What do you know of the online Ph.D. at CIIS?

December 30, 2007 4:22 PM

Does anyone have any information and/or opinions about the Transformative Studies Ph.D. program at the California Institute of Integral Studies?

Though the program at San Francisco's CIIS requires doctoral candidates to meet on campus twice a year, it is mostly conducted online (hence my natural suspicion). I can't seem to find any reviews or critiques of the program. Any insight and information is welcome.

Thanks!

posted by jackypaper to Education (6 answers total)

I know some people who go there who are very enthusiastic about it. On the other hand, these are not the sort of people whose judgment I trust on the quality of school programs.

Example of a class my acquaintance found highly interesting: Synchronicity: Does it exist, and if so, what are the implications? She is a student in psychology. Also, I believe she was taking classes in dance therapy and poetry therapy.

So my opinion is that, at the very least, their programs/classes are on the fluffy side.
posted by number9dream at 7:28 PM on December 30, 2007

Honestly, it seems like a load of claptrap. I just read the online description of that course and my bullshit-o-meter went into overdrive.
posted by peacheater at 8:56 PM on December 30, 2007

Best answer: It would really help if you would tell us what you want to get out of the course. Or really what you want out of a degree. It's apparently not a flat out scam, but to me the problem would be that a degree like this is unlikely to help you with concrete things such as job hunting--and really, what's the point of the degree if you become a well educated unemployed person? You may as well stick to the library and free discussion groups, save a lot of money, and skip the fancy piece of paper. Just my two c. anyway, if you'd give us more to go on about what you're looking for...

On a side note, the Wikipedia talk page archive about CIIS, while un-encyclopedic, has a nice list of someone's complaints about the school.

(Oh, and this totally made my Ken-Wilber-o-meter go into overdrive. :/ )
posted by anaelith at 3:17 AM on December 31, 2007

It's a degree mill that teaches spiritualist nonsense and whose "degrees" are not recognized anywhere as legitimate credentials. Why would you even consider it?
posted by fourcheesemac at 8:27 AM on December 31, 2007

Response by poster: Well, fourcheesemac, I wouldn't ever use the term "spiritualist nonsense." I happen to like the idea of melding my academic studies with a spiritual journey. That is, after all, the entire point of education: wisdom.

But you may be right about the "degree mill" thing. I'm after spirituality, but not a worthless degree.
posted by jackypaper at 11:29 AM on January 1, 2008

I'd say the point of education is *knowledge.* Wisdom is the fruit of *experience.* But that's a subject for another day.
posted by fourcheesemac at 4:48 PM on January 9, 2008