Preparing Engaged Professionals
The Chicago School’s model of education represents a newly defined approach to professional education, an approach that builds upon—yet differentiates itself from—two earlier training models created to prepare psychologists.
The Boulder (Scientist–Practitioner) Model (1949): Developed in response to post-World War II treatment needs, this model seeks to establish the legitimacy of psychology as a recognized science. Its emphasis is on classic, quantitative research as the foundation for—and beneficiary of—scientific practice and the primary means to explain psychological phenomena, validate treatment outcomes, and develop theory and assessment instruments.
The Vail (Practitioner–Scholar) Model (1973): This model gave birth to the Doctor of Psychology (Psy.D.) degree and its emphasis on training clinical practitioners to effectively provide traditional psychological services to the benefit of individuals, families, and groups. While research remains a critical piece of this educational approach, it is differentiated by a broadened range of investigative approaches and a greater emphasis on application in real-world settings.
The Chicago (Engaged–Professional) Model (2009): In response to increasingly diverse and complex societal needs, this model incorporates a commitment to community engagement and social change at the systems-level. This model innovatively expands the application of—and reaches beyond—psychology to other professions that can play integral roles in transforming lives, organizations, and communities. It combines an emphasis on preparing professionally competent and culturally sophisticated practitioners whose work is supported by empirical validation, with a responsibility for achieving significant and lasting change.
Our model of education redefines the role of the professional; no longer limited to study and/or practice, the “engaged professional” is an integral part of the community. They apply scholarship and an ever-growing myriad of applications to solve pressing social issues, strengthen families and organizations, and build capacity.
Furthermore, it sets forth a new approach to teaching a particular discipline, an approach grounded in four institutional values (education, innovation, service, and community) and learning goals (professional practice, scholarship, diversity, and professional behavior).
While these values and goals provide a framework, three main themes emerge in our distinct approach:
- Pluralism
The commitment to diversity that defines The Chicago School underlies the focus on cultural proficiency that is infused into every program, every course, and every co-curricular experience. Pluralism is embraced as a fundamental tenet that advances self-reflection, inclusion, and social justice. It is also progressively understood in terms that extend beyond traditional categories of difference commonly isolated in categories of race, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, socio-economic status, religion and spirituality, national origin, and disability.
- Engaged practice and scholarship
Hands-on application of classroom learning and scholarship in real-world settings is central to our education model. Such experiences begin early in a student’s education and continue throughout—building in intensity and degree of responsibility. This gives the student an unparalleled range of opportunities to implement and evaluate evidence-based practices, hone professional skills, interact with the local and global community, and function as a powerful agent of change.
- Impact
Our education model is both responsive to and proactive in identifying the evolving needs of society. Programs are created, revised, and implemented to fulfill market needs and address issues confronting individuals, organizations, communities, and the world through community engagement. Collaborative learning relationships are intentional, mutually beneficial, and result in the transformation of students and faculty as well as the people, organizations, and communities served.
Education that makes a difference
Our graduates emerge as “engaged professionals” who are neither the scientist–practitioners nor practitioner–scholars who came before. Instead, they are multiculturally and professionally proficient individuals who are integral parts of their communities. They approach practice and scholarship from the broader view of innovators, transformers, and problem solvers; and they use their disciplines to make positive and lasting impacts on the world.