Master of Arts in Consciousness Studies and Transpersonal Psychology

Overview

The Master of Arts in Consciousness Studies and Transpersonal Psychology is a 36-credit degree program that explores the nature, role, and development of human consciousness and transpersonal phenomena. What makes this program unique is that we have holistically integrated different perspectives into the coursework - psychological and spiritual, western and eastern, epistemological and clinical.

Students are first introduced to the historical origins and the theoretical and methodological foundations of Transpersonal Psychology. We then examine diverse theories and concepts concerning the structures and states of consciousness and the processes that may lead to transpersonal phenomena such as awakening, enlightenment, and unity consciousness. As a hands-on exercise, students themselves will engage in meditation and somatic-awareness practices aimed at re-establishing the unity of mind-body consciousness. Through these practices, students will learn to access their own intuition and embodied wisdom, as well as gaining transpersonal insights. Practices of mindfulness and presence are cornerstones of the program.

This program offers the foundation for discovery and empowerment that leads to greater fulfillment, purpose, and effectiveness in students' personal and professional lives as well as in their clients’.

The Master of Arts Degree program in Consciousness Studies and Transpersonal Psychology has three major components:

First, students explore the nature of reality from the scientific, philosophical, and psychological point of views, with an emphasis on the oneness of the universe and the interconnectedness of life, creativity, synchronicity, and flow. As part of this exploration, they will compare and integrate the official scientific paradigm (essentially mechanistic and reductionistic) with the emerging holistic-systemic paradigm. Coming out of this, students will also discover that on a smaller scale there are cultural and psychological equivalents of these two macroscopic paradigms which also need to be integrated.

In the second component, students examine the awakening and transformation of consciousness into higher stages and states of development. This includes studying the theoretical framework of selected authors - Jung, Assagioli, Maslow, Grof, Tart, Wilber, Washburn, Loevinger and others. Students also examine the many different factors which can produce such awakening – from a serious illness to a sudden mourning, from an existential crisis to a deliberate pathway of awareness. In this respect, students will learn practices that help bring forth awakening and will develop their corporeal, emotional, cognitive, and spiritual awareness. This is achieved through exercises in meditation, somatic awareness, self-observation, and dialogue. They also learn how to face any negative side effects that such a transformation can produce when it happens to an unprepared individual and/or in a social world that is very skeptical and even scared by transpersonal phenomena and non-ordinary states of consciousness.

Finally, the program brings these two components together to focus on how to help unaware (and thereby unhealthy and unhappy) individuals awaken from their sleeping consciousness. Students in our program are prepared to assist these individuals who are beginning to discover and develop their hidden talents and life purposes.

For those students who wish to pursue the Transformative Coaching elective course, the program also enables the application of coursework into the development of an effective coaching practice specifically addressed to personal and transpersonal development. For those students who are more interested in collective issues like ecology, sustainability, and social justice, the program offers an elective course in Creativity and Consciousness which focuses on the importance of art and creativity as means to awaken sleeping individuals and humanity as a whole.

The Graduate Institute is a state-accredited graduate school dedicated to promoting an Integrative and Holistic Worldview through the study of Health, Wellness, Education and Personal and Professional Transformation.

Our Mission

The Mission of The Graduate Institute, as an independent institution of higher education, is to provide transformative education based on an integrative and holistic perspective and specifically designed to enable students to reach their full potential in both their professional and personal lives.

Our Vision

Academic scholarship and education based on an integrative and holistic worldview will enhance a broad understanding of complex human issues, stimulate individual and collective awareness and wellbeing, and contribute to the betterment, sustainability, and regeneration of community and society.

Learning in Community

The Graduate Institute values the power of community. We believe that we learn more effectively in groups than we do by ourselves. Because of this, we conduct all of our programs in cohorts -- groups of adult students that establish a collaborative learning environment. The cohort model fosters dialogue and the vibrant exchange of ideas, helping each learner create meaning on a personal level while remaining connected to their larger group. This makes the learning process dynamic, relevant, and humanized.

Cohorts also create continuity in our master’s degree and certificate programs. By completing an entire degree program with a close-knit group of adult learners, students are able to thrive and grow in the safety, trust, and camaraderie of their community. In the cohort, each voice is respected and each student contributes to individual and collective growth and discovery.

A World of Support

At TGI, learning doesn't end in the four walls of the classroom. Our faculty and administration are always available to guide and support students during their studies. We also provide the following resources to ensure that what students learn at TGI will serve them in their personal and professional endeavors:

• Hands-on mentorship and internships, which provide valuable training opportunities as well as potential career placements upon program completion
• The opportunity to design and execute a Culminating Project, which helps launch students into the next stage of their professional life post-graduation
• The ongoing feedback and expertise of faculty and program coordinators who can help students with internship and mentorship placements and Culminating Project development
• Membership in our thriving Alumni Association upon program completion, which includes access to our Alumni Directory, annual alumni gatherings, and other educational resources made available especially for TGI graduates