents

Each AULA academic program may designate certain exempted learning activities for which grade equivalents are not available. These include, but are not limited to the following:

●        In the Undergraduate BA Program, grade equivalents are not available for internships, prior learning, 0-unit courses, or 1-day workshops

●        In the MAP Program grade equivalents are not available for zero unit courses, Applied Psychotherapeutic Techniques of Marriage and Family Therapy (Clinical Traineeship), Workshops, and Personal Psychotherapy

●        In the Education Department grade equivalents are not available for student teaching

●        In the MFA Program grade equivalents are available only for the Project Period of each semester

●        In the USMA Program grade equivalents are not available for fieldwork

 

Overall Grade Point Average (GPA) Equivalents

Students may request the calculation of an overall Grade Point Average (GPA) equivalent at any time. The GPA equivalent is calculated by the Registrar, using information from all learning activities listed on the AULA transcript as well as transferred units. If a grade equivalent was requested at the time an AULA course was taken and appears on the Student Learning Evaluation form, that grade equivalent is used in the GPA equivalent calculation. For credit-earning activities that have not been exempted, and for which the student was not given a grade equivalent on the Student Learning Evaluation, the Registrar obtains a grade equivalent retroactively from the instructor of the course, Department/Division Chair, or a designated program faculty member. Information about program-specific guidelines for generating GPA equivalents is available from the Department/Division Chair.

The GPA equivalent is based on performance in all non-exempt activities that a student engaged in as part of her or his degree. It does not include learning activities that were recorded as an Incomplete or Administrative Withdrawal. The GPA equivalent calculation does include No Credit coursework and learning activities for which Incomplete was awarded and later converted to a No Credit. If a student repeats a course for which they earned No Credit and if the student earns credit during this subsequent enrollment, only the Credit Awarded grade equivalent is used in the calculation of the GPA equivalent.

Prior to Spring Quarter 2006, GPA equivalents were calculated by other methods. GPA equivalents generated and recorded prior to Spring Quarter 2006 are honored as recorded. GPA equivalents calculated by the Registrar in Spring Quarter 2006 and later are based on combining new grade equivalent data with data from any GPA equivalents calculated earlier, following detailed guidelines available in the Office of ISS.

For unofficial grade calculations a letter grade of B = 3.0, B+ = 3.3, A- = 3.7 and A = 4.0. There is no additional value to an A+. 

Transfer Credit Policy

The Antioch University Los Angeles (AULA) transfer credit policy is aimed at facilitating the transfer of students and credits from a previous college or university to AULA. The policy seeks to assure maximum utilization of credits earned previously and to encourage students to advance through their education toward the completion of their degree. This policy supports the “Joint Statement on Transfer and Award of Academic Credit (http:// tcp.aacrao.org/misc/joint_statement.php)” approved by the American Council on Education, the American Association of Collegiate Registrar and Admissions Officers and the American Association of Community Colleges. Built into this policy are several of the principles of that statement. Central to the implementation of this policy is the goal to provide equitable treatment for native and transfer students and to ensure that students will not be required to repeat course work completed at an acceptable level of performance at a previously attended institution. 

Determination of Transferability

Antioch University Los Angeles awards credit in transfer for courses completed at academic institutions accredited by the following regional accrediting organizations:

●        New England Association of Schools and Colleges

●        North Central Association of Colleges and Schools

●        Northwest Association of Colleges and Schools

●        Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools

●        Southern Association of Colleges and Schools

●        Western Association of Schools and Colleges

Antioch University Los Angeles may also consider accepting transfer credits from academic institutions accredited by national accrediting bodies recognized by the Department of Education and/or the Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA) .

Antioch University Los Angeles may accept transfer credit for courses completed at colleges and universities outside of the United States that are accredited or approved by the Ministry of Education (or other appropriate governmental agency) of the country in which they are located. Credit and placement decisions are based on recommendations of the American Association of Collegiate Registrars and Admissions Officers, National Association of Foreign Student Advisors, and selected other professional organizations and agencies that evaluate foreign educational institutions.

AULA does not accept credit from institutions with candidacy for accreditation. AULA accepts credit for transfer only if the units were earned at a time when the school was accredited. Exception: A student holding a Registered Nurse (R.N.) degree from a National League of Nurses-approved program may be eligible for undergraduate transfer credit despite lack of regional accreditation. Transfer of credit to Antioch University Los Angeles will be determined in accordance with the following transferability standards:

●        The educational quality of the learning experience that the student transfers

●        The comparability of the nature, content, and level of learning experience to all programs offered by the University

●        The appropriateness and applicability of credit earned to all degree requirements discussed in this catalog

AULA does not assess transfer credit evaluation processing fees. 

Determining Course Equivalencies

Initial determinations of transfer credit equivalencies are made by the AULA Office of Admissions through a comparison of course descriptions and/ or course titles. The course work evaluated and deemed acceptable based on its content and comparability relative to the program standard/curricula will be initially posted to the student’s permanent University record and then validated and approved by the Office of the Registrar upon the student’s enrollment. 

Acceptability and Comparability of Courses

●        Acceptable: Course work adjudicated as acceptable based on its content and comparability relative to program standard/curricula will be awarded transfer credit based on guidelines provided by instructional department directives.

●        Unacceptable: Course work which, by an evaluation of its content, is deemed to be incongruent with program standard/curricula will not be awarded transfer credit (i.e., remedial and vocational courses not relevant to the degree and/or exceeding the maximum allowed for the degree).

●        Deferred: Course work that is referred to a designated subject matter expert (faculty) within the program for his/her further review and final decision. Instructional department faculty will review the course and issue a final acceptability decision (i.e. credit and type of credit to be awarded or no credit awarded) through the respective Department/Division Chair. 

 

Credit Hour Equivalencies

To convert transfer units to quarter units the following formulas are used:

# semester units x 1.5 = # quarter units or

# trimester units x 1.5 = # quarter units.

Fractions are rounded down to the nearest half-unit.

Antioch University Los Angeles accepts undergraduate transfer credit(s) for courses completed with a minimum letter grade of C or Pass in a Pass-Fail system, if the Pass is equivalent to a minimum of a C.

Antioch University Los Angeles accepts graduate transfer credit(s), for courses completed with a B letter grade or better, or with a Pass, if the course was taken on a Pass/Fail basis. Courses are considered for transfer only if the courses have not been used as part of a graduate degree earned elsewhere.

Please refer to the Admissions and Program sections of this Catalog for additional transfer credit policies and requirements specific to each academic program.

 

Additional Ways Students May Obtain Credit

AULA recognizes that students have opportunities for learning beyond the traditional or more formal methods of education. Some of these opportunities may be eligible for consideration in the evaluation process based on certain criteria and on the circumstances by which the student obtained an education. 

 

Evaluation of Examination Credit/Results

●        Course credit by examination based on the results of a local testing program (e.g. APP, CLEP, DSST). This course credit will be eligible for evaluation and transfer credit may be awarded for same within the guidelines of this policy. While the initial evaluation of said course credit will in most cases result in a final decision on the University transfer credit to be awarded, some course credit will need to be deferred to the respective program chair for final decision.

●        Course credit assigned based on Advanced Placement Program (APP) (http://apcentral.collegeboard.com/apc/public/program/) test results: Course credit is eligible for evaluation and the award of transfer credit is within the guidelines of this policy.

●        Credit based on College Level examination Program (CLEP) (http://clep.collegeboard.org/) test results: Course credit is eligible for evaluation and the award of transfer credit is within the guidelines of this policy. Student may submit official test scores to the Office of the Registrar for evaluation and determination of the award of credit following the guidelines established by the respective programs.

●        Course credit awarded based on Defense Activity for Nontraditional Education Support (DANTES) Subject Standardization Tests (DSST) (http:// www.military.com/education/timesaving-programs/dantes-college-credit-by-examination-program.html): Course credit based on DANTES-DSST test results is eligible for evaluation and may be assigned transfer credit and the award of credit is within the guidelines of this policy. Student may submit an official original DSST transcript of examination results to the Office of the Registrar and transfer credit will be awarded consistent with the respective program directives for evaluating each subject area.

 

Military Education Programs

Courses for which credit was earned while in the military must be listed on official military documents (i.e. DD214, DD295, Army/American Council on Education Registry Transcript). Other official military documents may be used as the basis for evaluation at the discretion of the Registrar/designee given that they contain the elements necessary for evaluation. Courses that are eligible for evaluation will be awarded transfer credit consistent with the American Council of Education’s Guide to the Evaluation of Educational Experiences in the Armed Services (http://www.acenet.edu/news-room/ Pages/Military-Transfer-Guide.aspx). The university will maintain a written record of the previous educational training of veterans and eligible persons, that the record will clearly indicate that credits have been granted, if appropriate, with the training period shortened proportionately and the student notified accordingly.

 

Appeal of Transferability or Course Equivalencies

Students who wish to appeal the evaluation of transferability of a course may do so through the Office of the Registrar. When making an appeal, students must be prepared to provide supporting documentation (e.g., a course syllabus, course description from the other institution’s catalog, examples of work). The Registrar, in consultation with the respective Department/Division chair, will examine the appeal to determine whether or not the University transfer credit policy was appropriately applied in the initial evaluation. The Registrar/designee will issue appropriate correction if the policy was misapplied. (See Transfer and Intra-University Credit Policy (http://aura.antioch.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1009&/ #38;context=policies_500_6x).)

 

‘NOTICE CONCERNING TRANSFERABILITY OF CREDITS AND CREDENTIALS EARNED AT OUR INSTITUTION’ 

‘The transferability of credits you earn at Antioch University Los Angeles is at the complete discretion of an institution to which you may seek to transfer. Acceptance of the Undergraduate Studies Programs (Bachelors), Master of Arts in Education, Master of Arts in Education Leadership and Change, Master of Arts in Psychology, Master of Fine Arts in Creative Writing, and Master of Arts in Urban Sustainability you earn in the undergraduate studies and in all graduate programs, including all certificate programs is also at the complete discretion of the institution to which you may seek to transfer. If the credits that you earn at this institution are not accepted at the institution to which you seek to transfer, you may be required to repeat some or all of your coursework at that institution. For this reason you should make certain that your attendance at this institution will meet your educational goals. This may include contacting an institution to which you may seek to transfer after attending Antioch University Los Angeles to determine if your earned credits will transfer.’

 

Undergraduate Programs

Liberal education addresses our democracy’s need for an educated and critically aware citizenry; it also serves to enhance personal and professional roles. Since its inception in 1972, the undergraduate programs at Antioch University Los Angeles have provided a liberal studies curriculum designed to assist students in becoming independent life-long learners with a sound grasp of disciplinary content and an ability to think critically and creatively about the social issues that influence their lives, communities, families, and professions. Antioch University Los Angeles offers a Bachelor of Arts (BA) in Liberal Studies, a BA in Applied Studies, a BA in Applied Arts & Media, a Bachelor of Sciences in Applied Technology and Business Leadership, and a Bachelor of Applied Arts in Urban Communities and Justice degrees. Regardless of a student’s major or area of concentration, the liberal studies curriculum is the central element across all of AULA’s fields of study. This curriculum - based on a tripartite model of academic rigor, experiential learning, and social engagement - cultivates ethical understanding, respect for divergent perspectives, diversity, and an appreciation of historical and political issues. The learning activities - courses, internships, and independent studies - are often interdisciplinary and integrative by design. The interdisciplinary nature of the program fosters students’ capacity to synthesize what they are learning and to understand complex social issues in a holistic way.

Undergraduate Studies Program Leadership

MeHee Hyun: Dean, AU Undergraduate Studies and Co-Chair, AULA Division of Undergraduate Studies
Kirsten Grimstad: Co-Chair, AULA Division of Undergraduate Studies
Rosa Garza-Mourino: Director, External Partnerships
Audrey Mandelbaum: Administrative Director, Division of Undergraduate Studies
Christopher Pruitt, Program Coordinator

Purpose and Values of the Bachelor’s Programs

The bachelor’s programs offered at AULA provide students with a broad base of knowledge, skills, experience, and the intellectual flexibility to become critically informed participants in their professions and communities. The programs foster students’ critical awareness by examining the multiple contexts that shape knowledge and inspire courageous action. By linking knowledge to agency, the programs challenge students to demonstrate their commitment to personal responsibility, concern for the rights of others, and to the goal of achieving social justice in our communities and our world.

Undergraduate Learning Objectives

All of the bachelor’s programs infuse curriculum with this purpose and these values through learning activities that cultivate the following intellectual and practical skills, applied learning, social awareness and responsibility:

• Engage in critical inquiry that employs relevant sources and methods
• Consider diverse perspectives, including opposing points of view and marginalized voices
• Connect learning with theories and experience through reflective practice
• Analyze power, oppression, and resistance in pursuit of justice
• Communicate effectively in oral, written, and visual forms
• Examine issues in local and global contexts

Overview of Undergraduate Studies

AULA understands learning as an interactive process in which the student and teacher together develop attributes of liberally-educated individuals. To that end, AULA encourages its faculty to present their own work, commitments, and values in the classroom while faculty members encourage students to define and reflect upon their own goals, interests and values.

Some of the educational and developmental principles that guide the program’s pedagogic philosophy are:

• Respect: Instructors are expected to treat what the student knows with respect. This principle acknowledges the power differences between teachers and students deriving from the teacher’s expertise, yet it assumes that the students’ thinking and knowledge are central to the interactive learning process
• Customized instruction: AULA encourages instructors to assess the student’s level of knowledge and to design course work and independent studies that are sufficiently flexible to challenge the student to build upon that knowledge and extend it to a new level of complexity
• Problem-Solving/Conflict Situations: AULA expects instructors to engage students in genuine social and cognitive debate about problematic situations and to pursue constructive solutions
• Interactive Activities: Instructors involve students in activities in which there is regular feedback from the instructor
• Student Interest: AULA encourages instructors to allow their students’ individual interests to help shape their research and writing assignments
• Active Learning: Whenever possible, course design promotes opportunities for students to apply what they are learning. Learning involves theory and practice, as well as critical reflection on this relationship

AULA’s bachelor’s programs emphasize the historical and socio-political context of thought and knowledge. This implies the following practices:

• Historical Context: AULA encourages both the student and the instructor to situate the content of the learning in historical perspective and contemporary context.
• Contextualization: Instructors compare and contrast ideas, theories and practices not only in terms of their quality and validity but also in terms of their contextual antecedents such as gender relations at the particular time, social stratification, and values of the society. The way in which the ideas or theories reflect or sustain particular power relations in society is also part of the context for consideration.
• Values and Outcomes: Instructors emphasize the values embedded in ideas, theories, and practices and the social outcomes to which the values contribute.
• Academic Freedom: AULA stands behind the principle of academic freedom for both faculty and students. Instructors may present content that is uncomfortable to some individual students. Students and faculty are encouraged to discuss any areas of discomfort in order to ensure that academic freedom and the critical exploration of ideas occur in the context of respect and responsibility to the class as a whole

Undergraduate Program Admissions

Antioch University Los Angeles offers the following undergraduate degrees: the Bachelor of Arts (BA) in Liberal Studies, the BA in Applied Studies, the BA in Applied Arts and Media, the Bachelor of Science in Applied Technology and Business Leadership, and the Bachelor of Applied Arts in Urban Communities and Justice. Students are admitted into these programs for the Fall, Winter, Spring, and Summer quarters. Students wishing to be readmitted may apply for any quarter.

To learn more about the undergraduate programs including the application process and deadlines please visit Admissions. (https://www.antioch.edu/los-angeles/admissions-aid/admissions/)

The bachelor’s programs offered at AULA provide students with a broad base of knowledge, skills, experience, and the intellectual flexibility to become critically informed participants in their professions and communities. The programs foster students’ critical awareness by examining the multiple contexts that shape knowledge and inspire courageous action. By linking knowledge to agency, the programs challenge students to demonstrate their commitment to personal responsibility, concern for the rights of others, and to the goal of achieving social justice in our communities and our world.

Students are admitted into the undergraduate programs for the Fall, Winter, Spring, and Summer Quarters. Readmitted students may be accepted for any quarter. For application deadlines, refer to the AULA website (https://www.antioch.edu/los-angeles/).

Undergraduate Eligibility Requirements

To qualify for admission, all applicants must supply the following:

• Evidence of successful completion of at least 36 quarter units (24 semester units) of college-level learning from a regionally accredited institution of higher education as demonstrated by official transcripts. (See the section below on transfer credits.) AULA may consider accepting transfer credits from academic institutions accredited by national accrediting bodies recognized by the Department of Education and/or the Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA) and from foreign institutions approved by national ministries/departments of education.
• Evidence of college-level writing and communication ability, as demonstrated in the Admissions Dialogue essay.
• Evidence of readiness to complete the undergraduate degree, as demonstrated in the Admissions Dialogue and previous academic record.
• The Admissions Dialogue. This is a three-page essay in which applicants introduce themselves by addressing the following topics:
  • Their choice of an area of study and the rationale for that choice; and
  • A description of one or more past learning experiences that have strongly influenced their current academic and/or career goals.

Applicants to the Applied Studies programs (Applied Arts and Media, Applied Studies, Applied Technology and Business Leadership, Urban Communities and Justice) must also demonstrate the following:

• Evidence of successful completion of at least 27 quarter units (18 semester units) in a cohesive area of study that can be applied to the major. These units are included as part of the overall transfer requirement of 36 quarter units (24 semester units) noted above.

Transfer Credits

To convert transfer units to quarter units, the following formulas are used:

• Number of semester units x 1.5 = number of quarter units OR
• Number of trimester units x 1.5 = number of quarter units AND
• Fractions are rounded down to the nearest half-unit.

Credit for a particular course can be given only once. For example, if the same course was taken twice at two different academic institutions, Antioch University Los Angeles gives transfer credit for only one of the courses. However, when an academic institution’s catalog specifically states that a given course may be taken more than once for credit, Antioch University Los Angeles will consider transferring all the credits earned.

Antioch University Los Angeles accepts undergraduate transfer credit(s) for courses completed with a minimum letter grade of C or Pass in a Pass-Fail system, if the Pass is equivalent to a minimum of a C.

Approval Process for Transfer Credits

Transfer units are admitted for credit towards Antioch University Los Angeles degree requirements through a formal process carried out in the Office of the Registrar and by the faculty. Official evaluations can be made only when official copies of all transcripts are present in the student’s admission file. Antioch University Los Angeles may accept units on the basis of transcript information alone, or the student may be asked to provide further information, such as a catalog course description(s) or course syllabus, to determine whether the course(s) meets transfer credit eligibility. A student who has questions about transfer credit evaluation may discuss the matter with the Undergraduate Studies program chair or the Office of the Registrar’s transcript evaluator.

Undergraduate Class Standing

It is important for students to be aware of their class standing for purposes of financial aid and verification of enrollment status. Class standing is determined by the number of units completed:

Class Standing Classification Completed Units

• Freshperson 0 - 44.5
• Sophomore 45 - 89.5
• Junior 90 - 134.5
• Senior 135 or more

Articulation Agreements

In order to promote the smooth transfer of students from community colleges and transfer schools, the Undergraduate Studies program has developed articulation agreements with the following schools:

• American Academy of Dramatic Arts
• East Los Angeles College
• El Camino College
• Glendale Community College
• Los Angeles City College
• Los Angeles Harbor College
• Los Angeles Southwest College
• Los Angeles Trade Technical College
• Los Angeles Valley College
• Pasadena City College
• Pierce College
• Rio Hondo College
• Santa Monica College
• Theatre of Arts College for the Contemporary Actor
• West Los Angeles College

Learn more at https://www.antioch.edu/los-angeles/articulation-agreements/

These agreements simplify how specific courses are accepted in transfer and can be used to fulfill Antioch University Los Angeles’ undergraduate program domain of knowledge requirements. The University will continue to develop articulation agreements with additional institutions in the future.

The agreement with UCLA Extension specifies that Antioch University Los Angeles will automatically accept in transfer all UCLA Extension degree credit courses (courses numbered X, XL, or XLC 1-199) toward the Antioch University Los Angeles undergraduate degrees. Coursework numbered 1-99 is transferable as ‘lower division’ quarter units; coursework numbered 100-199 is accepted as ‘upper division’; and coursework numbered 300-400 is evaluated on a course-by-course basis. Students seeking transfer credit for one or more of these courses may be asked to submit the course description and also a syllabus providing information on reading, requirements and assignments. The following UCLA Extension Substance Abuse courses are accepted by AULA for lower-division transfer credit: X428.1a, 2a, 3a, 1b, 2b, 3b, 4b, and XL402.4.

Current information about AULA’s articulation agreements is available from the Office of the Provost.

Extension Courses Other Than UCLA Extension

Antioch University Los Angeles accepts only certain types of extension courses for credit. The Office of the University Registrar evaluates extension courses for credit on a case-by-case basis. If an extension course is refused for transfer because it does not meet Antioch University Los Angeles’ standards for college-level learning, the student may be able to document the coursework as Prior Learning with additional reading and written work. See the Undergraduate Programs section for Prior Learning for further information.

Career and Technical Education Courses

Antioch University Los Angeles accepts career and technical education courses under certain conditions. Career education courses consist primarily of specific job skill training. Examples of these courses include, but are not limited to: culinary arts, medical technology, and real estate. Technical courses consist primarily of specific technical or applied skills, as opposed to courses that emphasize conceptual or theoretical learning. Examples of technical courses include, but are not limited to: die casting, technical drafting, analysis of asbestos, shorthand and typing, certain types of performance and methodological courses, and courses offered as part of certification programs.

The BA in Liberal Studies program accepts up to 6 quarter units of lower division technical courses from accredited institutions for transfer toward the BA degree if the courses include conceptual learning as shown in catalog course descriptions and/or course syllabi. 

The BA in Applied Studies, the BA in Applied Arts and Media, the BS in Applied Technology and Business Leadership, and the BAA in Urban Communities and Justice degrees allow students with at least 27 quarter units in a cohesive area of professional focus to apply these career and technical education courses to one of the Applied Studies degrees.

College orientation courses (e.g., Freshman Orientation Seminar) are nontransferable.

Physical Education Units

Antioch University Los Angeles accepts up to 6 quarter units of lower division physical education (PE) courses from accredited institutions for transfer toward the undergraduate degree. Students may petition to exceed this limit if they are able to demonstrate that additional physical education units:

• Include conceptual learning; and,
• Represent an integral part of the major area of study.

Cooperative Education and Work Experience

Cooperative Education courses may be transferable. The student may be asked to write a brief summary of learning for review by the Office of the Registrar and faculty if either the catalog course description or the student’s work was individualized. Work experience, if documented on a transcript, may be transferable by this same process.

Credit Policy for Registered Nurses and other Health Professionals

Undergraduate students holding the Registered Nurse (R.N.) license are awarded a maximum of 90 quarter units (lower-division, the equivalent of two years’ college study) earned in a National League for Nurses (NLN)-approved diploma program of three years’ duration. Proof of license is required. Credit for the nursing units will be awarded in block form. This credit is subject to the same standards and limitations on transfer credit presented elsewhere in this Catalog.

If a student completes a Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN) program, credit is accepted toward the BA degree only through the Prior Learning process of evaluation. See the BA Program section on Prior Learning for further information. These credits may however be applicable to the Applied Studies programs; please contact the Admissions Office to discuss this further.

Credit for CLEP and DSST (formerly DANTES) Examinations

Antioch University Los Angeles recognizes some credits earned through College-Level Examination Program (CLEP) and DANTES Subject Standardized Tests (DSST (http://www.getcollegecredit.com/)) testing. CLEP and DSST credit is only for lower division learning which is normally undertaken early in the student’s academic program. Students with CLEP or DSST scores should request that score reports be sent directly to the Office of the Registrar who will determine credit eligibility.

Credit from the U.S. Armed Forces

Course work completed while in the U.S. armed forces may be eligible for transfer. In order for the course work to be considered, students must submit an original DD214 form (discharge paper) to the Office of the University Registrar, along with any other supporting documentation, certificates, or evidence of completed course work.

Remedial Courses

AULA does not accept remedial courses for transfer toward any undergraduate degree, since these generally do not represent college-level coursework. Remedial courses are courses with content appropriate to a high school or pre-college level of learning. Examples of remedial courses include, but are not limited to: reading and comprehension, study skills, remedial English and composition courses, plane geometry and elementary math courses below the level of intermediate algebra.

Continuing Education Units (CEU)

AULA does not accept Continuing Education Units (CEUs) for transfer. However, if learning acquired through Continuing Education is relevant to a student’s degree program, she or he may be able to document the CEUs as Prior Learning. For information about the Prior Learning Program, see the Undergraduate Programs section on Prior Learning for further information.

Bachelor’s Degrees Requirements

The degree requirements for all undergraduate degrees include the following:

1. Unit Requirement
   To complete a BA, BS, or BAA degree, students must earn 180-200 quarter units overall. Of these a minimum of 75 units must be upper division. (Note: units earned through DSST or CLEP testing may be counted as lower division units only.)
2. Residency Requirement
   Students must also earn a minimum of 45 quarter units during residency at AULA. Residency units must be AULA classes, seminars, workshops, independent studies, or internships. Prior learning units and units earned through other means such as DSST or CLEP testing do not accrue toward residency.
3. General Studies Requirement
   Students must earn a minimum of six units and no more than 39 units in each of six Domains of Knowledge: communications, sciences, humanities, fine arts, social sciences, and quantitative methods. AULA provides a range of general studies courses to assist students in completing domain requirements and to help students gain knowledge and skills appropriate for the development of a liberally educated person. Note that these General Studies units may include any combination of upper and lower division coursework, and units earned at other institutions as well as at Antioch. Students must complete a minimum of 100 units of General Studies overall.

The following is a guide to the types of courses generally included in each domain:

Communications
All English and Writing Courses
Foreign Languages
Journalism
Media Studies
Speech
Linguistics
Television
Communications

Fine Arts
Visual Art (Painting and Sculpture, Performance, New Media)
Dance
Design
Film and Video
Music
Theatre Arts
Photography

Humanities
History
Literature
Philosophy
Religion
Anthropology (cultural)
Humanities
Foreign Language Literature
Ethnic Studies
Women’s and Gender Studies

Quantitative Methods
Intermediate Computer Science
Advanced Computer Science
Finance
Mathematics
Research Methods
Statistics
Sciences
Anatomy
Astronomy
Biology
Health Science
Nutrition
Physical Geography
Physiology
Geology
Environmental Studies
Chemistry
Physics
Anthropology (physical)

Social Sciences
Accounting
Administration
Economics
Education
Finance
Gerontology
Human Development
Law
Management
Political Science
Psychology
Sociology
Business
Social Work
Urban Studies
Labor Studies
Library Science
Organizational Management
Public Administration
Social Services Administration
Teacher Education
Addiction Studies
Human Services
Geography (cultural)

4. Non-Classroom Learning Requirement
   Students in the BA in Liberal Studies program must each complete a minimum of 6 units of learning outside of the classroom. Students in the four applied studies degree programs (BA, BS, BAA) must earn a minimum of 8 units of non-classroom learning. These units can be acquired at AULA or through experiences completed previously at another institution and approved by AULA for transfer credit. The following qualify as non-classroom learning activities:

• Internships undertaken while in residence at AULA
• Internships undertaken at another institution and approved by AULA for transfer credit
• Prior Learning documented as an AULA student

For any of the activities itemized above to qualify for Non-Classroom Learning credit they must be:

• Approved in advance following the specific guidelines for Internships, and Prior Learnings. For further information, see the section below on Non-Classroom Learning
• Accompanied by a Student Learning Analysis, which reflects critically on the learning in terms of the student’s understanding of the discipline or internship experience, as well as the knowledge and development gained in the experience. Additional documentation of learning is also expected, depending on the specifics of the learning activity

For further information on Internships, and Prior Learning, please see the section below, “Types of Learning.”

5. Area of Concentration & Major Requirements
   In the BA in Liberal Studies program, students have the option to choose an area of concentration to focus their studies. Students may select a Major Area of Concentration from the following:

• Addiction Studies
• Business and Management Studies
• Creative Writing
• Liberal Studies
• Psychology
• Urban Studies

Students can also choose a Minor Area of Concentration in any of the above specialized areas, as well as the following:

• Child Studies
• Queer Studies

For the Applied Studies degrees, students choose one of the following four majors:

• BA in Applied Arts and Media
• Bachelor of Applied Arts in Urban Communities and Justice
• BS in Applied Technology and Business Leadership
• BA in Applied Studies

For additional information about these Areas of Concentration and Majors for each of these degrees, please see the requirements section in each of these degrees.

6. Other Requirements

Educational Foundations Course
All entering undergraduate students are required to enroll in and successfully complete the Educational Foundations course (EDU 3800A) during their first quarter at AULA. The course familiarizes students with AULA’s educational philosophy; trains them in using Antioch University’s Gmail and Sakai online learning management system and Antioch’s electronic library databases and journals; provides students with their math and writing assessments; and prepares students for the sort of critical reading and writing that will be expected of them during their enrollment.

Students who fail to complete Educational Foundations during their first quarter of enrollment will receive an ‘incomplete’ or a “no credit” for the course, which will result in being placed on academic probation or dismissal. Students who are not maintaining satisfactory performance or not completing requirements for this course in a timely manner may receive a ‘Letter of Concern” from the instructor, spelling out what actions the student needs to take in order to earn credit for the course. (See ‘Academic Policies and Procedures’ section of this Catalog for more information about the Letter of Concern.) For students who have received a Letter of Concern in Educational Foundations, registration for the second quarter may be delayed until they have resumed good progress in this course.

Core Competency Assessment

During the Educational Foundations course, all students complete two assessments to determine their incoming skills in academic writing, critical thinking, and math. The writing and critical thinking assessment provides baseline information for placing the student in the academic writing course appropriate to the individual student’s skill level. The math assessment identifies the student’s basic skill level and any weaknesses to be addressed through required review workbooks, workshops, tutoring, or other intervention aimed at assisting the student in achieving college-level proficiency in math. Students are required to complete these assessments and fulfill the subsequent writing requirements and/or math review requirements even if they have previously met the communications and quantitative domain requirements.

Instructional Requirement

At least 50 percent of all units earned during enrollment at AULA must be evaluated by members of the AULA Core, Teaching, Affiliate, or Adjunct Faculty.

Types of Learning

Undergraduate students pursue their education through classroom learning, internships, and independent studies. They also have the opportunity to receive credit for college-level learning obtained through prior experience.

AULA’s educational approach emphasizes experiential learning, which recognizes the validity of learning acquired through participation in the home, workplace, and/or community. In these settings, students often construct new knowledge when prior assumptions and understandings are challenged. Likewise, their direct experiences may challenge and enrich current bodies of scholarship. Experiential learning exercises in the classroom are also encouraged. This includes site visits, data collection, and learning activities that promote the integration of theory and practice and confer academic value on adult students’ experiences.

Classroom Learning

This category includes classes, seminars, and workshops taken at AULA. These offerings taught by core, teaching, affiliate, and adjunct faculty are announced and listed in the Quarterly Schedule published prior to the student advisement and registration period each quarter.

Classes

Most undergraduate classes are upper-division courses, although some lower division courses are provided to assist students in improving proficiency in areas such as writing and math. Most courses meet once a week for three hours and extend over a ten-week quarter. These can occur face-to-face on the AULA campus and/or via live video conference sessions via Zoom. There are sometimes opportunities for students to experience other delivery models such as five-week intensives and partially or fully-online courses to enhance scheduling flexibility.

Some undergraduate classes are cross-listed; they appear in the Quarterly Schedule with two discipline and number designations. At registration, the student selects one of the designations and applies that course to one Domain of Knowledge or to the Area of Concentration or Major. The choice determines how the class appears on the academic transcript. Students should keep in mind that the discipline designation can be changed after the add/drop period only by petition.

Seminars

Seminars offer directed independent study in a group setting, providing an opportunity to focus in depth on particular lines of inquiry. Readings are usually assigned prior to the first meeting. Students are expected to do independent library or empirical research and writing, and to document their learning through presentations and/or papers.

Workshops

These learning opportunities allow students to become acquainted with subjects not typically present in the regular course curriculum. A one-unit workshop typically runs from 8 to 10 hours in a single day. Between 20 to 22 hours of non-classroom learning such as field work, data collection, reading and/or writing are also expected. Some workshops may require papers whereas others may require more reading or an experiential project. Incompletes are generally not allowed for workshops. Most workshops have assignments that must be completed before the class meets. Students are responsible for checking the Quarterly Schedule of Classes and syllabus posted in the AULA Undergraduate Studies Program Resources Google Site for early assignments and completing them in advance. It can be disruptive to the workshop if some students attend without having completed the prior reading. In these cases, the instructor has the right to ask the student to leave the workshop. Extra units and grade equivalents are not allowed for workshops.

Non-classroom Learning

AULA has long been recognized as an innovative pioneer in awarding credit for college-level learning accomplished outside the traditional classroom. In 1922, Antioch College established a Co-Op program that required traditional-aged students to participate in work, community service, or travel as part of their Antioch College educational experience. More recently, Antioch University, catering to returning adult students, has led the way in recognizing learning gained prior to university re-entry as potentially valid and creditable college-level learning. The recognition underlying both of these initiatives is that education must further the development of self-directed, life-long learners.

Non-classroom learning includes internships, independent studies, and prior learning. These types of learning activities are intended to supplement the classroom learning experience, not serve in lieu of classroom study. Students should work with their advisors to achieve an appropriate balance between classroom and non-classroom learning in their overall program.
Each non-classroom learning activity is supervised by an evaluator with credentials appropriate to the topic of the study. In some cases, with the advisor’s approval, an outside evaluator may be enlisted to supervise a specialized topic.

Internships

An Internship is a field-based learning activity that takes place in an applied setting (business, community organization, high school, senior center, etc.). Undergraduate internships recognize the special circumstances of adult students by linking classroom and workplace. The program stresses an interdisciplinary perspective while combining rigorous academic standards and hands-on learning. It offers students an opportunity to expand their learning experiences, apply a range of new skills, play an instrumental role in a community organization, become an active part of the city of Los Angeles, and reflect academically about the learning process.

The Internship format offers:

• Academic credit, up to 4 quarter units per internship
• A structure of academic support for experiential learning
• A range of sites to choose from
• The opportunity to work individually or in collaborative teams
• Internship sites that match students’ academic concentrations
• One-on-one guidance to develop appropriate learning objectives and to take advantage of a variety of hands-on community and professional opportunities
• A rigorous evaluation model through which future employers and/or graduate program admissions will clearly discern the scope of students’ abilities

All undergraduate Internship activities at AULA are numbered 2530, 3530, or 4530 with the appropriate subject prefix. Interns are expected to demonstrate their learning by submitting an Internship Journal and a Student Learning Analysis. Unlike a course, an internship involves establishing a suitable placement, developing a proposal, and gathering approvals to be completed with the support of the Internship Program office at least six weeks before the internship begins. Detailed information - including procedures and academic standards for demonstration of learning - can be found in the Internship Program Handbook uploaded to the Internship section of the Undergraduate Studies Program Resources Google Site, together with all other forms used to set up, register and document these learning activities. Grade equivalents are not allowed for Internships.

Independent Study Projects (ISPs)

Undergraduate students may undertake self-directed reading, writing, and other learning activities based upon a learning contract they negotiate with an approved ISP faculty evaluator, whose academic expertise and credentials match the topic of study, with their advisor who must approve the selection of the evaluator as well as the proposal, and with the approval of the Independent Study Project Faculty Coordinator. Students may earn 1- 4 quarter units for an Independent Study Project. Students may earn a maximum of 20 quarter units through ISP toward their degree; under special circumstances a student may petition the Chair of Undergraduate Studies to exceed this maximum. Independent Study proposal forms are available in the Undergraduate Studies Office and on the Undergraduate Studies Program Resources Google Site. The form must be submitted, with the signature of the evaluator, advisor, and ISP faculty coordinator during registration.

All undergraduate Independent Study learning activities at AULA are numbered 1510, 2510, 3510 or 4510 with the appropriate subject prefix. In the proposal, the ISP faculty evaluator also specifies the title of the study, the learning objectives, learning resources, learning activities, and method of demonstrating learning, as worked out in conversation with the student. The ISP must be approved by the evaluator, the student’s faculty advisor, and the ISP faculty coordinator. For an activity that extends for more than one quarter, an approved Independent Study Form is required for each quarter with new learning objectives developed for each subsequent proposal. For these multi-term ISPs, the student must be evaluated each quarter. The ISP evaluator should assign the letter A, B, C, etc. to the Independent Study course number when exploring the same topic in consecutive quarters.

Prior Learning

Prior Learning refers to college-level learning that took place outside of college or university classes after high school and before enrollment at AULA. Many adult students enter AULA’s program with college-level learning acquired in such diverse settings as the workplace, home, or volunteer organizations. Awarding credit for prior learning is based on the assumption that a great deal of college-level learning that takes place in adult life experience is as valid as traditional classroom learning. Prior learning is also more likely to have been applied in real-life situations, allowing for fuller understanding and longer retention of what was learned.

Prior learning credit is awarded only for demonstrated college-level learning, not for experience alone. College-level learning is defined as learning that

1. has both theoretical and practical understanding of the subject,
2. has applicability beyond the immediate context in which it was learned
3. Is acquired after high school graduation or its equivalent, and
4. falls within an area eligible for higher education as identified by academic and professional experts.

AULA strives to maintain a fair, high quality evaluation process with appropriate standards. These standards, policies, and procedures are based on the Council for Adult and Experiential Learning (CAEL) standards that are widely recognized internationally in the field of prior learning, as well as the Antioch University policy on Prior Learning.

Students can earn a maximum of 22 lower division quarter units, although limits apply for students transferring in extensive lower division units. (The total of lower division prior learning and transfer units cannot exceed 105 lower division quarter units.) Students may also earn up to 22 upper division quarter units of prior learning, for an overall maximum of 44 quarter units. Prior learning units may not duplicate units transferred to Antioch or units earned through Antioch courses or independent studies. Prior learning credits are not awarded until students complete 24 units of course and/or internship credits at AULA. In order to begin documenting any Prior Learning, students must take and complete the Prior Learning Workshop. This workshop assists students in conceptualizing prior learning, developing successful prior learning proposals, and in understanding the documentation process. Students are advised to take this workshop early in their program. Each prior learning activity requires the completion of a Prior Learning Proposal Form, which is approved by the Prior Learning Coordinator and faculty evaluator. Up to 4 lower or upper division quarter units can be requested for each prior learning activity. Upon review of the documentation, the Prior Learning Coordinator and faculty evaluator will make the final determination about the awarding of credit. Prior learning units do not count toward the Residency Requirement. For more detailed information regarding policies and procedures for Prior Learning, students should review the documents uploaded to the Prior Learning Workshop section of the Undergraduate Studies Program Resources Google Site.

Students may register for prior learning projects at any time, except not during their final quarter of enrollment. Students pay a fee for each prior learning activity. Prior learning projects may also be completed and evaluated at any point and are not tied to the quarterly schedule.

Students need to balance the time and energy spent on courses, internships and independent studies with that spent on completing documentation of Prior Learning if they intend to earn this form of academic credit. Some students find it helpful to devote an entire quarter to completing Prior Learning documentation, without registering for classes in addition. In this case, the student must register for Enrollment Maintenance (http://aulacatalog.antioch.edu/policiesregulationsandprocedures/studentstatus/#enrollmentmaintenancespanstatusspan). (http://aulacatalog.antioch.edu/policiesregulationsandprocedures/studentstatus/#enrollmentmaintenancespanstatusspan)

AULA is required to retain and archive all Prior Learning documentation. Students should keep copies of their Prior Learning work for their own files, as their originals will not be returned. Students who wish to transfer prior learning credit to another undergraduate program should check if the institution accepts these credits in transfer. Students should also check with any graduate programs to which they intend to apply to find out their policies regarding credit for prior learning experience. Grade equivalents are not allowed for prior learning.

Evaluation of Non-Classroom Learning

For all non-classroom learning, undergraduate students complete and submit a Student Learning Analysis (SLA) to the evaluator. AULA believes that for independent learning activities, this self-evaluation is a crucial part of the student’s learning experience. The objective is to provide an opportunity for the student to participate in the evaluation process and to encourage students to be critical and reflective about their learning as they articulate and share these reflections with an academic audience.

The SLA affords students the opportunity to focus on the following: how the student met the program learning objectives as well as the learning objectives of the particular independent study, internship, or prior learning; what were most significant parts of the learning; a self-assessment on the level of learning acquired; directions for further study; insights into the larger context of the learning; and a summary of how the learning benefited the student. The SLA should be clearly written, concise, detailed, and balanced, referring both to strengths and to areas for improvement. Please note that the SLA is not a mere listing or description of tasks and activities. Other documentation such as a paper, report, and bibliography may be attached to the SLA to complete the evidence substantiating the learning. The SLA together with accompanying documentation provides the basis for the evaluator in writing the Student Learning Evaluation. Internships and Prior Learning have specific requirements for the SLA, guidelines for which may be found on the AULA Undergraduate Division Google site.

Planning the Program

During the first two weeks of enrollment, each incoming student is assigned to a faculty advisor and receives notification by email. This relationship is not only a means to assist the student in planning and completing the degree requirements; it is, more importantly, a mentoring relationship. The advisor is available for guidance in the following areas: course selection, independent studies and internships, preparation for graduate study, development of professional plans. The advisor also also assists the student in setting goals, reflecting on the questions that animate the student’s educational quest, and exploring the pathways to a life of meaning and purpose. The advisor reviews the student’s academic progress and the quality of her or his work on a regular basis.
New students are expected to contact their assigned advisor and set up an initial advisement meeting during weeks two to four and a follow-up meeting during weeks seven and eight, which are designated as advisement weeks for planning the student’s course schedule for the next quarter, in preparation for registration during weeks nine and ten. First quarter students are required to meet with their advisor before registering for the second quarter.

During the initial degree planning and follow-up advisement meetings, students work with their advisor to design a program that meets basic degree requirements. This involves determining:

• How many transfer units will be included in the undergraduate degree, based on the official Degree Audit Report (DAR)
• How many Prior Learning units the student plans to document, if applicable
• The appropriate course load per quarter based on the student’s individual circumstances and needs
• How many quarters of residency at AULA are needed and the tentative target date for completing the degree
• Which initial writing course is required as determined by assessment
• What workbook review, if any, is required in math, as determined by assessment
• How the various degree requirements will be met
• Which Major Area of Concentration is appropriate to the Liberal Studies student’s educational goals and which core courses are needed to build a strong foundation
• Which major requirements are fulfilled and which still need to be earned
• How to plan the program to meet graduate school requirements, if applicable

These basic program planning discussions are initiated in the first quarter of enrollment with follow up during subsequent quarterly advisement meetings. Many students find it useful to construct a timetable of study indicating when they expect to fulfill course requirements.

Early in the program and prior to candidacy for graduation, students should be sure to do the following:

• Attend the Prior Learning Workshop at an early point in the program, if the student intends to incorporate prior learning into his or her program. Make sure that Prior Learning proposals are filed with the Registrar with final approval signatures of the Prior Learning Coordinator and the evaluator
• For Liberal Studies students, design the Major Area of Concentration during the first or second quarter of residency. Students cannot declare a specialized concentration after candidacy review begins during the student’s penultimate quarter
• Ensure that units of credit transferred to AULA from other institutions are evaluated and accepted by the Office of the Registrar early in the degree program. It is not possible to accept additional transfer credit during candidacy preparations or the actual candidacy review
• Track progress toward completing degree requirements from their earliest quarters in the program by reviewing their Degree Audit Report with their advisor each quarter prior to registering for classes

Fast Track Programs

At Antioch University Los Angeles, our undergraduate students can “fast track” into our graduate programs during their final terms of study, if they apply and are accepted into one of the graduate programs. Our Fast Track options allow undergraduate students to begin a master’s program while simultaneously completing a bachelor’s degree. Undergraduate students enrolled in our Fast Track programs may apply the units earned during their first term of their master’s program toward their completion of their bachelor’s degree - reducing the time and cost of their undergraduate degree. 

Preparation for Graduate Study

The qualities of mind cultivated by this curriculum prepare students for career advancement and for pursuing lives of meaning and purpose, as well as for further study at the graduate level. Historically a significant percentage of AULA’s graduates attend and complete graduate school, including, in recent years, Alliant International University, Boston University, Brandeis, the California State Universities, Claremont Graduate School, Columbia, Harvard University, Harvard Divinity School, Loyola Law School, Pacifica University, Rutgers Law, Southwestern School of Law, University of California Berkeley, University of California Los Angeles, University of Chicago, University of Nebraska, University of New Mexico School of Law, University of Southern California, University of Minnesota, and Yale, as well as graduate programs at Antioch University Los Angeles and other Antioch University campuses.

Students intending to pursue graduate study should contact graduate schools early in their undergraduate enrollment to find out the admission requirements so that they can tailor their undergraduate study accordingly. Students interested in attending a particular graduate program outside of AULA should be sure to investigate that school’s policy on accepting undergraduate credit for Prior Learning in order to make appropriate choices about incorporating Prior Learning into their programs of study. They should also find out whether the school accepts narrative evaluations in place of grades and a grade point average. If the school does not accept narrative evaluations, the student should request a grade equivalent on the final evaluation from each instructor at AULA.

 

Fast Track and Advanced Standing

Antioch University Los Angeles offers undergraduate students several Fast Track Programs and Advanced Standing Status.

 

Fast Track Programs

Through the AULA Fast Track Programs, undergraduate students are able to take graduate courses that will apply toward both the student’s current bachelor’s degree as well as a future master’s degree. Depending on the program, these units typically can satisfy up to a quarter’s or semester’s worth of graduate degree requirements. Undergraduate students should consult with their Academic Advisors in evaluation their suitability and eligibility for a Fast Track program. In addition, students must gain approval from the Undergraduate Studies Co-Chair to become a fast-track candidate prior to applying for the graduate program

 

BA-MAP Fast Track

Undergraduate students enrolled in an Undergraduate Studies degree program may, with faculty approval, apply as a fast track candidate for the Master of Arts in Clinical Psychology (MAP) Program. The undergraduate to MAP fast track is a single integrated program that saves qualified students significant time and money when progressing from undergraduate to graduate studies. A student must gain approval from both the Undergraduate Studies and MAP program chairs to become a fast track candidate.

 

Provisionally accepted fast track candidates will enroll in the required 9-12 quarter unit cohort curriculum for entering MAP students. Students may complete these courses in either one quarter if attending full time or in two quarters if attending less than full time. Once successfully completed, these 9-12 units will represent completion of the student’s undergraduate degree. These same units will also apply toward the single integrated MAP degree, per Board of Behavioral Sciences (BBS) requirements.

 

Students on academic or any other type of probation are not eligible for the Fast Track program.

 

If a student who is opting for the Fast Track from undergraduate to MAP is also receiving Title IV aid, the student would be eligible for only graduate level aid. Once the student begins their graduate program, they are considered a graduate student both for academic and financial purposes.

 

Fast Track Requirements

In order to be eligible for the fast track, students must have met all of the criteria listed on the Undergraduate-MAP Fast Track checklist, including the following:

●        sent a brief email to: BA.PSY.AULA@antioch.edu by Week 4 two quarters prior to the intended Fast Track quarter, notifying the Psychology Fast Track Team of the intent to engage the Fast Track option. Acceptance into the Fast Track process is dependent on the approval of the Fast Track Team.

●        completed at least 33 units needed toward the 45 units Residency Requirement in the Undergraduate Studies Programs;

●        completed all non-classroom learning and Domain requirements, with the possible exception of the Social Science domain;

●        completed all math and writing requirements;

●        taken at least 15 units of Psychology (PSY) and/or Addiction Studies (ADS) courses prior to completing the Fast Track Intent form.

●        completed the Fast Track Intent form no later than Monday of week 4 in the quarter preceding the intended Fast Track quarter.

●        9-12 quarter units remaining to complete the undergraduate degree;

●        all DSST/CLEPS tests completed in advance of the quarter before the intended Fast Track quarter;

●        all prior learning units registered in advance of the quarter before the intended Fast Track quarter;

●        for BA in Liberal Studies students, completed all area of concentration units, with the exception of up to 12 remaining Psychology Concentration units (if they have declared a major area of concentration).

 

Additionally, Fast Track applicants must understand that…

 

●        in order to qualify for the undergraduate to MAP Fast Track program, a student in an AULA undergraduate program must officially apply through the AULA Admissions Office (and follow all of the AULA Admissions Office application guidelines) and be provisionally accepted into the MAP program;

●        they will be following regular Admissions deadlines and procedures, as outlined by the MAP Program. It is the student’s responsibility to meet all admissions deadlines and requirements;

●        all MAP Fast Track students will be required to take the following courses to fulfill the initial 12 units*

○        Society and the Individual - 3 units

○        Personality I - 3 units

○        Assessment of Psychopathology - 3 units

○        Contemporary Aging - 2 units

○        An elective workshop - 1 unit

 

BA-MFA in Creative Writing Fast Track

 

An AULA BA in Liberal Studies student may elect to become a Fast Track candidate, apply to the AULA MFA in Creative Writing low-residency program and, if accepted, have their first semester in the MFA count toward completion of both the undergraduate degree and the MFA in Creative Writing degree. The MFA Fast Track is a single integrated program that saves qualified students significant time and money when progressing from undergraduate to graduate studies.

 

As a highly competitive, nationally recognized program, acceptance into the MFA program is not automatic and dependent on the quality of the student’s creative work and the MFA program’s selective admissions criteria. Students on academic or any other type of probation are not eligible for the Fast Track.

 

Fast Track Requirements

In order to qualify for the fast track in the MFA Program, a student in the AULA BA in Liberal Studies program must:

 

Have Creative Writing as Major area of concentration.

●        Have completed at least 27 units needed toward the 45 units Residency Requirement in the AULA BA in Liberal Studies Program.

●        Apply and be provisionally accepted into the MFA program. A faculty advisor will guide the student on the appropriate time to apply.

●        Have 18 quarter units remaining to complete the BA degree. Anything less than that will render the student ineligible. It is highly recommended that, if accepted into the MFA, with the assistance of their undergraduate advisor, they plan to have a gap quarter prior to beginning the MFA.

●        At the time of applying, have no less than 18 units remaining and no more than 30 units remaining to complete their degree.

●        Have completed all non-classroom learning, domain requirements and math and academic writing requirements.

●        Complete the BA course requirements of MFA fast track candidates. A form will be available detailing these requirements.

●        Have all prior learning units registered, completed and submitted no later than 2 quarters before the Fast-Track Semester.

●        Have completed a minimum of 22 BA Creative Writing concentration units.

●        Have taken ENG 4900A Advanced Multi-Genre Workshop twice– 6 units minimum (it is strongly recommended students take this class EVERY QUARTER as MFA preparation.)

●        Ensure that any DSST/CLEP tests be registered for and completed no later than 2 quarters before the Fast Track semester.

●        Take no more than 12 units in their final BA quarter prior to the MFA residency. This particularly applies to those students who are directly transitioning from the BA to MFA, without a gap quarter off (as mentioned above, the gap quarter is highly recommended.)

●        If there is a gap quarter between the student’s final BA quarter and their first MFA residency, the student will go on Leave of Absence.

●        Enroll in the required 12 semester-unit core curriculum for the first semester MFA students. This consists of a ten-day on-campus residency, comprising classes, workshops, and readings, followed by a five month online project period during which students work with Faculty Mentors, conference online with fellow students and write in their home communities. If they successfully complete those units, students earn 12 semester units that can be applied toward the MFA degree and 18 quarter units that are counted toward completion of their BA degree and Creative Writing concentration requirements. Until they complete these 12 units and graduate from the BA in Liberal Studies program, fast-track students are only provisionally accepted into the MFA program.

 

Additionally, Fast Track applicants must understand that…

 

●        Even if accepted into the MFA Program, and even if they have completed the first residency, if the Fast-Track student receives any NC or INC in their final BA quarter, they will be automatically withdrawn from the MFA Program. BA students cannot reapply to the Fast Track in this case or if they fail to complete the first MFA semester.

●        If a Fast Track student does not successfully complete the first MFA semester, they will still have 18 remaining BA units to complete their undergraduate degree. They will no longer be an MFA in Creative Writing student, and would need to reapply as a regular applicant upon graduation from the BA program.

●        BA Creative Writing faculty are not involved in the selection process and cannot guarantee acceptance into the MFA.

●        In order to qualify for the BA/MFA Fast Track program, a student in the AULA BA program must officially apply through the AULA Admissions Office (and follow all of the AULA Admissions Office application guidelines) and be provisionally accepted into the MFA program;

●        They must follow regular Admissions deadlines and procedures, as outlined by the MFA program. MFA applications are due twice a year, August 15 and February 15, with special deadlines for priority applications. Students should refer to the MFA deadlines link at http://www.antiochla.edu/ academics/mfa-creative-writing/admissions-process/ (https://www.antioch.edu/los-angeles/degrees-programs/creative-writing-communication- studies/creative-writing-mfa/) and consult with the Admissions department . It is the student’s responsibility to meet all admissions deadlines and requirements.

●        Students should consult with Financial Aid prior to applying to determine impact on Financial Aid.

 

BA-USMA Fast Track

Undergraduate students enrolled in an AULA undergraduate program may, with faculty approval, apply as a fast track candidate for the USMA Program. The USMA fast track is an option that saves qualified students significant time and money when progressing from undergraduate to graduate studies. A student must gain approval from both the undergraduate and USMA program chairs to become a fast track candidate. Students on academic probation are not eligible for the Fast Track program.

 

In order to become a fast track candidate, students must first apply to the USMA program and be provisionally accepted. Provisionally accepted fast track candidates will enroll in the required 8 semester-unit curriculum for entering USMA students. These courses are:

●        Science for Urban Sustainability - 4 units

●        EcoSystems Thinking - 3 units

●        Fieldwork Planning - 1 unit

 

Once successfully completed, these 8 semester units will count toward the MA degree and also translate to 12 quarter units that will count toward completion of the student’s undergraduate degree. If not successfully completed, the student will not be granted full admission into the USMA program.

 

If a student who is opting for the Fast Track into USMA is receiving Title IV aid, the student would be eligible for only undergraduate level aid (including Pell grants) until the undergraduate degree requirements are satisfied.

 

Fast Track Requirements

In order to qualify for the fast track in the USMA Program, the undergraduate student must:

●        Apply and be provisionally accepted into the USMA program

●        Have 12 or fewer quarter units remaining to complete the undergraduate degree

●        Have completed at least 33 units needed toward the 45 unit Residency Requirement in the undergraduate program

●        Have completed all non-classroom learning and domain requirements;

●        Have completed all math and academic writing requirements (including any math review determined through the math assessment)

●        Have completed all area of concentration requirements with the following exception: Students with a concentration in Urban Studies must have completed 28 of the 40 unit concentration requirement.

●        Adhere to the regular Admissions deadlines and procedures, as outlined by the USMA program. It is the student’s responsibility to meet all admissions deadlines and requirements.

 

AULA Graduate Psychology

AULA’s graduate psychology department currently offers three distinct degrees (MAP, MAPS, and MPIC) and a growing number of specializations.

The Master of Arts in Clinical Psychology (MAP) degree program prepares students for licensure as California Licensed Marriage and Family Therapists and, with additional coursework, for licensure as California Licensed Professional Clinical Counselors. Within the program, students specialize in their choice of

• Addiction and Recovery
• Applied Community Psychology
• Child Studies
• General Practice
• LGBT Affirmative Psychology
• Psychological Trauma Studies
• Spiritual adn Depth Psychology

The Master of Arts in Psychological Studies (MAPS) program is a 48-unit program uniquely designed for students who are interested in non-clinical, master’s-level training in applied psychology (e.g., research, program evaluation) and want a more theory focused degree. It is also suitable for those interested in postponing licensure to their doctoral level taining and who wish to obtain preparatory skills and knowledge. Information can be found on the MAPS (p.89) section of this catalog.

The Master of Arts in Psychology-Individualized Concentration (MPIC) degree program is an individualized, non-clinical program of study, which prepares students for non-clinical careers in psychology (e.g., research, program evaluation) or doctoral work in experimental psychology, applied (e.g., clinical, counseling, or school) psychology, or other domains of non-clinical psychology. It is not currently open to newly matriculating students. Information can be found on the MPIC (http://aulacatalog.antioch.edu/graduateprograms/mainpsychologywithindividualizedconcentrationmpic/) section of this catalog.

Mission

The graduate degrees in psychology combine a commitment to teaching and training in psychology with a dedication to social justice. This is accomplished in a program that emphasizes:

• the link between theory and practice through personal, clinical and societal applications of learning
• the highest personal & professional ethical standards
• experiential learning, collaborative learning and educational innovation
• support for creativity, personal meaning and pleasure in learning
• academic excellence

At AULA, learning is not confined to the classroom. Numerous noncredit lectures and workshops, along with informal conversations and discussions with instructors and peers offer opportunities for gaining knowledge. Similarly, assessment is not confined to the classroom. From the moment students are accepted into the psychology program and begin interacting with faculty, staff and peers, they are being assessed as to their potential as therapists, their readiness to engage in clinical training and professionalism.

Program Objectives

The faculty has organized the curriculum around the following five core areas of competence:

• Theoretical Learning: Describe, critique, and apply major theories in the field of psychology.
• Clinical and/or Community Applications: Apply a broad range of intervention skills to clinical and/or community practice with diverse populations.
• Professionalization: Conduct themselves as professionals in the field, with reasonable judgment, effective interpersonal skills, and adherence to legal and ethical guidelines/obligations of practice.
• Human Diversity and Social Justice: Demonstrate awareness, sensitivity, and skills in working with individuals, groups and communities from various cultural backgrounds and identities, and, in working to dismantle systems of marginalization, domination and oppression.
• Reflective Practice: Use self-awareness including self-analysis, observation, inquiry, and purposeful reflection to continually improve their own self- knowledge, interpersonal effectiveness, and professional skills.

The graduate psychology faculty continually works to develop criteria and processes to measure how well the program is able to represent its ideals. At various times in the program, students are asked to participate in this assessment process. For example, students evaluate faculty effectiveness in the classroom at the end of each learning activity. This information helps the program faculty continually revise and improve the program and their own work.

MAP, MAPS and MPIC Program Policies

The following are the MAP program policies for which students are held accountable, except under the most extraordinary circumstances.

Class Meetings

Quarterly classes are scheduled to meet each week of the 10-week term. Occasionally intervening holidays will result in a 9-week schedule for some classes. If for any reason a class does not meet a minimum of 9 times during a quarter, an additional class will be scheduled during the same day and time during week 11 of the quarter or some other equivalent activity will be included.

Class Attendance

Students are expected to attend all scheduled class meetings, arrive on time, and stay for the entire class. Students who miss more than 20% of class meetings will not receive credit for the course.

Instructors may request appropriate documentation for missed classes and chronic lateness. In some courses, where class participation is a crucial part of the learning process, the instructor may allow only one absence.

Maximum Number of ‘Objectives Not Met’ on Narrative Evaluations

Students receiving more than two ‘objectives not met’ on a narrative evaluation will not receive credit for the course.

Maximum attempts at coursework and clinical training

Students may attempt a course a maximum of three times. If a student receives a no credit for a required course, after the third attempt, the student will be withdrawn from the program.

Students can receive a no credit for PSY 6200 Clinical Training once. Upon receiving a second no credit evaluation, the student will be withdrawn from the program.

Students may only attempt PSY 5450 Society and the Individual once. If a student receives a no credit evaluation in this course, the student will be withdrawn from the program.

Incomplete and No Credit Narrative Evaluations

Students who receive two or more incompletes during a quarter may be required to register for half time in the next quarters, until they have caught up on their work.

Students who receive no credit evaluations in two or more pre-clinical courses may be dismissed from the program.

Issues for All Degrees

Provisional Admission

Some students are admitted to the MAP Program provisionally. The student’s letter of acceptance states the reason(s) for the provision. All provisions must be satisfied by the end of the first quarter in order to receive full acceptance. The provision(s) may be cleared when all relevant materials have been submitted to the Office of the Registrar.

Occasionally a student is admitted to the program with the provision that all first quarter work must be completely satisfactory (i.e., no incompletes and no “Credit not Awarded” for first-quarter classes). A student with this provision cannot register for the second quarter until a faculty advisor has spoken to the student’s instructors and approved the student for registration. This means that the student must normally wait until Late Registration to enroll.

Evaluation of Potential and Suitability

From the moment students apply to the program they are being evaluated as to their potential for the program and suitability for the profession. This evaluation includes academic, clinical, ethical and interpersonal domains. While only faculty have input on academic and clinical evaluations, Antioch staff and administrators have input on the ethical and interpersonal domains. A pattern that establishes a deficiency in one or more of these domains may result in students being asked to do remedial work, reduce their load to half time (and/or delay taking certain clinical courses), or leave the program for a time or permanently.

Declaration of Program Form

On entering the MA in Clinical Psychology Program, students must sign a Declaration of Program Form (available at New Student Registration and Orientation and in the Office of Integrated Student Services) confirming the particular program options for which they were admitted: MA in Clinical Psychology or MA in Psychology-Individualized Concentration; MFT or MFT/LPCC licensure pathway; Specialization (i.e., Child Studies, Applied Community Psychology, Spiritual and Depth Psychology, Conflict and Non-Conflict Related Trauma, LGBT Affirmative Psychology, or General Practice); and One-Day-a-Week Cohort, Downtown Cohort, or Flexible Schedule.

If students wish to change to a different program option, (e.g., from one specialization to another, from non-clinical to clinical psychology, in or out of a cohort) an advisor and/or other relevant faculty members must be consulted. A personal interview with a faculty member may be required. The student then obtains appropriate permission signatures on the Change of Program Form, which must then be filed with the University Registrar.

Residency Requirements

Each MA Psychology option (described above) has a ‘Residency Requirement.” This refers to the number of quarters (full, half-time or combination) students must be enrolled, while earning the units required for the degree.

Quarters in which students are enrolled less than half time, on Leave of Absence, on Enrollment Maintenance, or on Thesis Completion status do not count toward the fulfillment of the residency requirement. Given the potential consequences of these enrollment statuses, students should consult with their advisor before committing to them.

The degree must be finished within five calendar years of first admission (unless students withdraw and subsequently reapply and are readmitted, in which case the degree must be finished within five years of the second entry into the program unless otherwise specified). Students readmitted on this basis must complete degree requirements in force at the date of readmission.

Transfer of Credit from other Institutions

The MAP Program may accept in transfer up to 18-quarter units of graduate work in psychology from other regionally accredited institutions, if the coursework is equivalent to comparable AULA core or elective courses. Higher limits for transfer work may be allowed for students transferring from other Antioch University campuses (contact Department Chair for further information). Transfer courses must have been completed within five years immediately preceding admission to the AULA MAP Program, and the grade must be B or better.

In order to request transfer credit, students must fill out Form B, Permission to Transfer Units From Another Graduate Program, attaching copies of the relevant transcript(s), course descriptions and/or course syllabi, so that equivalencies to AULA courses can be determined. Form B is submitted to the Graduate Psychology Department Chair during students’ first quarter.

Acceptance of transfer units is at the Program’s discretion.

Our program follows the AULA transfer policy that directs programs to seek to ‘assure maximum utilization of credits earned previously and to encourage students to advance through their education toward the completion of their degree’ and ‘to provide equitable treatment for native and transfer students and to ensure that students will not be required to repeat course work completed at an acceptable level of performance at a previously attended institution.’

The program also follows the Joint Statement on the Transfer and Award of Credit that notes that transfers ‘increasingly involves transfer between dissimilar institutions’ and encourages ‘for reasons of social equity and educational effectiveness for all institutions to develop reasonable and definitive policies and procedures for acceptance of such learning experiences, as well as for the transfer of credits earned at another institution. Such policies and procedures should provide maximum consideration for the individual student who has changed institutions or objectives. Learn more… (http:// tcp.aacrao.org/misc/joint_statement.php)

In evaluating transfer units the program follows the industry practice that allows for taking a single incoming course and applying its credit among multiple courses. (‘Some schools will take the 5 semester hours and apply it to a 3 credit course and then apply the 2 remaining credits toward another elective.’) Learn more… (http://www.collegetransfer.net/AskCT/Howdoesthecoursecredittransferprocesswork/tabid/2411/default.aspx)

1. When, in the opinion of the transfer content evaluator, an incoming individual transfer course contains content that sufficiently covers content contained in multiple graduate psychology program courses and carries sufficient unit credit to do so then all appropriate coursework will be waived. This is to prevent the student from ‘being required to repeat course work completed at an acceptable level of performance at a previously attended institution’ as stipulated in our transfer credit policy.
2. When an incoming single transfer course has content that meets the requirements for a required psychology program course and also contains units in excess of that required by the psychology program, all excess units be offered as elective units in accordance with AULA transfer credit policy which assures ‘maximum utilization of credits earned previously and to encourage students to advance through their education toward the completion of their degree.’ For example: An incoming course with five quarter units that cover the content of Process I. Two units would be credited to Process I and the remaining three units would be treated as elective units.

Students who are granted transfer credit for 4-7 units may reduce their residency by one-half quarter. Students who are granted transfer credit for 8 or more units may reduce residency by a full quarter.

The Personal Psychotherapy Requirement

Students in the MA in Clinical Psychology Program (including all Specializations) are required to participate as clients in personal psychotherapy, once weekly or more, for a minimum period of two academic quarters (24 weeks).  Students must document their completion of this requirement through the completion of forms available from the MAP program office or the Office of Integrated Student Services. Individual, group, couples or family therapy may be used to meet this requirement. Students are encouraged to begin their personal therapy in advance and/or concurrently with beginning clinical training.

The two quarters of therapy need not be continuous. Students must work with a single therapist, and with a single modality of therapy (individual, group, couples or family therapy) during a quarter of enrollment, but may change therapists or change to a different modality for the second quarter of enrollment. The therapist must be a California licensed MFT, LCSW, LPCC, Psychologist or Board-certified Psychiatrist; interns and trainees are not acceptable as therapists. Telephone therapy and online therapy are not acceptable.

No units of credit are given for psychotherapy, and the requirement is not documented on the transcript. Students must contact the MAP Program Office or the Office of Integrated Student Services for information on how to document the personal psychotherapy requirement.  

Students may not work with someone who has ever been a therapist for them or for a member of their immediate family.

 

Guidelines for Psychotherapy with MAP Faculty Members

In conformity with the Antioch University Los Angeles policy on Dual Relationships, students may not be a client in therapy with a Core, Teaching or Affiliate Faculty Members during students’ enrollment in the program. Adjunct Faculty are expected to follow the ethical standards of their professional organization.

Confidentiality in MAP Classes

Because some class discussions at AULA involve disclosure of personal information, it is important to maintain confidentiality, particularly if this has been the agreement in a particular class. If students do not maintain confidentiality when it is appropriate to do so, it will be considered a conduct violation. As a related issue, it may not be appropriate to tape-record classes, even if only for personal review. Instructors should be asked if taping is permissible.

Progress Tracking Sheets

There is a Progress Tracking Sheet that lists program requirements for all students and requirements for each specialization, as well as for clinical training, provided to assist students in keeping track of their progress in meeting their particular degree requirements. Students should work with the tracking sheet throughout their time in the program to be sure that requirements for residency, core courses, electives, psychotherapy and clinical training are being met. Progress Tracking Sheets are distributed at New Student Registration and Orientation, and are available on the MAP Student Resources (https://sites.google.com/a/antioch.edu/map-program-resources/home/tracking-sheets/) Google Site.

Letter of Concern

Faculty may utilize a Letter of Concern when a serious problem arises with students’ work in a course or conduct. The Letter of Concern is a formal process that instructors use in order to state clearly their concerns and specify what students must do to receive credit for a course (or, in more serious cases, to inform students that credit is not going to be awarded). This letter does not replace a commitment to face-to-face discussions between students and instructors. When a Letter of Concern is written, it is sent to the student, the advisor, the Chair, and a copy is kept in the student’s file in the ISS office. Instructors are not required to use this Letter, but may do so if they feel that it will be helpful. Staff may also write Letters of Concern regarding students if they have had a significant negative experience with them.

The receipt of two letters of concern might result in slower entry into clinical training or affect current placement. The second letter received by a student will also trigger a remediation plan which may be the length of one quarter or more. If the concern is great enough or if the remediation plan is not completed successfully, then this may impact a student’s ability to begin clinical training. If the concerns indicate a lack of suitability for the profession, the student may be asked to leave the program.

Course Prerequisites

A number of core MA Psychology courses have prerequisites as noted in the course descriptions and in the quarterly Schedule of Classes. Some elective courses may have prerequisites as well. Requests to waive MAP course prerequisites

Occasionally, students wish to enroll in a given course before, or concurrently with, the prerequisite course(s), believing that they already possess sufficient academic preparation in the area of the prerequisite. In such cases, students may Petition for a Waiver of Academic Requirements. Students will be required to present evidence of earlier learning (e.g. syllabi of past courses at other schools, reading lists, writing in the area, etc.) and have the consent of their academic advisor, who will act in consultation with the course instructor. Advisors determine whether the background is sufficient to permit students to enroll directly into the more advanced course. The one exception to this process is that prerequisites for beginning clinical training may not be waived.

If the prerequisite course is part of the required curriculum, students must still take the prerequisite, due to the MFT licensing requirement that the entire curriculum be completed. If a student is overqualified for the prerequisite class, it is often possible to work with the instructor to request more advanced assignments.

Independent Studies in MAP

Instructor-student and student-student dialogue is highly valued at AULA. Because of this, taking courses offered by the program (both required and elective) in the classroom setting is the most appropriate and desirable means of completing them.

With the permission of the faculty advisor, students may be allowed to earn elective credit through independent studies in areas of special interest. An approved Form A is needed in order to register for any such independent study. Refer to the Instructions for Form A, available in the ISS office and to the Academic Policies and Procedures chapter of the Catalog.

Under unusual and extreme circumstances, the faculty may consider allowing a student to complete a required course as an independent study. This would be considered if the student has documented prior knowledge of the subject area and if taking the course via the classroom setting would produce significant hardship to the student. A faculty member (core, teaching or affiliate) who has taught the course content is the most appropriate choice for evaluator and that faculty member’s syllabus may be used. The student must complete the requirements of the course and include additional work to account for the usual classroom time. If permission is granted, a Form AA is completed in consultation with the evaluator of the learning activity and filed with the ISS office.

First Quarter Requirements

New Student Orientation

All students are required to attend New Student Orientation, where they learn basic information about the faculty, the program and the degree requirements. With assistance from program faculty, students plan out and register for their first quarter of academic coursework. During the meeting, students also meet with representatives from the ISS, Student Accounts, and Financial Aid.

Students also receive more detailed information about AULA writing standards, American Psychological Association format for writing papers and plagiarism.

 

Post Orientation Activity

All students are required to attend a session of Campus Resource Day Training. At this session, students complete a writing assessment. Based on a review of this writing sample, students may be required to complete a first quarter writing workshop. The workshop includes information on academic writing that can be invaluable to new students. In addition, it provides students with training in how to write papers according to the format described by the American Psychological Association. Students will also receive access to and training in the use of the following AULA systems:

• Antioch email account including online conferencing
• Sakai - the online course management system and classroom
• OhioLink - an online library that contains numerous professional journals.
• AUView - Online registration and student accounts management system
• and other useful AULA resources

On the MAP Student Resources site or the AULA Sakai site, students can find draft course schedules for upcoming quarters, as well as syllabi for courses.

PSY-5450: Society and the Individual (3 units)

All MAP students must successfully complete PSY-5450 Society and the Individual in their first quarter of study (the only exception to this is for one-day/ weekend students taking a limited number of courses in the quarter prior to the start of their cohort. See admissions office for details). This foundation course must be successfully completed in order to advance in the program. Students cannot receive an incomplete in this course except under the most unusual circumstances

In addition to course content, students must demonstrate specific basic computer competencies in order to receive credit.

The following processes pertain to a student who earns a No Credit evaluation in PSY 5450. If, as the quarter proceeds, a student appears to be in danger of not passing, the student may be informed through the feedback provided on written work and/or through a Letter of Concern. However, it is possible that the instructor might reach the decision to award No Credit at the end of the quarter, based on final work turned in, or on class participation late in the course.

If a student does not receive credit for this course, the student will be withdrawn from the MAP Program. If there are extenuating circumstances, the student may appeal to the Psychology Department Chair to request a remediation that does not result in withdrawal from the program. The student’s registration may be voided, if necessary. The student, following procedures specified elsewhere in this catalog, may appeal the No Credit decision and its consequences.

PSY-5000 Clinical Training Orientation (0 units)

Students will complete PSY-5000AA Clinical Training Readiness as early as (but no sooner than) their third quarter of academic study. The PSY-5000AA Clinical Training Readiness course is designed to assist students in learning about and preparing for the various facets of applying to and securing a clinical training placement. This course is desigend to assess students’ readiness to enter clinical training and serve as a bridge between introductory, didactic coursework, and applied experiences in clinical work.

PSY-5100: Introduction to Psychotherapy Theory and Practice (0 units)

New students may also be required to complete PSY-5100: Introduction to Psychotherapy Theory and Practice during or (at the student’s option) prior to the first quarter of study. If so, the course must be successfully completed in order to advance in the program.

The following pertains to a student who earns a No Credit evaluation in this course:

• If a student fails the final exam/final paper for PSY-5100: Introduction to Psychotherapy Theory and Practice, the student has one opportunity to redo it within the same quarter.

If the student does not pass the exam the second time the following consequence will occur:

• The student will be withdrawn from the MAP Program. The student’s registration may be voided, if necessary. The student, following procedures specified elsewhere in this catalog, may appeal the No Credit decision and its consequences.

If a student receives a No Credit for some reason other than failure to successfully complete the final exam/final paper, the student may appeal to the Psychology Department Chair to request a remediation that does not result in withdrawal from the program.

Waiver of the PSY 5100 Requirement

Normally an incoming student would not be required to take this course if the student has recently taken and achieved a B or better on the following coursework at a regionally accredited college or university:

• ● Personality Theory
• ● Abnormal Psychology
• ● Developmental Psychology

If, however, in the opinion of the admissions team an incoming student needs the coursework to prepare him, her, or them for our program, the student may be required to take the course regardless of prior study in psychology.

PSY-5000W: Writing for Graduate School and Beyond (0 units)

New students may also be required to complete Graduate Writing and Beyond during or (at the student’s option) prior to the first quarter of study. If so, the course must be successfully completed in order to advance in the program.

The following pertains to a student who earns a No Credit evaluation in this course:

• If a student fails the final exam/final paper for PSY 5000W Graduate Writing and Beyond, the student has one opportunity to redo it within the same quarter.

If the student does not pass the second time the following consequence will occur:

• The student will be withdrawn from the MAP Program.
• The student’s registration may be voided, if necessary. The student, following procedures specified elsewhere in this catalog, may appeal the No Credit decision and its consequences.

If a student receives a No Credit for some reason other than failure to successfully complete the final exam/final paper, the student may appeal to the Psychology Department Chair to request a remediation that does not result in withdrawal from the program.

Waiver of the 500W Requirement

Incoming students can ‘test out’ of the 500W requirement during the Writing Workshop during Campus Resource Day.

Specialization Courses

A course should be designated and approved as a specialization course before it can be counted toward completion of the specialization. In most circumstances, non-specialization course cannot be switched to a specialization course after a student has taken it. While a course may be counted to satisfy two requirements, they cannot be double counted towards the total for the degree. Thus, it may be that a course could satisfy two different sets of requirements for the specialization, but not counted twice toward the total number of hours needed for a degree. An elective would be needed toward fulfilling the degree requirements.

Program Options and Degree Requirements

Each AULA graduate psychology student applies for and is accepted to either MAP or MAPS. MAP Students also choose a specialization. (Changes are sometimes possible in subsequent quarters, certified by the Change of Program Form, which must be filed with the OISS with appropriate permission signatures from the faculty. An additional interview may be required.)

MA in Clinical Psychology (MAP)

This is the degree for students seeking to be licensed in California as Marriage and Family Therapists and/or Licensed Professional Clinical Counselors (with additional coursework). For students beginning in Fall 2012 or later, the program consists of 90 units with a minimal completion time of 8 full time quarters.

The MA Program in Clinical Psychology (MAP):

●        Prepares students for MFT licensure in California

●        With some additional coursework, prepares students for licensure as Licensed Professional Clinical Counselors in California

●        Prepares students for doctoral study in Psychology

●        Prepares eclectically trained students who are taught and expected to act with cultural humility

●        Promotes students’ personal growth and development

●        Provides students with practical clinical experience in a very wide range of community-based mental health settings

●        Challenges the profession toward greater relevance to the needs of Southern California’s diverse communities

 

Exposure to changing methods in the profession for a variety of career paths is at the core of the curriculum. Each student is supported in finding the professional approach most appropriate for him/her/them. AULA students are enriched by the opportunity to find and choose from the wide array of models available in the field, many of which are taught during their time in the program.

 

MAP Clinical Training and Licensure (MAP Students Only)

 

AULA’s MAP degree has been designed to meet and exceed the requirements established by the State of California Board of Behavioral Sciences (BBS) for academic preparation for licensure as a Marriage and Family Therapist (MFT) and/or Licensed Professional Clinical Counselor (LPCC). AULA’s combination of classroom learning, clinical training experience, and personal development provides strong preparation for meeting licensure requirements, and AULA graduates have experienced high pass rates on the licensing examinations. AULA is experienced in helping students move successfully into productive service as qualified professionals.

 

The path toward licensure begins while the student is in the MA in Clinical Psychology Program. The Clinical Training Orientation (PSY 5000) provides detailed information about AULA’s clinical training requirements and the California State licensing process. During this meeting a Clinical Training Handbook is distributed. Although the Clinical Training Director, staff, and faculty advisors can assist students to understand all BBS procedures, students should bear in mind that meeting the BBS requirements for licensure is solely the student’s personal responsibility. Students are responsible for reading the Clinical Training Handbook and adhering to all its procedures.

Students will complete PSY 5000AA Clinical Training Readiness as early as (but no sooner than) their third quarter of academic study. The PSY 5000AA Clinical Training Readiness course is designed to assist students in learning about and preparing for the various facets of applying to and securing a clinical training placement. This course is designed to assess students’ readiness to enter clinical training and serve as a bridge between introductory, didactic coursework, and applied experiences in clinical work.

 

In the quarter prior to registering for clinical training units, students must complete PSY 5000A Pre-Enrollment Requirements for Entering Clinical Training (PERFECT). This tutorial teaches students about the paperwork required to contract with a training site, how to register for clinical training academic units and how to track hours for AULA and the BBS. PERFECT is a self-paced, computer-based tutorial available online through the AULA Sakai system. Upon successful completion, students must submit a PERFECT Tutorial Proof of Completion form to the Clinical Training Office.

 

Students may start clinical training after successfully completing four quarters of enrollment, a minimum of 18 units of academic units, PSY 5000 Clinical Training Orientation, PERFECT, PSY 5000AA Clinical Training Readiness, PSY 5000A PERFECT, as well as completing and receiving credit for the courses, which are prerequisites for clinical training (i.e., PSY 5310A Personality Theories I, PSY 5010A Process of Interpersonal Psychotherapy I, PSY 5410F Assessment of Psychopathology, PSY 5410G Psychopathology and Treatment Planning, and PSY 5480 Professional Ethics and the Law). However, completing course and unit prerequisites does not guarantee permission to engage in clinical training. Students must also meet any additional readiness requirements outlined in the most current Clinical Training Handbook. Additionally, should the faculty determine that a student is not yet ready to begin clinical training, the student’s clinical training may be delayed and additional learning activities may be required.

 

After correctly completing and submitting the relevant forms (Form D and Clinical Training Agreement) to the Clinical Training Office, as described in the Clinical Training Handbook, students must register for clinical training units (i.e., PSY 6200 Applied Psychotherapeutic Techniques) during the Priority Registration period or during the Add-Drop period, using an Add/Drop Form for Non-Online Courses Requiring Extra Documentation Only in each quarter in which they plan to receive academic credit. Students may NOT register for clinical training until all evaluations for CT prerequisites have been reviewed by their advisor/appropriate faculty member, processed by the Office of the Registrar, and credit has been recorded in their credit report. Changes in clinical training supervisor(s) and/or hours must be communicated to the Clinical Training Office by submitting a correctly completed Form DD, and (in most cases) a new Clinical Training Agreement . Please see the Clinical Training Handbook for more information.

 

Students must be concurrently enrolled in PSY 6200 Clinical Practicum during any quarter while earning clinical training hours and units. Students must enroll in this zero unit course regardless of how many units they are completing in PSY 6200/Applied Psychotherapeutic Techniques. This course is designed to be a connection point between classroom-based learning and clinical training experience. The course addresses issues of professional development, supervision utilization, and offers training in case documentation and case presentation. Students who fail to enroll in or receive credit for PSY 6210 Clinical Practicum cannot receive credit for their clinical training units (i.e., PSY 6200) and cannot count any of the hours accrued during the quarter toward licensure.

 

During the clinical training process, students perform some combination of individual psychotherapy, relationship counseling, family therapy, and/or group psychotherapy with clients under clinical supervision at one of AULA’s approved training sites as a Marriage and Family Therapist Trainee and/or a Professional Clinical Counselor Trainee. Clinical training can only take place with agencies approved by the AULA Clinical Training Office.

 

Students must complete a minimum of 9 units of clinical training to graduate from the program, but may enroll in up to 18 units as part of their degree plan. Students must complete a minimum of 297 hours of supervised clinical experience (but no more than 750 hours) as a trainee. As part of the 297-750 hours of experience, students completing the MFT requirements must accrue 150 hours of direct-client-contact counseling individuals, couples, families, or groups and 75 hours of client centered advocacy and/or additional direct-client-contact hours. Students completing the PCC requirements must accrue 280 hours of direct-client-contact counseling individuals, couples, families, or groups. For students completing the MFT requirements, these hours will be counted toward the 3000 hours needed to qualify to take the examinations for the MFT license. PCC licensure requires a clinical traineeship and an additional 3000 hours completed after graduation; to qualify for the PCC licensing examinations. Students completing the PCC requirements will begin earning the 3000 hours needed to qualify for PCC licensure after graduation from the MAP program.

 

Upon successful completion of the MA in Clinical Psychology, graduates apply to the BBS for registration as Marriage and Family Therapy Associate and/or Professional Clinical Counselor Associatae. As Associates, graduates must work under appropriate supervision and may do so in a paid or unpaid positions at a community mental health centers, hospitals, schools, substance abuse treatment centers, or other appropriate agencies, or in a private-practice settings, in order to accumulate the balance of the 3000 hours of supervised clinical experience required for MFT licensure and/or to accumulate all 3000 hours of post-degree supervised clinical experience required for LPCC licensure.

 

After completing the 3000 hours of experience, applicants take the required examinations administered by the Board of Behavioral Sciences. When students pass these examinations successfully, they are eligible for licenses to practice independently as a Marriage and Family Therapists and/or Licensed Professional Clinical Counselors.

 

Students should be aware that, at this time, AULA’s MA Psychology programs are not structured to meet requirements for education and school counselor credentials, which are overseen by the California State Department of Education.

Evaluation of Readiness to Begin Clinical Training

As noted previously, despite completing all of the technical pre-clinical requirements, if, in the opinion of the faculty, students are not ready to begin clinical training due to identified issues with interpersonal effectiveness, student conduct, and/or other concerns, students may be required to undertake additional coursework and/or interpersonal skill-building activities before beginning the clinical portion of their degree.

Evaluation of Clinical Training

Each quarter in which students are registered for clinical training units, the Clinical Training Office sends Graduate Student Learning Assessments to their Clinical Supervisors. Students are responsible for confirming that the completed learning assessments have been received by the Clinical Training Office on time. Clinical training evaluations may NOT be delivered by students. For continuing students, the completed learning assessment must not be completed before the last week of the quarter and must be received by the Clinical Training Office in accordance with the stated deadlines. For graduating students registered for clinical training units in their final quarter, the learning assessment cannot include hours past the penultimate week of the term (see the Academic Calendar section at the back of the Catalog).

 

When the Clinical Supervisors have returned the Graduate Student Learning Assessments for a given quarter to the Clinical Training Office, the Clinical Training Office reviews the assessment technically. The AULA Director of Clinical Training then reviews the assessments to determine whether AULA credit is awarded. It should be noted that the AULA Director of Clinical Training, and not the students’ supervisors, has the authority to determine whether or not AULA credit is awarded. If credit is awarded, the Clinical Training Office enters the student’s total hours of experience and total face-to- face client hours into the clinical training database. The learning assessment is then forwarded to the Office of the Registrar for entry into the student’s official record. If the Director of Clinical Training denies credit, this decision may be appealed following the regular process for Appeal of Narrative Evaluations as detailed in the Academic Policies, Procedures, and Services section of this Catalog.

 

Students who fail to enroll in or receive credit for PSY 6210 Clinical Practicum during any quarter in which they are also enrolled in PSY 6200 Applied Psychotherapeutic Techniques cannot receive credit for their clinical training units (i.e., PSY 6200) and cannot count any of the hours accrued during the quarter toward licensure.

 

Students may fail to receive credit for PSY 6200 Applied Psychotherapeutic Techniques, only once. Upon receiving a second no-credit evaluation, students will be withdrawn from the program.

Evaluation of Hours Earned when Students are not Registered for Clinical Training

In some cases, students earn hours at an AULA-approved clinical training site during a quarter for which they are not registered for PSY 6200 units. The standard Clinical Training Agreements and Form Ds are required. Instead of narrative evaluations, supervisors complete Supervisor’s Report on Trainee Hours When Student is Not Earning Antioch Credit forms at the end of the quarter. Details are provided in the Clinical Training Handbook. As is the case for clinical training credit, the AULA Director of Clinical Training has the authority to determine whether or not the hours will be accepted.

 

Note: Students earning only clinical training hours must be concurrently enrolled in PSY 6210 Clinical Practicum. Students who fail to enroll in or receive credit for PSY 6210 Clinical Practicum cannot count any of the hours accrued during the quarter toward licensure.

Ethical Standards in Clinical Training

Whenever AULA MAP students are earning hours at approved clinical training sites as MFT Trainees and/or LPCC Trainees, whether or not they are registered for academic credit for clinical training, they must conform to the ethical principles for professional practice. The Clinical Training Handbook provides detail on student ethical responsibilities in clinical training. Students found to be in violation of ethical principles may be subject to sanctions including but not limited to dismissal from the clinical training site; loss of credit for the term; loss of hours earned toward the MFT/LPCC license; and, in the most serious cases, suspension and/or dismissal from the program. Cases involving ethical violations will be considered first by the Director of Clinical Training, then by the Psychology Department Chair in consultation with the MAP faculty. Appeals of decisions may be made to the Psychology Department Chair, then to the Office of the Provost.

Traineeship at the Antioch University Counseling Center (AUCC)

The Antioch University Counseling Center is not only a community clinic, but also a training site for selected students in the MAP Program. Graduates of the program may also complete an associateship at the AUCC. Trainees and associates are involved in individual, couples and family therapy, co-lead therapy groups, and present psycho-educational workshops in the community. This rigorous clinical training is augmented by expert supervision, ongoing in- services and training sessions. For students able to counsel in languages other than English, The AUCC International Counseling Center provides experience with diverse clinical populations. For those interested in working with LGBT youth, the AUCC COLORS program provides LGBT-affirmative therapy, support and advocacy for underserved youth, young adults, and their families. Students may also earn hours in AUCC’s School-Based Counseling Program, working in area elementary, middle, and high schools. Counselors in training take responsibility for all aspects of Counseling Center operation, acquiring valuable experience in future roles. Students interested in training at the AUCC should contact the AUCC Associate Director.

 

Professional Clinical Counseling

In 2009, the Board of Behavioral Sciences in California differentiated Marriage and Family Therapy (MFT) from Professional Clinical Counseling (PCC) as two distinct licenses that were available to mental health professionals at the master’s level. As such, Antioch University developed the opportunity for students in the MAP-Clinical program who designated the General Practice specialization to take coursework in their general practice elective coursework that would make them eligible for the PCC license in California.

 

The profession of counseling, governed by the American Counseling Association (ACA), holds a theoretical framework that is slightly different than that of marriage and family therapy. Historically, marriage and family therapists were trained in a diagnosis, medical-focused model (often trained to work in hospitals and clinics), whereas counselors were trained in a developmental, normative-stress model (often trained to work in schools and college counseling centers for people undergoing normative life stressors). After World War II, many counselors and therapists were trained and hired interchangeably to work with the massive increase of individuals needing a wide variety of services, including vocational guidance and job placement as well as comprehensive psychological treatment to aid in their suffering of PTSD symptoms. Thus, MFTs and PCCs are now often working in many of the same locations, although their scope of practice and theoretical framework of training are different. Specifically, PCCs often are focused on:

1. normative development across the lifespan (e.g. development throughout adulthood and midlife) at the master’s level; and,

2. career counseling theory and career-focused assessment techniques (e.g., development throughout adulthood and midlife) at the master’s level.

 

GATEWAY Course for the PCC Specialization: PSY-5010A (Process of Interpersonal Psychotherapy I). This is a co-requisite for PSY-5060E, meaning that students can take PSY-5010A and PSY-5060E concurrently.

 

17 units LPCC Specialization

Students can take PSY 5090 as their clinical skills elective (which can also fulfill one of their core course requirements). Students can also choose to take PSY 5360E (Research for Evidence-Based Practice) in lieu of PSY 5450E (Program Development and Evaluation) if desired.

 

PSY 5060E        Career Development I: Theories (3 quarter units)

PSY 5060F        Career Development II: Application and Techniques (2 quarter units)

PSY 5500E        Integrative Treatment of Addictive & Co-Occurring Disorders (3 quarter units)

PSY 5090          Brief Therapy (2 quarter units)

PSY 5450E OR        Program Development and Evaluation (3 quarter units) OR

PSY 5360E Research for Evidenced-Based Practices

The Professional Development Coursework Option

All courses offered in the graduate psychology program are designed to broaden and deepen the knowledge and skills necessary to provide psychological services at the highest professional level. Successful completion of any course in the department will increase skills and/or professional knowledge on the part of the student. Given this, in addition to their specialization(s), most students should consider adding the Professional Development Coursework Option (PDC) to their degree program. The PDC allows students to take additional theoretical, application, social justice, and reflective practice courses as part of their degree program. Doing so will increase both professional skills and employment readiness. Students must consult with their adviser and plan carefully when considering any PDC courses to ensure they are not overburdened during their studies.

  

Current Tuition and Fees

University Tuition and Fees   

Programs

Creative Writing and Communication

• •  Creative Writing, MFA
• •  Teaching of Creative Writing, Certificate (Post-MFA)

Education

• •  Education, Leadership and Change, MA
• •  Education, Teaching Credential, MA
• •  Induction Program
• •  Preliminary Education Specialist Mild/Moderate, Teaching Credential
• •  Preliminary Multiple Subject, Teaching Credential

Environmental Studies and Sustainability

• •  Urban Sustainability, MA
• •  Urban Sustainability, with Integrated GIS Certificate, MA
• •  USMA-MFA Dual Degree Program

Psychology

• •  Applied Community Psychology, Certificate
• •  Clinical Psychology, Addiction and Recovery Specialization, MA
• •  Clinical Psychology, Applied Community Psychology Specialization, MA
• •  Clinical Psychology, Child Studies Specialization, MA
• •  Clinical Psychology, General Practice Specialization, MA
• •  Clinical Psychology, LGBT Affirmative Psychology Specialization, MA
• •  Clinical Psychology, MA
• •  Clinical Psychology, Marriage and Family Therapy, with Professional Clinical Counselor, MA
• •  Clinical Psychology, Psychological Trauma Studies Specialization, MA
• •  Clinical Psychology, Spiritual and Depth Psychology Specialization, MA
• •  Psychological Studies, MA
• •  Psychology, Individualized Concentration, MA

Undergraduate Studies

• •  Applied Arts and Media, BA
• •  Applied Studies, BA
• •  Applied Technology and Business Leadership, BS
• •  Liberal Studies, Addiction Studies Concentration, BA
• •  Liberal Studies, Business and Management Studies Concentration, BA
• •  Liberal Studies, Certified Nonprofit Leadership Credential
• •  Liberal Studies, Child Studies Concentration, BA
• •  Liberal Studies, Creative Writing Concentration, BA
• •  Liberal Studies, Dual Areas of Concentration
• •  Liberal Studies, Individualized Concentration, BA
• •  Liberal Studies, Liberal Studies Concentration, BA
• •  Liberal Studies, Psychology Concentration, BA
• •  Liberal Studies, Queer Studies Concentration, BA
• •  Liberal Studies, Urban Studies Concentration, BA
• •  Urban Communities and Justice, BAA

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