How is Wisdom University different from other schools?

Wisdom University has a unique learning method that focuses on nurturing the whole person. This learning method is designed to balance the body, head, heart and psyche as a single integrated continuum. Students are engaged physically, creatively and mentally.  In contradistinction with most other universities, which insist either on keeping one’s spirituality out of the classroom or insist on a particular sectarian position to which students must adhere, Wisdom University catalyzes deep spiritual and personal transformation within the framework of providing graduate degrees, honoring the integrity and uniqueness of each and every student. We are motivated to provide learning opportunities so that you can become more authentically you while at the same time granting you degrees that enhance your professional credibility.

Each morning during Intensives, students begin with 30 minutes of “Body Prayer,” which wakes up the body to the harmonies of music and sound, a very ancient prayer and meditation form. This is followed by three hours of intellectually rigorous seminar on a variety of subjects. Seminars include a significant amount of required reading, as well as a pre-paper and post-paper. The afternoons consist of three hours of “Art as Meditation” in which students explore a variety of intuitive and artistic expressions, such as mask-making, drumming, Chi Gung, creative writing, and a variety of other course offerings. The day is completed with a “process session” to help students integrate the learning that is taking place on all levels.

Another distinct aspect of Wisdom University is that courses are taught in weeklong Intensives rather than over a quarter or semester. Our total immersion approach allows students to maintain their personal and professional lives in conjunction with their schooling while simultaneously developing close relationships with their peers.

Are you accredited?

Yes, Wisdom University is licensed by the state of California, is accredited by the World Association of Universities and Colleges, and has candidate status with the Accreditation Commission International (ACI). These are international accrediting bodies.  The World Association of Universities and Colleges, for instance, is registered with UNESCO, and ACI is comprised of nearly 350 schools in eight different countries. This is important to Wisdom University because we aspire to be a global learning community, holding classes not only in the United States and Canada but also in Europe and other parts of the world. Our international accreditation, however, is not recognized by the U.S. Department of Education, which only accredits American schools operating in the United States.  This means that although we are accredited, our students cannot receive U.S. Federal student loans.

You might be interested in knowing that the fastest growing sector in United States is the non-accredited sector. This is because the accredited sector (meaning accredited by the U.S. Department of Education) is increasingly paralyzed and incapable of adapting to a rapidly changing world.  Thus growing numbers of corporations and even officially accredited schools are developing non-accredited learning mechanisms to enable them to address rapidly evolving student demands.

Is there anything I can do with a Wisdom University degree?

Yes. Our Ph.D., DMIN and Masters degrees afford our students greater professional recognition and career prospects within their chosen field in the same way other degrees do. In many ways, Wisdom University is to mainstream education what alternative medicine is to the mainstream medical establishment.  All around the world, alternative education, like alternative medicine, is gaining in credibility, adherents and usefulness.  The existing educational establishment, like the medical establishment, is in crisis and is unraveling. It represents a paradigm  that is both limited and increasingly ineffective. Twenty years ago, using alternative medicine was considered quirky, even dangerous. Now it is accepted by millions of people as something they use first, only going to the conventional medicine as a last resort or for emergencies.  The same is true for organic food as well as for education. What was considered marginal before is rapidly becoming the wave of the future. Wisdom University is very much part of this wave.

In addition to having increasingly valuable degrees, Wisdom University also offers several study tracks which can lead to opportunities for students who desire certification in a particular area, such as dreamwork, art and healing, healing trauma, and spiritual direction. Certificates in these areas can be very useful in developing meaningful service opportunities in your community.

What are the various programs you offer?

Our students have a variety of degree and certificate options, including:

• Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.)
• Doctor of Ministry (D.Min)
• Combined Masters/Doctorate
• Master of Arts in Wisdom Spirituality
• Master of Arts in Indigenous Mind
• Master of Arts in Art and Healing
• Certificate in Archetypal Studies and Projective Dream Work
• Certificate in Art of Spiritual Direction
• Certificate in Art and Healing
• Certificate in Nature, Trauma and the Soul

In addition, we have developed academic partnerships with several Chairs of Wisdom University and a group of Institutions. These partnerships with Wisdom University Chairs Carolyn Myss, Stan Grof, Jean Houston and Lauren Artress, and with the The Sophia Foundation, the Chaplaincy Institute and One Spirit Interfaith Seminary, are structured to allow students to study with our partners and partnering organizations, both at courses offered as part of the Wisdom University schedule of classes, and as our partners teach separately in their own institutions and forums. A student can obtain 8 credits (two full Intensives) toward a Wisdom University graduate degree by taking certain specific classes with our partners and drinking deeply of the well of wisdom they provide.

What is the difference between the Doctor of Ministry (DMin) and the Ph.D.?

The real distinction between these two degrees lies in the purpose and function of the degrees. Wisdom University offers students a choice between preparation for work in the pastoral and healing professions and a degree for those interested in more secular vocations. Both the Doctor of Ministry (DMin) and the Ph.D. are referred to as “terminal” degrees, in the sense that they are both Doctoral degrees, but their purpose and function are very different.

The DMin degree, much like an M.D. for doctors or a J.D. for lawyers, is a functional degree for people interested in the ministry. Traditionally, a DMin degree is for those who want to enter the pastoral professions in a religious denomination. More recently, DMin degrees have been sought by those interested in the broader healing, counseling and pastoral professions.

A Ph.D. degree, on the other hand, is considered a secular research degree and is not tied to religious affiliation or any other functional area. At Wisdom University, the Ph.D. is more rigorous than the DMin, requiring twelve Intensives rather than ten, and a formal defense of the dissertation in an Oral Examination at the conclusion of the dissertation process. The Ph.D. degree is generally sought by those who are seeking to reach the highest level of scholarly research in a particular area of interest.

Both head and heart are needed in equal measure for both degrees. This is an important point because the head/heart continuum is a central aspect of Wisdom University. All of our Intensives, like all of our degree programs, challenge the student to balance head, heart, body and soul.

We also emphasize the balance between subjective evaluation and objective knowledge in all the papers that students are required to write, including in their dissertations. That is why we balance the seminar in the morning with the art as meditation in the afternoon, and begin each day with body prayer, finishing with a process group. We seek an integrated learning experience. Both DMin and Ph.D. students take the same classes. Their distinction lies in the question of what you want to do with your degree and how rigorous you want your dissertation process to be.

Can you take classes at Wisdom University without enrolling in a degree program?

Yes. All current Wisdom University students, graduates and the general public, may audit any class for a reduced fee.

Prospective students may also take one course under the Introductory Opportunity without first enrolling in a degree or certificate program.

What is an Intro Op?

Prospective students who are not sure if they want to enroll in a program at Wisdom University may elect to take their first intensive as an Introductory Opportunity, or Intro Op. Intro Op students are not required to write the pre-paper before class; however, they must complete the post-paper if they wish to gain credit for the course when they later enroll.

How many courses do I need for a Masters, Doctorate or Combined Program?

A Masters student may choose either the thesis option, which includes seven intensives, or the non-thesis option, which requires eight intensives. A DMin degree requires 10 intensives and a dissertation. The combined Masters/DMin requires 15 intensives plus a dissertation. Ph.D. candidates must complete 12 intensives, a dissertation and an oral defense. The combined Masters/Ph.D. program requires 17 Intensives, a dissertation and an oral defense.

Does Wisdom University Offer Continuing Education Credits (CEUs)?

Yes. Each week-long Intensive at Wisdom University is worth 30 contact hours of CEUs. Because each certifying body has different criteria, it is up to the student to determine the eligibility of Wisdom University’s CEUs for their specific certification.

Where is Wisdom University located?

Our administrative headquarters are located in San Francisco, California. Currently, we hold classes in the San Francisco Bay Area, in New York, Santa Fe, and in various other cities in the US and Canada. Since our learning method is modular and can be conducted anywhere, we place a premium on holding classes in residential retreat settings that are conducive to community building and dimensionalized learning.

We also link sacred subjects with sacred sites. The New Chartres School is held each July in Chartres, France, in the seminary adjacent to the cathedral that stands on a site held sacred for its feminine energies for over 3,000 years. We also have pilgrimages in Ireland, England, the Amazon, Japan, Turkey  and Italy – wherever we discern that learning can take place at the deepest levels of spirit and heart. This provides our students with choices, literally all over the world, where you can follow the intuitions of your heart and gain degrees by deepening the dialogue about questions surrounding the eternal verities of cosmos and the human quest.

Do you offer financial aid?

We have a small scholarship fund and limited number of work-study opportunities. Depending on the nature of the work, and the amount of work involved, participating students receive partial or full credit for one or more intensives taught at Wisdom University. Work-study credit cannot be applied to courses offered by our strategic partners. In addition, students with serious financial constraints are provided with some level of scholarship and offered opportunities to pay for tuition through no-interest payment plans.  Our commitment to our students is to work with them to ensure that whatever their financial situation, they can participate in the Wisdom University community. 

Do you have online classes?

No. Because our pedagogy, which includes Body Prayer and Art as Meditation aspects, both of which are experiential and interactive, are intrinsic components of all Wisdom University intensives, it is essential for students to be present in person for every course.  As a wisdom school, we believe that it is the personal direct interaction between students and teachers and between students and students that makes learning a living transformative experience.