I attended this school for my Masters and also for the Non-Licensure to Licensure bridge program. I would like to try and find other alumni who were completely screwed over for licensure by this school, who were in this program. I feel like the school threw their hands up on my whole denial situation and were fine with taking my money for transcripts I cannot utilize for their intended purpose. Outright fraudulent in advertising a program that can lead to licensure and then not supporting an alumni to help them sort out the problem. If anyone has encountered something similar, I would love to chat. read more

I am calling on the DOJ and the dep of Ed and governing boards to investigate this school for predatory practices in recruiting students. The graduation rate is 54%. This school should never admit some students because they do not qualify for higher ed. Dr. Wagner enticed me to enroll. Once I enrolled she completely ignored me. She was supposed to be my Chair person but never responded to my request. I ended up dropping out. Now i am left with 440K in student loans. read more

I graduated in April 2025. The program (CMHC) teaches specifically to keep it's CACREP accreditation, which is completely unnecessary to most people who want to enter the counseling field. The administration is inept at best and constantly changes policy for internship, graduation requirements, etc.. Today, 1 month and 2 days after classes ended and 3 weeks after my degree was conferred and certified by the school for licensure, and 4 days after I received my degree in the mail, administration emailed saying there was a graduation requirement that they forgot about and which was mentioned nowhere except for one sentence in the student handbook. Now my degree conferral is in jeopardy unless I am able to complete this requirement. I wouldn't recommend this program to my worst enemy. Avoid at all costs- and the costs are very high for a program of this nature in Chicago. Look elsewhere. Plain and simple. read more

Overall my experience has been very positive. I highly recommend this school for individuals who are goal oriented and resilient. Yes, as some of the negative reviews suggest the professors will not "hold your hand" through the process of enrollment or through coursework. I imagine this is similar to other graduate programs/schools. I did not rate five stars due to administrative issues. But this is nothing different from other institutions. Also, negative reviews suggest that they can't find practicum placement for all students. This is true with any university. Placement is never guaranteed unfortunately. It is based on a lot of individual variables and can be very competitive. If you want a great education from knowledgeable professors, I highly recommend TCSPP. read more

Don't waste your time and your money. I dont recommend this schooll at all. Horrible experience for people...

Diploma mill. Lies and no support. Breaks accommodations. Trash. They did nothing for the breaking of my accommodations and they tried to resign me up and collect with collections after I withdrew. read more

I took one quarter, then dropped this program. The academics are underwhelming, but moreover the staff and faculty are extremely unprofessional, rude, and they definitely inflate your experience. They are also overpriced. Fast forward 3 years later, and I am a soon-to-be graduate from a great program with accreditation. Do not waste your time or money--- there are many other programs with regional accreditation that cost much less for the same value. I just googled them to see if they were still in business read more

They provide very unprofessional service and they have mean attitude. I wouldn't recommend here at all. Do not waste your money or time here. read more

The Chicago School has had some bad press recently with campuses opening up in California and DC... This review is only for the on-ground Chicago location as that is where my experience was. I've completed my Masters and Doctorate in clinical psychology at The Chicago School. This campus is very well respected in the Chicagoland area and around the country, with students matching at top tier APA accredited internships and post-doctoral fellowships. The courses excel in preparing students to be outstanding clinicians. If you are interested in research, you'll have to create your own experiences in the field. The core faculty is AMAZING. Some of the adjunct faculty were less so, but I made sure that my courses were primarily with full time faculty members. One major plus is that TCS requires that students complete their dissertations before going on internship (which is crazy stressful in the moment) and it helps incredibly with post-docs or jobs! As with most university or college systems there is expansion and politics, which is the reason for the loss of one star. Overall, I was very happy with my experience, and I feel well prepared now in the field. read more

I wouldn't waste time or money. the communication is terrible staff and professors get back to you when they feel like it. You often have to go to the head of the department just to get a response from the professors. they set unrealistic time frames for huge assignments. They don't communicate their expectation for assignments well at all. They pretend to be helpful and have your best interest after you report them so if something is ever reported they can show they "tried to help". I have experience prejudice and microaggressions from the staff there. Yet it is required that students go through diversity and inclusion training when it's the staff who need it the most. Don't think minority staff will have your back. They care about their jobs and their position at that institution only. They will not advocate for you. They are petty! and will also throw cheap shots and make snarky comments via email and email blasts. But want to grade you as a student on your professionalism. They are self-serving and do not care about the mental health and well-being of their students, but they are supposed to be a school routed in psychology (they are a joke). Take it from someone who went there and transferred to a different institution and is doing way better. This school is not worth the money or peace of mind you will lose being gaslit by the "Professionals" there. The amount of negative reviews for this institution speaks for itself. read more

Seven students, comprising the entire first cohort of the International Psychology (IP) PhD program at The Chicago School of Professional Psychology (TCSPP) have recently either filed a leave of absence or withdrew from the school's program after the administration refused to consider their program during recent budget cuts. The inaugural program began on-ground in January 2011, after beginning the program online one year prior. The Director of the Center for Multicultural and Diversity Studies, Dr. Amanda Kim, stepped up to lead and develop the program October 2010. On June 13, 2011 Dr. Kim was informed by the administration that her services were no longer required, both in her capacity as the Director of the Center and as the lead faculty for the IP program. On June 15, 2011, Dr. Kim declared her continued support for her students despite the change in her position. At that time, students had still not received any formal communication from the school/administration regarding the changes or the expected impact on their program. Since learning of the news, the students have met with several administrators, many of whom have scrambled to provide an answer to the students as to the stability and forward movement of the program. The PhD candidates found it unreasonable to lose a professor and advisor mid-semester, even more so that the administrators have repeatedly attempted to move these campus-based students into an online program through underhanded offers of "free tuition" if the students agreed to take online courses. In their meetings with various administrators, the students have been clear in their expectations; namely, they expect the program they were promised when they first uprooted their lives and moved from across the country to begin this degree. However, the administration has made it clear that from this point forward the program will be redesigned and undergo significant changes from how it was marketed and the conditions under which these students enrolled. For these students, TCSPP has consistently acted without integrity and with deceitful intentions in regards to their program. Most recently, the administration agreed to refund their summer tuition; however, the administration failed to inform the students' that a hold would be placed on their accounts until the students returned all federal student loan money to TCSPP, including what students use for living expenses, instead of returning the money to the Federal Government. The unexpected demand to return the funds was made two weeks prior to the end of the semester, leaving the students stranded while the administration offered the students the option to re-enroll in the same said refunded summer courses as the resolution. Given the unwillingness of the school to honor their commitment to the students, the students have had to take on the administration and experience first hand what it feels like to be the casualty of a school without integrity, morals or ethics. read more

I've had nothing but positive experiences at TCS. I'm in the Ph.D. International Psychology program blended. Professors are truly invested in there students' success and the on ground portions of the class really set you up for the best jobs in the field. I've proposed an original project in Brazil and went to Ghana to learn about how programs are run in that culture. No other programs offer such hands on experience. It's not an easy ride, I work 50+ hours a week and the work load is pretty intense, I have no social life. The biggest issue I've heard from others is if you miss your on ground portions you will have a hell of a fight ahead of you because they are required for graduation and changing your schedule is not that easy. I would still recommend the IP program to anyone who wants to advance their career. read more

The worst experience ever! I have been working full time and managed full time school as well for over 5 years now. I looked for a school that has online degrees and came across this school. I asked for additional information and received an e-mail within 30 minutes. However, I was at work and couldnt get back to the counselor Deborah Childs. She called after lunch and wanted to talk about the school, I was at work and didnt have time. So, I asked her if it would be okay if I e-mailed her and she told me she wouldnt be able to answer me because she would be in with someone else. So, I explained that I have a 7-5 job. As soon as I said that I had a job Deborah Childs stated "Oh, I dont think this would be a good program for you since you dont have time and you wouldnt be able to study 20 plus hours per week". So, if you are working a full time job your not supposed to go to school and advance in your career??? and all this time, I thought admission counselors are supposed to support the applicant and get them to apply for the school. I guess not. read more

I considered attending this university for post graduate work. However, as a disabled military veteran my entitlements are limited. I notified the academic counselors office and received a rude backhanded comment. Now, I'm happy with my decision not to attend. The lack of professionalism and courtesy is a testament of the experience this school has to offer. read more

The Chicago School - Nice nasty from a school? I can do without. - Colleges & Universities Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

if I could give (-) star or below zero, I would certainly give this called school. I have graduated from this school, while the academic quality was under average, most of professional opportunities for a professional with a PsyD degree were missed due to non-accredited status of TCS. The worst problem, this school cannot provide the course descriptions of its own curriculum! I needed course description of the PsyD program which I was graduated from, the registrar staff sent me to the registrar, that position sent me to the clinical director, I even requested attention from the president of TCS, none of these people were capable to provide me the document that I needed. All of them are disabled about their officail responsibilities as higher education isntitute administation and customer services for their graduated students! Study at this school is total loss of Time, Money, Energy, and Opportunities! Please don't waste your future career at TCS! read more

The school is very focused on applied learning. I love the support I get from the professors as well as the practical experience they bring to the classroom (all of the professors work in the field -- they are not just teachers). read more

This is a scary place. My experience as a student at this school is that the staff in general believe that being irrationally rigid, intimidating, and abusive are the keys to running a quality educational institute. While the curriculum is acceptable, it's the people and policies that make TCS so awful. Most of the staff are not that intelligent and are quite arrogant. The policies, as outlined in the student manual when I was attending TCS a few years ago, are draconian - they assert the school to have complete control over students and intimidate students into complying with anything the university demands. For example, disagreeing with a staff member or stating anything negative about the school are grounds for dismissal from the school. Imagine spending a year or two, and tens of thousands of dollars, at the school and then being kicked out because you complained about something at the school. You have just lost significant time and money, because only a portion of your credits can transfer to another school. There is little heart at this school and so it is a dangerous engagement for students. I would advise all people to definitely not attend TCS. Also, the policies related to students with disabilities were horrendous when I attended and, I believe, illegal. For a school that supposedly excels in diversity, their understanding of disability issues is dismal. I think the school staff believe that diversity strictly applies to ethnicity. Obviously, diversity encompasses much more, including disability. I have a mental disability. One would think that a psychology school would excel in accommodating students with mental disabilities. Not so. TCS is an insulting and discriminatory experience for people with mental disabilities. Due to actions by the school that I believe to be illegal under disability discrimination laws, I filed an allegation with the United States Department of Education Office of Civil Rights. This government agency has the authority to investigate and prosecute violations of federal discrimination laws. Currently, my case is pending with the Department of Education. I am not the only student to file such a case with the Department of Education. And it should also be noted that the school was sued in 2012 by a group of forty students alleging that the school falsely represented their Los Angeles campus as being accredited by the American Psychological Association (the campus was not accredited by the APA). According to the TCS website at the time of my writing of this review, the LA campus is still not accredited by the APA. The website further states that the APA rejected approval of TCS's application in 2013. There is also currently another lawsuit against the school in federal court that was filed by Jennifer DiPerna, alleging an experience like what I wrote in my first paragraph above. All of the above legal actions can be found online and are open to the public. There is no doubt that this school is a terrible place. read more

I applied for admissions but never ended up registering and never attended a single class (I never even set foot on campus) - the school says that I owe them thousands of dollars in tuition and have sent me to collections. Horrible. read more

Awful overpriced school running like a for -profit. Snooty Admissions Department and a Scary Looking Director of Admissions, who likes to intimidate students. I attended one of their open houses this year and it was the worst experience. Everyone looked hungry to admit students and didn't have any knowledge about the programs. The red haired Director looked terrible and mean and kept on intimidating her staff and the students by asking ridiculous questions. I just thought the entire event was a joke. Maybe they should attend a real open house like in Adler University to learn a tip or two on how to run an event. Save your money and go elsewhere. read more

What it boils down to is this: TCSPP has a history of making and breaking promises to its students. The administration has consistently acted without morals and lacks adequate communication skills. The recent closures of the Center for Multicultural and Diversity Studies and the Center for International Studies have left many students in the middle of their coursework without guidance. It would appear that the school is trending towards online programming, as there is more profit margin. If this were simply a business, I would understand the move; however, I don't believe there is much value in teaching a human/social science through online programming. APA agrees. Finally, the entire first cohort of the on-ground International Psychology have all withdrawn from the school due to recent administrative decision making. Please do your research. I have a Masters degree from an Ivy League school, so I disagree with the previous reviewer that all students who have negative complaints aren't able to hack it. This school allows for and thrives on low quality students who are complicit and compliant with their ever-changing policies and decisions. read more

The staff that I contacted for their open house through email seemed professional. They were quick to respond and informative. When I had arrived though (driving all the way there to observe the school and ask questions) it seemed as though the layout and building itself was more important than learning about what the school consists of staff and education wise. When I asked about the research opportunities and what certain professors specialized to research in, the speaker was incredibly rude to the point I didn't even bother to ask anymore questions. Her reply was nothing near informative, it was as if my question bothered her - so I'm not sure why she even bothered to be there. I'm normally not bothered by rude people but her response really drew me back. I knew then this school was not the fit for me. Overall I didn't learn much, the session was pointless for me, and I'm not selecting this school as a choice for grad. read more

I really love this school and the clinical mental health online program. I have been a student for over a year now. The program is rigorous, faculty is very supportive and working with so many students from diverse backgrounds in this program has been rewarding thus far. I am very happy I choose TCS and highly recommend if you are willing to work hard to be successful. read more

Amazing school with wonderful staff. Top notch education! Went for my BCBA and was quickly placed in the field after graduation

Welcome to the real world where you have to take responsibility for your decisions and outcomes. Like any grad school, the hand holding is over. Those who have worked hard and developed key relationships with mentors will be successful. Those who don't really have what it takes in the first place will have success at Banana Republic. And that's not a bad thing, just don't blame the school. read more

This is a pitiful deception. The school engages a private recruiting firm that pays its "admission representatives" on commission. The classes are barely undergraduate in substance and hardly competitive. The instructors are largely The Chicago School graduate students with little or no broad experience nor training. Students seeking to buy an easy degree, this is the place. Students seeking personal excellence, growth, and challenge need to look elsewhere. read more

Lack of communication between staff and faculty on student affairs and admissions department. As a veteran and higher education staff administrator, the miscommunication on providing an answer to a general question regarding programming was absolutely UNACCEPTABLE. I am dumbfounded how much they are SCAMMING people and then state they won't readmit based off of undisclosed criteria from faculty. The ENTIRE ADMISSIONS STAFF NEED TO BE FIRED. I spoke to all of them to the Director, Grant Murphy, who didn't have a clear answer nor understood my situation. They all closed ranks when they were caught not knowing how to take care of students properly or professionally. No Communication whatsoever. I saw first hand that they fail students before they receive their degree, and if the student tries to reapply, they are rejected. As a result, the college makes money while the student gets scammed and doesn't receive a degree. As a word of advice, DO NOT APPLY TO THIS COLLEGE unless you want to lose money. Please don't be played by them. read more

The Chicago School - Colleges & Universities Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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I had a very positive experience with the admissions office and though I didn't need hand holding (this is not my first grad school rodeo), I was given lots of support. The classes are challenging and fast-paced and curriculum is relevant. read more

This review concerns strictly the The Chicago School ABA program: 1. Decent professors who are burdened with too many students to advise and classes to teach - as a result the quality of the supervision is less than mediocre. 2. The curriculum is fucked - I made the most of it by choosing which classes and when I wanted to take them and it still didn't really work out. If you end of following their guide, your last semester before you graduate will be filled with classes barely related to ABA, such as Lifespan and Advanced Intervention: Behavioral (not behavioral despite it's title) 3. Practicum is in chaos - students attend practicum sites and receive little to no ABA supervision. In many cases, approved sites don't even have BCBA's on site. The school holds the students to little accountability for their practicum work. Students are rarely given all the skills they need to practice ABA therapy after graduation. The practicum coordinator just quit as well, not a good sign of things to come. 4. The thesis requirement is bunk, it doesn't make sense. Even if you finish your thesis, which is supposed to require experimental control and some manipulation, you receive an M.A. degree, not an M.S. In addition, the professors rarely seem to exert supervision or control over the students while they are doing their thesis. Aside from helping with revisions, it seems the students are left to their own devices. Where is the experimental control? The professors need to be help accountable as advisors, but its hard when each professor has 7 masters students and 1 or 2 PhD students (so that the school can make a profit). 5. Enrollment is ridiculous - the class sizes are really large for some classes, not standard for graduate school. Some cohorts have as many as 50 masters students and trust me, not all are qualified. TCS will take anyone that qualifies for government funding basically. As a result, the have to have students take undergrad courses like Observations and Measurements, Lifespan, etc. 6. The facilities are seriously lacking - the library is small and the hours are anemic. There are some places to run experiments, but not many. Traveling between the Mart and 325 Wells is annoying, but not too bad. The school doesn't really offer the traditional amenities such as a gym, a nursing/doctor facility, etc. Bottom line: The ABA program is new, it has a poor reputation amongst ABA programs, and it is unorganized to say the least. That being said, if you have the energy and stamina to take control of each and every class and each program you have at TCS, then you can make the program work, and even succeed. It is possible to have a good experience at TCS in the ABA program, just be prepared to work more than the normal grad student has to to obtain what is normally standard. Don't expect funding or administrative help on research endeavors and don't expect a high level of supervision when you need it most. Just DO NOT expect to get what you pay for - for how much the tuition costs, you just don't get enough. read more

OMG!!!!! This place is such a waste of time and money. I spoke to their admissions office on 12/22/16 (Marsha), and there was no guidance nor support regarding their PhD in Psychology with an interests in Applied Behavioral Analysis. This person represented herself as someone who knew about BCBA Credentials and described the credentials as "non-Clinical" in nature. Really people! This place hires individuals to represent their university yet untrained to discuss the content of their PhD programs. People be very cautious about this place and especially admitting to a university that can't sufficiently sale the program. read more

I am a first year student in the ABA Ph.D program. I have found the program to be extremely well organized. The faculty are very supportive and I am advancing in my understanding and practice of ABA. There have been some glitches with assignments and technology, but that is true for most universities. The online program is actually very face-to-face. I am actually getting more out of it than I would in an on campus program of study. It is also really nice to engage with colleagues from all around the world. This school has a lot to offer and should be considered a contender for anyone looking to advance their credentials. read more

If I could give zero stars, I would. Was in the process of applying for both master's and doctoral level forensic psychology programs in the fall of 2012-spring of 2013, and I applied for TCSPP's Forensic Psychology PsyD program. Admittedly, when I started the process, I wasn't all that educated about graduate education, and wasn't aware of the requirements that programs need to meet for licensure. Yet, nothing was said about them being un-accredited, so upon their invitation, I flew across the country in March of 2013 to interview for the program. Imagine my surprise when another person in the group interview asked if they were planning to seek accreditation. I was flabbergasted and obviously confused, when I attempted to ask the head of the program what accreditations they didn't have, she tried to quickly avoid the topic and move on. I didn't allow her to do so, and she unhappily admitted they are not APA accredited, nor are they seeking APA accreditation. Translation: you will not be able to get licensed in most, if not all, 50 states, and your degree will be worthless. Never ANYWHERE on the website or any of the application materials (that I can recall seeing), is this even mentioned. Considering they charge upwards of $250,000 for a degree, you would think you would like to do something with that. The head of the program also tried to cover up stating that some states or most states will allow you to become licensed without APA accreditation. NOT TRUE. I left feeling like the whole thing was a scam. I can't thank the random girl in my group I interview enough for bringing it up. A week or two later, I got a call that I was accepted to the program. I thanked the counselor and told him I wanted to think about it. When I informed him I would not be attending due to the fact that they weren't accredited, he was somewhat rude and shady. He also tried to convince me to talk to the Clinical Psychology PhD (or PsyD, I'm not sure) counselor, saying I should consider that program and it was APA accredited. I agreed to talk to him, and he told me the deadline was in a week and I would have to fly back to Chicago for a whole separate interview, and put together new application materials. I was just done. I thanked him for his time but told him I was not interested. They called me weekly for a few months asking me if I was still considering either program. Either people figured out their scam and everyone turned them down, or they're taking everyone they can get. Neither one makes for a competitive program. This institution should be shut down. read more

This has been and still is the worst experience of my academic career. There are a multitude of academic, ethical, and professional issues that administration fails to address within their university and have continued to this day. If I knew how this school operated before committing, I would have refused their scholarship and attended the other graduate school that accepted me. I would be more than willing to explain the struggles my cohort and I have endured. Feel free to contact me at bow2051@gmail.com read more

TCSPP is a great institution with a global vision. Students are at the center of the organization. The staff, administration, and faculty are always ready to support the students. The International program is one of a kind that combines education and humanitarian work. read more

I received my doctorate at this school and while not everything about the school is horrible, there are quite a few problems at the school. I had some very good professors, although the staff turn over rate is so high, that many of the professors I took are no longer at the school. The school is a factory, and takes on far more students than it is able to provide practicum placements for. I personally have known people who have been stuck without a placement and desperately attempting to piece something together so they do not fall behind in the program. I do not find it ethical to take on more students than you can provide the necessary opportunities to complete the program to. The masters level program is very bad...if you want a good program for MA then don't come here. The Psy.D. program is much better as far as instruction and learning, but forget about administration which is horrible. As a graduate from this school, I wish I could say better things, but walking away from this school was a breath of fresh air. They do not respect their students and they respect many of the professors even less. I won't go into all of the problematic details of the school. That would take a long time. Just know that Psy.D. students attending this school will be paying more money than they can receive in student loans. In speaking with more current students, it appears the school has worsened and there are many dissatisfied students attending this school. These practices also work toward devaluing degrees from this school....the larger the class sizes, the easier to get in to the school, the less valuable the degree. It is schools like this that are flooding the field of Psychology and will eventually make it more and more difficult to make this a successful profession. These are just some things I would have liked to have known when I was much younger and knew a lot less about what to look for in a grad school. Knowing what I know now, I think I would have chosen very differently back then. However, I will always be grateful for the professors who took what could have been a very bad educational experience and turned it into something with quality and substance. But that is thanks to the specific professors and not the school. And that is the only reason the school gets three stars. Good professors are important. read more

Terrible experience!! Look at other schools!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! My son was accepted and started the first week of school. Due to family problems he had to write a letter to withdraw and sent it before the end of the first week, yet he was still charged half of the total cost! They obviously don't care about their students!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! read more

This school alleges that it provides diversity experiences and knowledge. However this is not the case. Many of the professors lack diversity training and classrooms topics does not engage in diversity and undeserved population in mental heath. This school does not accurately prepare students for working with diverse population as it claims. The School's Master's program is not accredited. The MACC program is overcrowded and is being mass produced. Many adjunct professors lack knowledge and experience in psychology. This school has a hand full of excellent faculty, the rest are incompetence and lack experience in teaching and facilitating a learning environment. Teaching quality is very poor. There are MANY administration problems and, financial aid concerns. The cost to attend the school is more than what the degree is worth. The school main concern is money it is a non profit school however its intentions is becoming a for profit school. AGAIN the MASTER PROGRAM is NOT CACREP accredited therefore it will be difficult to obtain jobs in federal gov field, such as VA hospitals, as well as being accepted into repayment programs. DO NOT ATTEND read more

This school is a joke. Especially the Los Angeles, CA campus. I've had professors walk out of the class midway through the semester, and professors fudge up the grading scale. All the learning I've done is INDEPENDENT of the coursework and professors. I FOUND MY INTERNSHIP ON MY OWN. The school has poor connections and never even tried to help half it's students. There's also a sh## comp exam at the end of the M.A. Clinical Psychology program that you have to take, and if you don't have happen to have gotten a great internship that teaches you about what to do under certain clinical situations, you'll fail it, and not get your degree, because the school courses DO NOT teach you what to do...your internships do. If you want to become a licensed psychologist, go to an accredited school that has a long history of graduating doctoral and master's level students, and PASSING THEIR LICENSES. NOT THIS ONE. Btw, the chair of the departments are jokes too. They forget about their students if you don't kiss up to them, and have the hardest time admitting they're wrong. There are exactly three professors worth having classes under, and half the time, you don't get them. Go to Pepperdine, PGSP, or out of state. read more