International Psychology Certificate

Certificate Leads: Louis Hoffman, Ph.D. and Mark Yang, Psy.D.

Sponsored by: Existential, Humanistic, Transpersonal Psychology (EHTP) Specialization and Transformative Social Change Degree Program

Description

This Certificate program is designed for individuals desiring to 1) expand their professional practice to include international contexts and settings, or 2) integrate an international framework and sensitivity into their current professional practice. The coursework design is flexible in order to allow students to develop knowledge and experience relevant to their professional interests and career path. The coursework in the International Psychology Certificate program exposes students to international perspectives in psychology as well as preparing students to do international work. Students will develop a wide array of personal and professional skills and knowledge relevant to international psychology including preparing and organizing international trips, ethical issues in international psychology, engaging in cross-cultural exchange, indigenous psychology and cultural sensitivity, providing professional presentations and training in an international context, and personal and group safety issues.

Career outcomes from this Certificate program primarily focus on expanding one’s scope of practice. The Certificate program prepares students currently engaged in clinical work (including disaster and relief work), coaching, consulting, teaching, professional training, spiritual guidance, conflict resolution, social transformation, or peace psychology to expand their professional practice into an international context. Additionally, this Certificate program prepares individuals whose primary career objectives are working within the United States to gain some international experience to enrich their professional work and engage in international partnerships.

Curriculum

EHTP 2065 International Psychology

Choose 3 from the following:

CSIH 3070 Eastern Psychologies

CSIH 3215 The African Diaspora: African American Cultural History and Psychology

CSIH 4045 The Buddhist Path to Healing

CSIH 4530 Psychology, Religion, and Spirituality in their Cultural Contexts

CSIH 6560 Approaches to Socially Engaged Spirituality

EHTP 3075 The Life and Work of Alan Watts

EHTP 3520 Multicultural Perspectives on Death and Loss

TSC 6400 Ethics for Transformative Social Change: Thinking Like a Global Citizen

TSC 6550 Conflict Resolution Theory and Method

TSC 6585 The Human Right to Adequate Food

TSC 6590 Peace Studies

TSC 7085 Globalism and Power

TSC 7115 Refugee Trauma and Resiliency

AND

Practicum/Project (For the practicum, students will participate in an international trip of a minimum of one-week in length focused on work relevant to international psychology (EHTP 2066: Practicum in International Psychology). This trip may involve participation in a group excursion organized by a Saybrook faculty member or may be organized separately with a faculty member providing guidance relevant to the trip activities. The practicum experience will include preparations for the trip, the international trip, and debriefing of the trip after returning. Students are expected to provide their own funding for the trip.)
Integrative Paper/Seminar

Learning Objectives: Upon completion of this Certificate, students will be able to:

Critique mainstream Western psychology from international perspectives.
Integrate international perspectives into their local professional practice.
Identify and consider ethical issues relevant to the practice of international psychology.
Engage in the practice of international psychology in a culturally sensitive manner.
Prepare for and engage in trips relevant to international psychology.

College of Social Sciences Certificate Programs

Saybrook University’s College of Social Sciences offers a number of exciting certificate programs intended for non-matriculating students who want to expand or deepen their knowledge and skills pertaining to specific foci. Our certificate programs offer a variety of topics relevant in today’s world. From existential psychology to integrative healthcare, the College of Social Sciences certificates offer students the humanistic and interdisciplinary education students desire in a convenient certificate program.

Delivery Model

All entering students will begin their program in consultation with the Certificate Lead Faculty in order to clarify requirements and ensure that their interests are integrating within their learning experience. Students can change their study plan later, but need to make an initial plan at the outset, including a tentative plan for a one-year enrollment for those individuals not enrolled in a Saybrook degree program. Typically, certificate requirements can be completed within one to two years (see Certificate Lead Faculty for more details). Students progress through certificate requirements through a combination of on-line cohort courses and either face-to-face experientials during a Saybrook Residential Conference and/or at-a-distance platforms such as video-conference or conference calls. Additionally, students participate in online Graduate Colloquia shells, which are virtual classrooms utilized to foster community among all enrolled in specializations that sponsor the certificates; deepening the learning environment and broadening the application of theory and practice.

These certificates are available to degree and non-degree students alike. Non-degree students who subsequently pursue a degree at Saybrook may be able to transfer credits toward degree requirements. Students formally enrolled in one of Saybrook’s degree programs may be able to integrate the certificate into their program as the certificate course requirement may satisfy either specialization requirements and/or degree electives. In the event that a doctoral student wishes to complete more than one Certificate program, only one course (3 credits) may be counted toward a second Certificate. No course overlap may occur for fulfillment of a third (or more) Certificate. In addition, fulfillment of each Certificate requires completion of a unique practicum (CSIH/CS/EHTP 8151: 3 credits) as well as a unique final paper (CSIH/CS/EHTP 8950: 1 credit). No overlap of required Certificate coursework will be permitted for M.A. students who wish to declare more than one Certificate.

Core Components

Though each certificate is specific to the area of focus, there are general Core Components or expectations.

Required course(s) (3 credits each)
Choice of Electives (3 credits each) to be determined in consultation with the Certificate Lead Faculty
Practicum/Project (3 credits) which is individually designed by the student in consultation with Practicum Instructor based on his or her interests and goals. This may involve related theory, research, and/or practical application. Several Certificates require the presentation of the Practicum/Project during a Saybrook Residential Conference and/or at-a-distance presentation through video conference platforms such as Go To Meeting or Skype (see Certificate Lead Faculty for more details).
Integrative Paper/Seminar (1 credit) which can be a capstone paper, professional poster presentation, or mini-project designed to allow reflection, assessment of progress, integration of experience and academic learning, and forward projection into how one will use these learnings and skills. It also invites a look into other competencies one might still wish to add.

CERTIFICATES

Applied Consciousness Studies
Arts and Self-Expression for Health and Wellbeing
Community Health & Development
Complex Trauma & The Health Process
Creativity Studies
Death, Loss, and Meaning
Dream Studies
Foundations in Existential-Humanistic Practice
International Psychology
Multicultural Psychology
Organizational Leadership & Transformation
Peace & Conflict Resolution
Professional Studies in Psychophysiology
Socially Engaged Spirituality
Stress Management Education
Transpersonal Psychology

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