CIIS Psychology Programs

The California Institute of Integral Studies (CIIS) is a unique educational institution located in San Francisco’s SoMa area, next to the Civic Center and Mission districts. The school started as the California Institute of Asian Studies in 1968 and got its current name in 1980. CIIS has pushed the boundaries of educational innovation for over five decades. The Western Association of Schools and Colleges have kept CIIS regionally accredited since 1981.

CIIS stands out because of its groundbreaking educational philosophy. It became the first accredited university in North America that combined Western psychological points of view with Eastern spiritual traditions. This blend creates a learning space that questions traditional education while upholding academic standards.

The institute has three main academic divisions:

• School of Professional Psychology & Health
• School of Consciousness and Transformation (focusing on humanities)
• School of Undergraduate Studies

These schools provide interdisciplinary graduate studies in a variety of fields including psychology, counseling, philosophy, religion, cultural anthropology, transformative leadership, integrative health, women’s spirituality, and community mental health.

The Clinical Psychology PsyD program, 32 years old, shows the institute’s unique educational vision clearly. The program has trained more than 500 professional psychologists who now have a strong presence throughout the San Francisco Bay Area and beyond. Many graduates hold leadership and training positions in the field.

The CIIS PsyD program builds on three key foundations: contemporary psychodynamic theory; humanistic, existential, and transpersonal perspectives; and a strong social justice orientation. This structure helps students become clinicians who can blend multiple points of view while developing their own therapeutic style.

The institute champions “integral education” – an all-encompassing approach that connects intellectual depth with hands-on practice. Students participate in transformative education that links theory with real experience. This approach encourages growth in mind, body, and spirit. Faculty members help students get into their internal processes, external relations, past experiences, and positionality/intersectionality to understand how these shape their views and actions.

CIIS creates an educational environment that combines academic excellence with personal development. The institute specifically welcomes “radically curious and committed individuals who are seeking meaningful growth, academic rigor, innovative research, and collaborative community”. Graduates leave prepared not just to practice professionally, but to lead and shape psychology’s future.

Programs offered

The California Institute of Integral Studies has several psychology programs, and its PsyD in Clinical Psychology program is a vital part of its educational offerings. Students can become licensed clinical psychologists through this unique program that stays true to CIIS’s integral approach. This approach considers body, psyche, soul, spirit, culture, and society.

Students must complete at least 90 semester credits of core classes plus additional units for practical training and dissertation. The program breaks down into 85 required units, 5 elective units, 6-11 units of practicum, and 3-4 units of internship. Most students finish this five-year program by spending three years on coursework and then moving into clinical training to prepare for professional practice.

The CIIS PsyD program stands out from other psychology doctorates because it blends clinical training with academic work seamlessly. Students spend two years getting hands-on experience at community agencies. They work about 20 hours each week at training sites. Licensed psychologists provide one hour of individual supervision weekly, along with group supervision and training sessions. Students also take professional seminar courses that connect classroom theory with real-life psychotherapy experience.

Students move on to a clinical internship through the California Board of Psychology at an approved site after finishing their coursework and practica. They can complete this internship in one year full-time or spread it across two years part-time. The deadline to finish is two and a half years from the start date.

The School of Professional Psychology and Health runs several other notable programs:

• Five Master’s in Counseling Psychology concentrations: Integral Counseling Psychology, Drama Therapy, Somatic Psychology, Expressive Arts Therapy, and Community Mental Health
• Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) in Human Sexuality
• Master of Arts (MA) in Integrative Health Studies
• PhD in Psychology with concentrations in Integral Transpersonal Psychology and Somatic Psychology

The Master’s in Counseling Psychology programs focus on equity, inclusion, and social justice. Students learn through hands-on experience, theory, and technical training while developing strong clinical skills. Students can choose from 160 practicum sites in their final year to gain supervised experience helping Bay Area communities.

Program graduates often work in community mental health, nonprofit organizations, hospitals, government agencies, schools, and private practice. The CIIS PsyD program gives graduates complete training for California licensing exams. They develop expertise in clinical intervention methods, advanced assessment skills, and learn to work effectively with diverse groups.

Online options

CIIS stands out from traditional doctoral programs with its forward-looking approach to education delivery. The institution provides multiple online and hybrid options throughout its academic programs. Students who want to join the PsyD program should understand these digital learning options before making their decision.

The PsyD in Clinical Psychology at CIIS maintains a traditional in-person format. Notwithstanding that, several psychology-related programs at CIIS accept new ideas through hybrid and online models. These models showcase the institution’s steadfast dedication to accessibility. The Integral Counseling Psychology concentration now offers an online-focused hybrid format of its M.A. in Counseling Psychology. This change directly addresses the rapid growth of telehealth in psychotherapy since 2020. It creates new ways to reach more patients.

CIIS hybrid programs balance digital and in-person elements effectively through:

• Immersive in-person intensives once per semester
• Virtual coursework as the main method of instruction
• Year-long supervised training practica

Students benefit greatly from the hybrid model’s flexibility while receiving quality education. The institution states this approach combines “the convenience of online learning with the depth of face-to-face connection and experiential training”. These programs promote strong relationships through cohort models. Students connect during immersive in-person retreats and virtual courses that focus on active discussions, group work, mentorship, and class participation.

CIIS also provides fully online programs with no campus visits required. Applied Psychology, Critical Sexuality Studies, and Transformative Studies are available entirely online. The PsyD program remains unavailable in this format.

State authorization rules might limit online program availability. Federal Title IV regulations require CIIS to verify student locations before each semester’s registration. Students in license-eligible programs like the PsyD in Clinical Psychology must live in California, Nevada, or Oregon throughout their studies.

The flagship PsyD program keeps its traditional format. Yet CIIS shows its innovative spirit through many hybrid and online psychology programs. Students who need flexible learning options can access education that aligns with the institute’s unique integral philosophy.

Accreditation

Quality indicators for psychology doctoral programs rely heavily on accreditation credentials. The California Institute of Integral Studies received its institutional accreditation from the Western Association of Schools and Colleges-Senior College and University Commission (WSCUC) and has managed to keep it since 1981. WSCUC accreditation proves CIIS meets quality academic standards.

The CIIS PsyD program’s specific accreditation history tells a different story. The program earned American Psychological Association (APA) accreditation in 2003. The APA revoked this status in 2011, and CIIS’s appeal failed in 2012. This decision came after finding gaps between the program and APA’s Guidelines and Principles for Accreditation of Programs in Professional Psychology in areas like program philosophy, resources, student-faculty relations, and quality improvements.

CIIS tried again for APA accreditation in June 2016 but pulled its application in June 2017. The institute decided to stay independent from APA requirements. This choice showed their commitment to “50-year commitment to integral teaching and learning and… to depth-oriented experientially rich clinical training”.

WSCUC accreditation meets California’s licensure requirements and those of several other states. CIIS has produced more than 500 psychologists through this program with its WSCUC accreditation intact. Students can still get all the training they need for licensure in California—which doesn’t need APA accreditation—and many other states.

WSCUC institutional accreditation provides these benefits:

• Assurance that the program meets nationally endorsed quality standards
• Continuous evaluation and improvement processes
• Accountability for achieving educational objectives

The lack of APA accreditation might limit some professional opportunities. Veterans Affairs, healthcare systems, and many internships need candidates from APA-accredited programs. Some states specifically require APA accreditation for licensure, though this isn’t true everywhere.

CIIS received continued WSCUC accreditation in June 2024. The next steps include a Special Visit in Spring 2027, an Offsite Review in Fall 2029, and a full Accreditation Visit in Spring 2030.

Students thinking about the CIIS PsyD program should review how its accreditation status fits their career plans and where they want to practice.

Admission Requirements

The CIIS PsyD program looks at several factors when selecting candidates. You need a bachelor’s degree to apply, but it doesn’t have to be in psychology. The program wants students who can reflect on their inner processes, relationships, past experiences and how these shape their viewpoints and actions.

Applications work on a tiered deadline system. The first priority deadline of February 15th guarantees your application will be reviewed. Applications after this date might only be reviewed for waitlist positions, or the program might stop accepting new applications.

You’ll need these simple eligibility requirements:

• A bachelor’s degree (B.A. or B.S.) from an accredited college or university
• A minimum GPA of 3.0 in previous coursework
• No GRE requirement

Students with GPAs between 2.0 and 3.0 can still apply. They need to submit a GPA statement and talk to the Admissions Office.

Your application package should include:

• Online application with a non-refundable $68 application fee
• Official transcripts from all academic institutions where you earned 7+ credits
• Academic writing sample (minimum five pages) that shows critical thinking and graduate-level writing abilities
• Two letters of recommendation from academic advisors, professors, or professional supervisors
• One-page professional goal statement about your educational and professional objectives
• Four to six-page autobiographical statement about your values, emotional insights, aspirations, and experiences that led you to apply
• Current resume/CV

Students with foreign transcripts must get them evaluated through World Education Services or other NACES members.

The admissions team looks beyond academic performance to assess personal qualities. They welcome people from different backgrounds who can reflect on themselves and understand how their unique viewpoints influence their approach to psychology.

Once accepted, you’ll need to pay a non-refundable $300 enrollment deposit to secure your spot. This amount goes toward your tuition for the intended semester. Your admission offer works only for the specific semester mentioned and can’t be deferred.

The all-encompassing approach to reviewing applications goes beyond grades. The team looks at your vision, maturity, communication skills, respect for different viewpoints, and clarity of educational and professional goals.

Tuition

Getting a doctoral psychology degree at CIIS requires a most important financial investment. The 2025-26 tuition for Doctoral Division students costs $1,587 per unit, up slightly from $1,537 in 2024-25. Clinical Psychology students should expect to pay extra fees for program components.

The 2025-26 practicum fees for PsyD students amount to $518. Half-time internships will cost $980, while full-time internships run $1,012. Here’s what you’ll pay for other key program requirements:

• Comprehensive Examination: $4,311
• Dissertation Proposal Writing/Completion: $4,311
• Dissertation Publication: $482
• Dissertation Seminar/Research/Continuance: $4,311

Students following normal progression can expect to pay around $133,552 total. This amount covers four years of tuition (roughly $29,483 per year), one year of internship at $2,640, and five years of university fees adding up to $12,980. Keep in mind these numbers don’t include San Francisco’s living expenses.

CIIS stands in the middle range when it comes to psychology doctoral program costs. The school ranks 11th among online psychology doctoral programs with yearly tuition of $14,217. This amount sits well above the lowest option at $5,280 but stays far below some programs that charge over $30,000 per year.

Students can take advantage of several financial support options:

• Scholarships, grants, and loans help reduce the “sticker price”
• Payment plans come at no extra cost
• Military benefits through GI Bills and Yellow Ribbon Program support veterans and their families
• State of California College Fee Waiver helps qualifying veteran dependents

The numbers show that 67% of CIIS students get grants or scholarships, with average aid reaching $10,047. Some students see their tuition reduced by up to 43.45%.

In a nutshell, future PsyD students should carefully review this financial commitment alongside the program’s unique educational benefits.

Additional Information

CIIS PsyD program graduates thrive in an expanding field with numerous career paths. Alumni excel beyond traditional clinical practice and take on roles in supervision, management, administration, consulting, research, advocacy, and public policy. The 32-year-old program has produced over 500 professional psychologists who have built a respected presence throughout the San Francisco Bay Area and internationally.

Notable alumni achievements include Jessica DiVento Dzuban’s role as Global Head of Mental Health for YouTube. Many graduates now hold leadership and training positions across the United States and around the world.

Practical experience remains the key to the program’s strength. The PsyD department collaborates with more than 70 agencies in the greater San Francisco Bay Area to provide clinical training and field placement. These partnerships give students extensive opportunities to apply theoretical knowledge in ground settings.

CIIS is the first accredited North American university to combine Western psychology with Eastern spirituality. Alan Watts, a prominent figure in that movement, described CIIS (then known as the “American Academy of Asian Studies”) as “one of the principal roots of what later came to be known, in the early sixties, as the San Francisco Renaissance”.

The program’s focus on holism, depth, and diversity sets it apart from other educational options in psychology.