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On Line Integral Studies
Masters and Certification Program at JFKU,
beginning Fall 2006.

Thank you for your interest in the MA in Integral Theory being offered by JFKU beginning this Fall. There has been an overwhelming response for more information about this program worldwide: individuals from over 20 different countries have indicated, over the last week, that they would like to apply. I am very excited that JFKU will be able to serve the global community by offering this graduate education in the understanding and application of the Integral (AQAL) model.

In an effort to respond to your many questions I have compiled an overview of the program below. This information and more will be available on the Integral Institute and JFKU websites in the near future. Because this is a brand new program at JFKU, it will take at least a month to get all the information on the website and to get the administration up to speed on all of its details – so if you call JFKU and talk to someone who doesn’t know what you are talking about (i.e., hasn’t heard of the online Integral program yet) don’t worry – just contact me or ask to speak with Vernice Solimar, Chair of the Integral Studies Department.



Certificate versus the Masters

The first year of the MA also serves as a stand-alone certificate from both JFKU and I-I/IU. Students who want to stop at this point can walk away with a certificate endorsed by both JFKU and I-I. For those who want to continue on and get their MA, they can just keep taking courses starting the next quarter (Fall 07).

Because this is the first online program that JFKU has offered, WASC – the accreditation board requires that JFKU first offer a certificate and then the next year we can offer the full Masters. Thus we have set it up so that the certificate also serves as the first year in the Masters program. This allows WASC to do their job with reviewing the new online Masters program and allows us to offer you the first year of the program beginning this Fall.

JFKU’s Integral Psychology Program versus its Integral Theory Program

The main difference is that the Integral Psychology program is campus based and the Integral Theory program is online. Both programs use AQAL/The Integral model. There are around 5 courses that are the same in both programs. They are both basically the same cost and same length. I am the program director of both programs.

Faculty

Faculty will include five experts in Integral Theory and Practice, four of whom will have PhD’s and all of whom will have extensive experience in applying
the model in real time. I will be both on the faculty and the Program Director.

Ken Wilber will be a guest lecturer in many of the courses.

In addition there will be two optional “Face to Face” gatherings where students and faculty in the program gather to meet each other in person – connecting through a variety of activities. These will be 2-3 days in length. The first one will be in September at JFKU’s Pleasant Hill campus in California, the second one will be hosted by Integral Institute in Denver, Colorado during the Spring. Ken Wilber is planning on being present at this latter gathering.

Cost of the Program

Tuition for program will be around $500 per unit, per quarter per unit. There are 68 units total – so tuition costs average around $11,500 each year for three years. There are 25 units in the first year (which serves as a stand-alone certificate).

In addition there are some other minor fees for such things as applying, late registration, etc. Consult JFKU’s (www.jfku.edu) for these details.

Financial aid will be available for US citizens who are enrolled in the MA program.

Unfortunately, at this time there will be no scholarships for entering students but there will be research grants (up to $2000 each) for second and third year students to conduct Integral research.

Applications

JFKU will begin accepting applications for this program in March. An email will be sent to you to let you know when you can go to JFKU’s website and apply. We will begin reviewing applications in April and setting up interviews with individuals at that point. We will begin notifying individuals of acceptance beginning May 1st.

Criteria for acceptance include JFKU’s general requirements such as having an accredited undergraduate degree (BA or BS) and a 5-10 page personal statement. In addition, this program will require a minimum GPA of 2.5 (on a 4.0 scale) in the most recent accredited degree program completed, a writing sample (e.g., a term paper or magazine article), and two letters of recommendation. Also, we will be looking for individuals who are currently applying the Integral model to their personal and/or professional lives.

International students also need 1. Certification of Finances, 2. Certified translations of all school transcripts, if not in English, 3. Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) for all applicants whose native language is not English. A TOEFL score of 550 on the paper test or 213 on the computer test
is required. See JFKU’s website for more information regarding International Applicants.



Hopefully I’ve covered your major questions. Feel free to email me with any more questions that you might have. It might take me a week or so to respond
given the many emails I am getting about this degree – so please be patient. I will send out more information (e.g., faculty bios, course descriptions) as it becomes available. 

I look forward to seeing you in the Integral cyberhalls.

Warmly,

Sean
shargens@jfku.edu

Courses

The program uses a cohort model – so students will travel through the entire certificate or degree together and the order of courses is largely predetermined. Students will take an average of 6 units (2-3 courses) per quarter, which is considered part-time. This is the result of the fact that most individuals interested in this degree are working full-time and often have families. So we want you to be able to integrate this course work into your already busy and active integral lives.

The first year of courses is as follows:

Fall Quarter (October - December)

Introduction to Integral Theory – 3 units
Developmental Psychology – 3 units
Phenomenological Inquiry – 2 units

Winter Quarter (January - March)

Advanced Integral Theory (IMP) – 3 units
Developmental Lines – 2 units

Spring Quarter (April - June)

Integral Applications – 2 units
States of Consciousness – 2 units
Integral Spirituality – 2 units

Summer Quarter (July – September)

Integral Life Practice – 3 units
Types: Enneagram – 3 units

While the courses in the first year mostly focus on the Integral model (theory and practice) courses in the second and third year focus more on content from Body, Mind, and Spirit in each of the four quadrants. For example, there are 4 courses on the body, one for each quadrant. This provides a truly all-quadrant, all-level education. Courses in the second and third year include:

Subtle Energy Systems
Anatomy & Physiology
Perspectives on the Body
Environmental Medicine
Cognitive Science
Intersubjectivity
Cultural Development
Social Systems
Neuroreligion
Ethics & Compassion
Emergence: Systems, Complexity, & Chaos

In addition there will be electives from the
following areas:

Integral Applications courses: (e.g., Integral
Ecology, Integral Business, Integral Art) (2 units)

Integral Spirituality courses (e.g., Integral
Buddhism, Integral Christianity, Integral Kabbalah) (2 units)

Integral Inquiry courses (e.g., Meditation,
Worldviews, Evolutionary Theory) (2 units)

Electives can also include up to 9 units of transfer credit.

The final quarter will include a Final Integral
Project that allows students to apply what they have learned to a particular issue. This serves as the MA Thesis.

In sum, the proposed degree program delivers an Integral education by:

Providing a curriculum that requires a course for each of the three levels of complexity in all four quadrants of the Integral Model;

Providing a curriculum that balances theory,
practice, and application in both personal and professional contexts;

Providing at least one specific course in each of the 5 elements of the Integral Model (Quadrants, Levels, Lines, States, and Types);

Providing at least one specific course in each of the 8 methodological families (e.g., phenomenology, empiricism, hermeneutics);

Providing intimate contact with integral experts, practitioners, and other exclusive pioneers in the Integral Approach; and by

Providing courses that are integral in content, instruction, delivery, and activities taught by leading faculty in the Integral Approach.

As a result, this program offers the most
comprehensive integral education providing students with a solid foundation in Body, Mind, and Spirit, in Self, Culture, and Kosmos.

In addition, the Sentence Completion Test will be used as an assessment tool for the program: entering and graduating students will take it in order to provide us with feedback about the kind of vertical growth that the program supports.

January 2006