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California Institute of Integral Studies
Rating Details »
Categories: Colleges & Universities, Counseling & Mental Health [Edit]
Neighborhood: SOMA1453 Mission Street Fl 4
San Francisco, CA 94103
(415) 575-6100
- By Appointment Only:
- Yes
11 reviews for California Institute of Integral Studies
I am attending the Philosophy, Cosmology and Consciousness program at CIIS. This is not a MA in Psychology program, but a very unique program exploring the depth and breadth of human consciousness. You can not find this kind of education anywhere else and for any amount of money. The professors are top notch and the inquiry into the human mind and soul extrodinary. Everyone in the program expresses a sincere desire and hope the the human will achieve even greater levels of understanding in both science and philosophy.
I personally do not find $28,000 for a 2 yr grad program to be really expensive. I would suggest, though if the cost is above your means that you consider if the program meets your career goals. I do find that there are students who just don't know where they are going with the education and I believe the faculty and administration have a duty to help students move into career positions as a result of this education. The risk of this program is that you get a graduate degree with no means to make a living.....big problem. Be aware of that.
The curriculum can be a tad "New Age", but hey, if you are looking for a striaght philosophy program...they are readily available.
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CIIS = Can't Imagine Impressing Someone
After a long hiatus from writing reviews I have come back to write about my simply AMAZING interview experience with CIIS.
The long & short of it is that I sat in an interview with three women there who, as the interview went on were clearly unimpressed with my skills. At one point I was talking about how I would deal with diverse populations and apparently one of them didn't like what I said because she ROLLED HER EYES AT ME.
To this I say: Lady, it was your organization that contacted me about working here. So don't think for a hot second that it's only your time that is being wasted. Granted, I applied for this job knowing full well that I am probably not qualified for the job, or at least don't have similar experience under my belt. But I also expect you to bother to look at my resume before you call me and not be so blatantly rude as to roll your eyes at a candidate.
The best part is that I think she is the HR lady.
I don't know about the program in detail but I will tell you this.
1. Staff is clearly unprofessional
2. They are of the same ilk as IIS in Petaluma and I can tell you right now EVERYONE there is a crackpot convinced that they are saving the world or some such nonsense.
3. I've heard that their licensing is on probation.
FIN
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I have been a student here for a while and used to respect and appreciate the school, until now. I am appaled and disappointed...they just hired someone as Core Faculty that graduated from a MA less than two years ago. His lack of experience as a teacher and as a therapist is sadly and negligently evident in his lectures and his behavior. This is not an affordable school. I find it very inconsiderate with the students to hire someone so green to teach a class that costs about $2500.
If you want to pay out enough money to bail out the auto industry in exchange for the profound academic reward of sitting in a drumcircle while listening to new age platitudes... If you are willing to carefully sift through academic material that ranges from the well founded and intriguing all the way down to proudly presented complete nonsense...
If you want to be so impressed with how compassionate, humble and spiritual you've become that you don't actually notice anyone not in your cool-to-be-me club...
then sign up and pay up. become institutionalized here.
While I like pretty much all of my classmates one-on-one, something about the over-all school atmosphere brings out the new-agey worst in folks as a group in the classroom. I like new ideas and experiential learning as much as the next pseudo-hippie, but the good buzz is just missing for me here.
ugh. Half the time I feel like I'm chewing glass as I try to keep silent while listening to and witnessing scenes that could be taped for a MadTV parody. No edits necessary.
One star for having a handful of amazing professors who manage to successfully integrate creative, experiential learning techniques with academic rigor.
One star for squeaking (squinking?) by because of the above professors and some of my squinkety classmates as still the best place for my edumacation.
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I love this school! I attended the Bachelors Completion Program at CIIS and graduated in 06. If you are out there and like me are now and adult who never had completed their full Bachelors Degree - this is the place for you, a school who caters to adult learning in all areas you can imagine. The program is cohort based on the weekends with lots of group support and highly qualified teachers. Its the - you are in charge of your own learning - type experience. What? I am actually being heard and have a say in my own education? That was new to me and an amazing experience altogether. CIIS creates great communities within and has an amazing Alumni philosophy as well. If I only had more money, I would love to go attend a grad school program at CIIS. Yes, money is an issue with this school. Its expensive, there is no beating around the bush and I am still paying on my program today, but all in all I would any day say it was all worth it!
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This center is somatic based so when you talk to your therapist, s/he will watch your body language as well as listen to your words. That's the part that helps me the most.
Philip Racies is the best therapist I've ever had. I'm thirty now and have been in and out of psychotherapy since age 9 - voluntarily most of the time - and he really shines above and beyond the rest. I can never tell when he's using some "specific technique" that I can get around because I want to avoid going too deep. He brings me to a deeper place gently and with so much care and safety that I always make it to my appointments on time and without dred (which, I've had many times in the past with other therapists).
If you're a conscious person who's trying to figure out how to navigate this difficult thing called being human, try somatic therapy, it's the best thing you can do for yourself. Ask for Philip because he's really, really great.
And, for those concerned about finances, they do have a sliding scale for pricing. I think the center's scale is $75-$25 but it's up to the individual therapist to choose where their scale lies.
update 6/08: Oops, this review is actually for the center and not the university but I think that it's one in the same since the center is a place for the students who go to this school to practice what they're learning... Also, Philip is a graduate now! :)
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Though it costs as much as a private school ( around $6k per semester), it is well worth it! I am currently finishing my BA in Interdisciplinary Studies. This program functions to serve adult learners with third year level credits from other schools. The Undergraduate Program is unique because of its cohort style learning where you stay with your group for the three semesters and engage in critical thinking activities and materials. This school is so multi-dimensional and rich in values it's challenging to portray it concisely! For the Undergraduate program, I personally believe it is academically rigorous because unlike mainstream institutions no one instructor is talking at you, your class/cohort/instructors know your name, the readings are mostly amazing. The course is very intentional and the facilitators ensure you are always digging deeper and progressing your ideas. CIIS values the learning process over the product and addresses the need to see how disciplines integrate in order to completely understand a subject.
-The faculty is supportive of individual needs, guidance and providing resources. The staff is really committed and involved at CIIS.
-This is not a school where you can sit in the back and not say anything. In all studies, you sit in a circle and should not comment, but respond so your cohort and facilitating instructors know your engaged in the valuable process.
- You are among twenty peers who are from different generations, cultural backgrounds and walks of life which is more enriching than traditional institutions because you learn from twenty different people which requires more reflective responses in discussions and papers.
-The homework is critical essays, research and readings which are challenging but fun because it is experiential.
-Not for students who need rigid restrictions on assignments and projects.
-They often have "parties" for their students with free really good food.
-The cafe is tasty, even better because they practice sustainability and you can leave your mugs and no one will take them.
-Some delicious places to eat in the area and there's the big van ness goodwill that has good stuff a couple of blocks away.
-CIIS is WASC accredited.
-Transfer rate to schools like UC Berkeley and Stanford are high.
-There is a $10 a day parking garage right next to the mission building and numerous MUNI lines and BART within two blocks.
http://www.ciis.edu
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My school is cool! Got my Masters degree from CIIS in 2003 and came away with new life experiences and a 'newer' me. And I'm still really, really passionate and excited about my career as a therapist.
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I love going to school at CIIS. I am in their APA accredited Psy.D. program, and I can't recommend it highly enough. Do yourself a favor and check out their curriculum at http://ciis.edu. It may very well be the best decision that you've ever made!
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It's been a rough battle between CIIS and I but it's time to call it a draw. I've left the school for the time being, mostly due to my own internal conflicts with my educational experience at the institution, but I do need to say that it wasn't all negative. The people are good and they mean well. The programs aren't always the most rigorous or demanding academically but then again you don't pick a school like CIIS for that particular experience. At the end of the day you pick it because you want to expand yourself on a more conscious/subconscious level. My negative remarks are that: the school doesn't suit a real life professional setting, it's hard to hold a space for the institution's learning experience and then step outside of it's walls, and some of the teachers don't hold an appropriate ethical space (no need to mention drama in this review). And for the price, you may wonder what kind of educational experience you are receiving for $30,000+.
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Looking to take a class on somthing obscure like Rumi's poetry or shamanic breath work and get CEU credits? This is your place. CIIS offers amazing opportunities to both explore yourself and how to work with other from world renowned teachers and visionaries. I often just look at their public programs website to see who is giving a talk or what concert is being offerred. If you are interested in meditation, yoga, or anything "alternative"- meaning good for you and the planet- then this is a wellspring of wisdom, opportunity for growth, and meeting center for like minded folk.
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