Curiosity and passion. The arts and the humanities.
Designed by Scholars and Creatives
The departments of East-West Psychology and the Interdisciplinary Arts and Writing MFA share a vision of interdisciplinary education and creative scholarship. To express that vision, they are offering new joint programming to help you further develop as an artist and a scholar. Beginning Fall 2023, we will have three degree options that explore the relationship between inquiry and art-making, practice and research. Each will place your original work at the core of your degree. Plus, with an accelerated timeline and instructors who offer real-world professional guidance, you can meet your educational and artistic goals affordably.
Made for Practicing Artists
Any artist who can demonstrate their current practice and readiness to develop a substantial project in writing, text/image, visual, media, or performing art is eligible to apply. Each program is designed to help artists adapt to the changing career landscape and succeed in professional and academic settings.
Starting Fall 2023, we’ll offer
1. M.A. and Accelerated MFA - Your artistic and academic paths will converge as you complete an M.A. in East-West Psychology and then take only one year to complete an MFA.
2. Ph.D. and Accelerated MFA - Your art and scholarship will be mutually enriching as you work toward exceptional academic achievement. Complete your Ph.D. coursework and then a one-year MFA, and earn a doctorate enriched by creative insight.
Course of Study: East-West Psychology M.A. and Accelerated MFA
Note: Students in the Accelerated M.A./MFA will complete 36 units in the M.A. in East-West Psychology. They will use 6 electives to take two MFA courses while enrolled in East-West Psychology. Those courses are MFA 7104 Creative Inquiry (3 units) and MFA 7282 Arts in Context (3 units).
All classes 3 units unless otherwise specified.
- EWP 6000 Community Retreat (1 unit)
- EWP 6001 Intro to East-West Psychology (2 units)
- EWP 6330 Knowledge Work and the Modern Academy (1 unit)
- EWP 6329 Conscious Diversity (2 units)
OR - EWP 6034 Modernity, Colonialism, and Transcultural Hermeneutics (3 units)
- EWP 6015 M.A. Integrative Seminar (1 unit)
- EWP 6043 Introduction to Yoga Psychology
- EWP 6113 Buddhist Psychospirituality Through Asian Art
- EWP 6320 The Dao of Life Cultivation in Chinese Traditions
- EWP 6327 Transformative Themes in the Upanishads
- EWP 6466 Introduction to Chinese Philosophy and Psychology
- EWP 6021 Hermeticism: An Earth-Honoring Path of Wisdom, Imagination, and Action
- EWP 6127 Introduction to Dreamwork
- EWP 6245 Archetypal Psychology
- EWP 7311 Jungian Psychology and East-West Spirituality
- EWP 6025 The Dharma of Earth
- EWP 6121 Terrapsychology: Coming Home to a Re-Enchanted World
- EWP 6122 Enchantivism: Transforming Culture with Stories of Inspiration and Hope
- EWP 6123 Applied Folklore: Retelling Yesterday’s Stories for Today
- EWP 6128 Integral Yoga Psychology
- EWP 6261 Psychology of Death and Dying: An Integral Approach
- EWP 6681 Wisdom Texts: East and West
- EWP 7794 Spiritual Counseling Skills 1: The Art of Listening
- EWP 7795 Spiritual Counseling Skills 2: The Counseling Relationship
- Asian Psychologies
- EWP 6028 Magic and Mysticism: The Eastern Magical Traditions
- EWP 6043 Introduction to Yoga Psychology
- EWP 6051 Eastern Theories of Self, Mind, and Nature
- EWP 6113 Buddhist Psychospirituality Through Asian Art
- EWP 6124 Chan/Zen Buddhism
- EWP 6320 Dao of Life Cultivation
- EWP 6326 Chinese Body-Mind Healing Systems: An Interdisciplinary Approach
- EWP 6466 Introduction to Chinese Philosophy and Psychology
- Depth Psychology
- EWP 6021 Hermeticism: An Earth-Honoring Path of Wisdom, Imagination, and Action
- EWP 6027 The Living Symbol: Fairy Tales and the Individuation Process in the Work of Marie-Louise von Franz
- EWP 6045 Jung and Nature
- EWP 6245 Archetypal Psychology
- EWP 7311 Jungian Psychology and East-West Spirituality
- Ecopsychology
- EWP 6025 The Dharma of Earth
- EWP 6045 Jung and Nature
- EWP 6121 Terrapsychology: Coming Home to a Re-enchanted Planet
- Indigenous Traditions
- EWP 6037 Ancestral Migrations: Honoring our Family Journeys
- EWP 6125 Integration of Expanded States of Consciousness
- EWP 6467 Ayahuasca, Science, and Spirituality
EWP 6496 Indigenous and Shamanic Traditions - EWP 6682 Respect, Kinship, and Love: An Indigenous and Cross-Cultural Wisdom Perspective
- Integral and Transpersonal Psychology
- EWP 6128 Integral Yoga Psychology or
- EWP 6752 Transpersonal Psychology
- East-West Spiritual Counseling
- EWP 7311 Jungian Psychology and East-West Spirituality
- EWP 7794 Spiritual Counseling Skills 1: The Art of Listening
- EWP 7795 Spiritual Counseling Skills 2: The Counseling Relationship
- Culture and Psychology
- EWP 6019 Original Thinking: Land, Language and Consciousness from East-West and Indigenous Perspectives
- EWP 6026 Magic and Mysticism: The Western Magical Traditions
- EWP 6123 Applied Folklore: Retelling Yesterday’s Stories for Today
- EWP 6140 Western Mysticism and Esotericism: History and Practice
- EWP 6157 Krishna, Buddha, Christ, Sophia
- EWP 6165 Leadership, Evolution, and Transformative Change
- EWP 6681 Wisdom Texts: East and West
- Psychospiritual Practice
- EWP 6047 Restore/ying Ourselves, Restore/ying Our World
- MFA 7104 Creative Inquiry for Interdisciplinary Artists (3 units)
- MFA 7282 Arts in Context (3 units)
Required MFA Curriculum - 21 units
- MFA 7104 Creative Inquiry (3 units)
- MFA 7282 Arts in Context (3 units)
- MFA 7095A Interdisciplinary Arts Workshop (3 units) OR
- MFA 6390 Narrative Arts (3 units)
- Art Mentorship (2 units): MFA 7219A (1 unit) and MFA 7219B (1 units)
- MFA 7713 MFA Project Proposal (1 unit)
- MFA 7712A-B MFA Project (6 units)
- MFA 7128 Artist in the World (3 units) OR
- MFA 7038 Interdisciplinary Pedagogy (3 units)
Course of Study: East-West Psychology Ph.D. and Accelerated MFA
Required East-West Psychology Curriculum (Online Program) – 36 units
- EWP 6000 Community Retreat (1 unit)
- EWP 6001 Intro to East-West Psychology (2 units)
- EWP 6329 Conscious Diversity (2 units)
- EWP 6330 Knowledge Work and the Modern Academy (1 unit)
- EWP 7305 Research Methods 1: (Research Foundations) (3 units)
- EWP 7036 Research Methods 2: (Research Lab) (3 units)
III. Advanced Ph.D. Seminars - 6 Units
Students will take two of the following:
- EWP 6024 Civilization in Transition - From Shadow to Soul
- EWP 6126 Jung and the Sacred
- EWP 9005 Gnosticism, Alchemy, Terraspirituality
- EWP 9010 Integral Scholarship
- EWP 9104 Principles of Healing
- EWP 9106 Contemplative Traditions and Practices
- EWP 6245 Archetypal Psychology
- EWP 9406 Jung's Red Book
- EWP 9566 Comparataive Mysticism
IV. Area of Specialization Electives - 18 Units
- MFA 7104 Creative Inquiry (3 units)
- MFA 7282 Arts in Context (3 units)
Asian Psychologies
- EWP 6327 Transformative Themes in the Upanishads
- EWP 6321 How to Cultivate Qi (Life Energy)
Ecopsychology, Culture, and Psychology
- EWP 6165 Leadership, Evolution, and Transformative Change
- EWP 6112 Wilderness Rites of Passage
Integral and Transpersonal Psychology
- EWP 6043 Introduction to Yoga Psychology
- EWP 6752 Transpersonal Psychology
East-West Spiritual Counseling
- EWP 6127 Introduction to Dreamwork
- EWP 7795 Spiritual Counseling Skills
V. Dissertation Seminar - variable units
The East-West Psychology Comprehensive exams are taken through EWP 8100 and either CT 6468 or CT 6461.
- EWP 8100 Research Colloquium (1 unit)
- EWP 9800 Thesis/Dissertation Proposal Completion (0.1 unit)
- EWP 9900 Thesis/Dissertation Seminar (0.1 unit)
One of the following:
- CT 6468
- CT 6461
Required MFA Curriculum - 21 units
- MFA 7104 Creative Inquiry (3 units)
- MFA 7282 Arts in Context (3 units)
- MFA 7095A Interdisciplinary Arts Workshop (3 units) OR
- MFA 6390 Narrative Arts (3 units)
- Art Mentorship (2 units): MFA 7219A (1 unit) and MFA 7219B (1 unit)
- MFA 7713 MFA Project Proposal (1 unit)
- MFA 7712A-B MFA Project (6 units)
- MFA 7128 Artist in the World (3 units) OR
- MFA 7038 Interdisciplinary Pedagogy (3 units)
Curriculum Highlights
Accelerated MFA and East-West Psychology M.A. and Ph.D.
For more coursework information, view our Academic Catalog, or contact Cindy Shearer, MFA Program Chair, and Debashish Banerji, East-West Psychology Program Chair.
3. Ph.D. with Creative Dissertation Pathway - Earn your doctorate by producing original work based on your art practice. Spend equal time in your East-West Psychology and MFA coursework and then complete a dissertation of original work based on your art practice.
Course of Study: Creative Dissertation Pathway
Ph.D. in East-West Psychology with Creative Dissertation Pathway
- EWP 6000 East-West Psychology Community Retreat (1 unit)
- EWP 6001 Introduction to East-West Psychology (2 units)
- Advanced Seminar 1 (3 units)
- EWP 6329 Conscious Diversity (2 units)
- EWP 6330 Knowledge Work and the Modern Academy (1 unit)
- Advanced Seminar 2 (3 units)
- EWP 8100 Research Colloquium (1 unit)
- CT 6468 Academic Foundations: Composition and Communication (2 units)
- Advanced Seminar 3 (3 units)
- MFA 7104 Creative Inquiry for Interdisciplinary Artists (3 units)
- MFA 7282 Arts in Context (3 units)
- MFA 7095 Interdisciplinary Arts Workshop (3 units) -OR-
- MFA 6093 Narrative Arts (3 units)
- MFA 7219 Arts Mentorship (1 unit, taken 3 times)
- MFA 7200 Art Practice as Research (3 units)
- MFA 7128 Artist in the World (3 units) -OR-
- MFA 7225 Art as International Home (3 units) OR-
- MFA 7028 Interdisciplinary Pedagogy (3 units)
- EWP 9800 Dissertation Chair from Interdisciplinary Arts or faculty approved by Interdisciplinary Arts and East-West Psychology (0.1 unit per semester for 1-3 semesters).
- EWP 9900 Dissertation Chair from Interdisciplinary Arts or faculty approved by Interdisciplinary Arts and East-West Psychology (0.1 unit per semester for 1-4 years).
- Complete Comprehensive Exams, as required by East-West Psychology.
- Dissertation Format: Introduction (context setting). Writing or Art (original work), Practice Reflection or Process/Exegetical essay, and Conclusion.
**Students in the Asian Contemplative and Transcultural Studies concentration are also eligible for the Pathway
- EWP 6024 Advanced Ph.D. Seminar: Civilization in Transition - From Shadow to Soul
- EWP 6126 Jung and the Sacred
- EWP 9005 Gnosticism, Alchemy, Terraspirituality
- EWP 9010 Integral Scholarship
- EWP 9104 Principles of Healing
- EWP 9106 Contemplative Traditions and Practices
- EWP 9107 Archetypal Mythology
- EWP 9406 Jung’s Red Book
- EWP 9566 Comparative Mysticism
Curriculum Highlights
Creative Dissertation Pathway
For more coursework information, view our Academic Catalog, or contact Cindy Shearer, MFA Program Chair, and Debashish Banerji, East-West Psychology Program Chair.
Applicants to the dual programs must apply to both the East-West Psychology program and the MFA. Those interested in the Creative Dissertation Pathway should apply to only the East-West Psychology program.
Applicants to any of these programs must submit a portfolio of writing or artwork as part of the admissions process. Their work will be reviewed by East-West Psychology and MFA program chairs and faculty.
Questions? Contact us.
We are here to help! If you have any questions about applying to a program or registering for an Info Session, please reach out to the Admissions Office.