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  • Where is the ICDL Graduate School located?
      • The administration office of the ICDL Graduate School is located in Kentfield, California. However, all courses are administered via a distance learning program so that students can participate in this program regardless of their current place of residence.
  • Will this be a distance learning program?
    • Yes. Students have access to distance learning via online classes, by logging into the ICDL Virtual Classroom, a private interactive web platform housed on the ICDL website. To find more information about this interactive distance learning format, click here.
  • How long will it take me to complete the program? 
    • Full-time students (taking 8-9 credits or more per trimester) should finish this program in approximately 4 years. Part-time students (taking 4 credits per semester) may have to devote 5-7 years to finish the program. 
  • What are the areas of study?
    • A dynamic bio-psychosocial developmental approach guides the curriculum. It includes knowledge from all the disciplines that contribute to understanding early human development and its disorders including; emotional and social development, cognitive and language functioning, perceptual motor and sensory functioning, neurobiology, caregiver/child interaction patterns, family patterns, psychopathology, and the larger community and cultural contexts. To learn more about the curriculum, click here.
  • What are the admissions criteria?
    • The ICDL Graduate School is committed to the pursuit of excellence, welcoming applicants who have a strong interest in working with infants, young children and their families, to promote their mental health and overall well being. To learn more about the admission criteria, click here
  • Do I need to have a master's degree to apply?
    • No. Applicants need to have a college bachelor's degree from an institution accredited by one of the six (6) regional accrediting commissions recognized by the U.S. Department of Education, or the equivalent for international students. To read more about admission criteria, click here
  • What is the application deadline?
    • The ICDL Graduate School is currently accepting applications for classes in September 2012. In honor to Dr. Greenspan we have extended the final deadline for applying to May 31, 2012.
  • Is the ICDL Graduate School Accredited? What is the difference between Approval and Accreditation?

    The ICDL Graduate School  is licensed and approved by the Bureau of Private Post-secondary Education (BPPE) and is compliant with state standards set forth in the California Ed. Code 9 to operate as a private degree granting institution4897. This is a legally valid doctoral degree (not a license), valid as any PhD from any approved University. Although we are licensed and approved to operate as a private degree granting institution by (BPPE), we are not accredited yet. Approval is public and mandatory, accreditation is private and voluntary. However, accreditation is very important to us, as it ensures that the institution “meets high standards of quality and effectiveness”. The ICDL Graduate School will seek accreditation from WASC (see http://www.wascsenior.org/wasc).The process of becoming accredited by WASC takes some time and we are preparing to apply for "accreditation eligibility" this year (2011). However, this is only the first step of the process and the other two steps could take between 4-8 years. We are doing our best to review our operations and fully meet all the accrediting standards, so we can submit an excellent application and hope to expedite the process as much as it is in our control.

  • Will the program offer a PhD in Clinical Psychology? Can I obtain a clinical license through this program?
    • No, this program will not prepare you to apply for a license in clinical psychology. Furthermore, the instruction provided by the ICDL Graduate School prepares students to become leaders in a new field for which no licensure standards have yet been set. Most of the current enrolled students have already a clinical license or a teaching credential that allows them to work with infants, children and families. If you are interested in doing clinical work and don't have a license yet then it might be better for you to apply to a master degree in a clinical field that will prepare you to apply for a state license. Some state licensing boards might accept courses taken at the ICDL Graduate School to complete the educational requirements to apply for a specific license (e.g. Marriage and Family Therapist License, after completing additional internship, Counseling licensure, Early Childhood Education Specialist Credential, Specialist Credential in Early Childhood Special Education). To read more, please download the following statement To review the American Association for Marriage and Family Therapy (AAMFT) website and a Directory of Licensure and Certification Boards, click here. To learn more about counseling licensure requirements by state, click here.
  • What kind of employment can I get through this program?
    • The interdisciplinary nature of the program brings health, education, and social services components together in a comprehensive curriculum that helps students to develop competencies in all of these areas.  Students graduating from this program will be prepared to work in different settings (e.g. health, education, social services, policy) and improve the life of infants and young children with an integrated approach. Employment opportunities include, among others, working as consultants creating educational programs for parents, supporting pediatric offices in well-baby exams, coordinating multidisciplinary teams that involve health, education, social protection professionals, teaching positions in academic settings, leading or supporting infant mental health research initiatives, and informing new infancy and early child development policies at the state and federal level.
  • What is the tuition?
    • The tuition for students who enroll in the 2011-2012 academic year is $675 per credit hour, comparable to the national average at private American universities. Please be aware that the tuition is subject to change after the 2011-2012 academic year. To learn more about tuition and financial aid click here
  • Can I apply for Federal Financial Aid (FAFSA) or deferment on my existing loans while enrolled in the program?
    • Because the ICDL Graduate School is not yet accredited, we are not eligible to administer Federal Financial Aid (e.g. Stafford Loans, Perkins Loans, Work-Study). Prospective students are encouraged to seek scholarship funding.
  • Can I work while I study?
      • Yes.  If you are planning to work and study part-time, we recommend that you allocate at least 3 hours / week for each credit taken. For example, students taking 4 credits/ trimester should allow 12 hours/week for participation in online courses, discussion groups and study required for each course. Full-time students (8 credits/ trimester) should allow at least 24 hours/week to study and participate in online courses and discussion groups required for each course.
  • I have many years of clinical experience. Does the program give credits for previous experience? What is the credit transfer policy?
    • Due to the uniqueness of the curriculum, the ICDL Graduate School only accepts a maximum of 10 transfer credits. Transfer credits can be applied to research courses (IMH 501-504) and/or to courses in which the student meets our policy on transferring credits. As part of a doctoral program, students are required to participate in a number of practicum hours which cannot be replaced with previous experience. Experienced clinicians will benefit from direct supervision given by senior faculty in a variety of practicum that will build on their strengths and develop new competencies. To read more about our policy on transferring credits click here
  • Where are the practicum sites located? Do I need to travel to do my practicum courses?
    • Most of our students are working in places that provide services to infants, young children and their families. The ICDL Graduate School makes every effort to consider students' workplaces as appropriate practicum sites. If the student is not currently working or does not have access to a site that provides services to infants and young children, the ICDL Graduate School will help the student find an approved practicum site as close as possible to the student's current residence.
  • What would be an appropriate training site for practicum requirements
    • Appropriate training site would be a place where students have access to observe infants and young children of different ages and diagnosis, and their families. An ideal place would use a developmental and multidisciplinary approach to evaluate and conduct early intervention. Most of our students are from distant places and rural areas. Therefore we are very flexible in allowing students to use their own workplace as practicum settings. Practicum courses include active review of many video clips, provided by the faculty leading the course and by the students themselves. Practicum supervision is given weekly using our distance learning format, in small group discussions. We do not expect or require students to travel. We will help students connect with local clinicians or researchers if the student need an alternative place to complete some of the practicum requirements that could not be done through their workplace.
  • What are the computer system requirements for this program?

    • For the best experience, we recommend at minimum: PC: Win98/P4 1.5Ghz CPU/128MB ram/32MB Video card MAC: Apple Mac G4 running OSX 10.2.8, 1.5Ghz CPU, 256MB Ram

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More questions? Please send your additional questions to cbreinbauer@icdl.com