Phillips Graduate University

I attended Phillips in 1997. I wanted a challenge. I attended and graduated from California State Northridge and was decided on a degree in mental health. My experience at Phillips was terrible. Most of the teachers were adjunct faculty and most stunk. The school at that time was nick named the school of second chances which translates no problem graduating. I was so disappointed. I graduated but I have never felt that I truly earned a masters degree. Despite my experience at Phillips I passed my state boards and practice in Sherman Oaks. Do not waste your money. The administrator and I went head to head until they advised me to watch my step. I had my attorney send them a demand letter with the intent to sue the school. Within eight days they wanted to settle the case which they did. I still have the paperwork and can prove this experience actually happened.

Upon making a career change in the second half of my life, I researched many graduate LMFT programs. In fact, I have some friends attending Pepperdine and a few other LMFT graduate programs in Southern CA. The hands on training starting week one is what cinched the deal for me. Theory and understanding the foundation are essential however without actually participating with clients and observing/​applying principles in a supervised setting leaves a void in the process.
I began in the Fall of 2014. There are a variety of students aged in their early 20’s up to their 60’s. The backgrounds of the individuals leads to amazing classroom discussions as we move through the course material. A full-​time community counseling center is attached to the building. There are traineeships available through the school and they also bring additional outside trainee and internship programs to the students to offer us a choice based on schedule and needs of each person. They even have an art therapy program which seems fantastic — we’ve had a few art therapy student demonstrations in class.
As a mother, and someone who works, I really appreciate the flexibility with this school. The Fall semester is a great time to begin because they offer a weekday or weekend schedule so if you have to miss one day, you can make it up another day. Again, the flexibility is great for a busy person. The teachers are very considerate of the students and seem to really care about our overall success in the program. I can’t say I felt that in my undergraduate program.
I won’t lie. The program is hard. A lot of reading, researching, self processing, self reflection, and even self sacrifice are involved. However for me personally, it has been well worth it. I could not be happier with my decision to join this school. The faculty are practicing therapists and specialize in specific theories taught. We have guest speakers, videos and classroom exercises to enhance learning. Lots of training tools and resources with a well staffed library. I have come to discover the school has a wonderful reputation in the LMFT community. It is expensive. I wish there were more scholarship or discounted tuition programs available. I will say if you really want to make a career change or even begin a career in LMFT and want the best hands-​on training to prepare you, this is the place to be. I can say this with absoluteness as someone who spent twenty years in corporate sales and also have an MBA. This is hands down one of the best learning institutions I have ever encountered.

Just the facts:
I am an alumni of PGI.
I am proud of the degree I worked hard for.
The course work was demanding.
The school is expensive.
I was prepared a career as a clinician.
Employers who heard of PGI regarded it highly.
The units transferred nicely into doctorate programs across the nation.
The instructors are very knowledgeable (no former student can deny that)
Over 10 yrs after graduating from PGI, I have conferred with former instructors on issues of career advancement and issues surrounding the profession who were gracious, informative and professional.

Ranked 7010^th among colleges and universities, student reviewers gave Phillips Graduate Institute (PGI) an overall quality rating of D– (see the link below).
From personal experience, I could NOT recommend PGI to anyone. Recently, when the school’s registrar was caught freely giving out confidential student information (a Department of Education [FERPA 20 U.S.C. § 1232g; 34 CFR Part 99] Privacy Act violation), the school’s executive team treated the issue with complete disregard and callous insensitivity. With an interest in resolving this issue, I personally made an appointment with the school’s president only to be stood up. Unfortunately, this was not the only time that I and others have been treated with apathy and distain by the school’s executive team.
I found PGI’s instructional staff supportive and they always showed interest in the students but they were often hamstrung by poor management, politics and/​or ever-​shrinking budgets and bankrupt leadership. The Western Association of Schools and Colleges (WASC) had PGI on probation for years largely because of the school’s questionable «financial sustainability»
(
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According to WASC’s most recent report (see link above), PGI has made some «progress» but the institution remains in «a precarious» financial position. With this in mind WASC has encouraged PGI to find investment capital and PGI has been courting Sterling Partners as a possible investor. Still, this ambitious merger is far from becoming anything one might call serious, thus leaving PGI at risk of failure despite WASC’s best efforts to encourage investment.
Given the administration’s lethargy and general lack of interest in student concerns, I would NEVER agree to attend PGI especially given that my bad experiences could have easily been resolved. The only reason I went to PGI was because they were the only institution who offered an 18 month MFT program; something they are no longer allowed to do. Pepperdine and Cal State Northridge (CSUN) both offer substantially better academic programs, have better alumni associations and have far better administrations.
As an alum I remain concerned; why? First, an alumni association can be one’s greatest ally, upon graduation and throughout one’s career, but PGI’s alumni association remains anemic largely because of PGI’s reputation. Second, and more significantly, PGI’s future reputation will greatly influence any potential employer’s perception of me and it influences how potential patients might perceive me verses my colleagues. The fact remains that the odds are greatly against PGI’s reputation improving, given said circumstances, and I may be left with a virtually worthless degree.

I am a current student, and attending Phillips has been one of the best choices that I’ve ever made.
It is expensive to attend Phillips, but I have found that the value of the education more than compensates for the cost.
In my experience, the faculty have all been knowledgeable, patient, and organized. The coursework follows a logical progression, starting with a basic but comprehensive explanation of many different theories so that the student may consider his/​her options and find something that resonates. After the first semester, the material gets more clinical and complicated– but I felt I was ready after the preparation of the first semester.
Throughout one’s education, Phillips makes an emphasis on hands-​on learning, with small «case conference» classes that allow students to participate in actual therapy sessions with clients, accompanied by a licensed therapist. Students also participate in group therapy with one another, and take turns running their own groups.
The grading scale and testing belies the actual complexity of the work done by students at Phillips, There are countless writing exercises, and students are constantly challenged to examine their own issues– a critical component to providing competent service to clients.
It is a lot of work, and it has been challenging to maintain my full-​time job. That said, I will be graduating with my masters degree in under two years, and more importantly, I feel confident moving forward with the knowledge and experience I got at PGI. It’s not a program for people who don’t want to work, or who can’t make time. It just isn’t. But I haven’t regretted one moment I devoted to my coursework there.
If I sound Pollyanna-​ish about this, forgive me. I’m very proud of what I’ve done at Phillips, and tremendously grateful for the generous attention I have received from the faculty and staff.
In short: This is the only place for me. I would highly recommend it to anyone who wants a hands-​on education and is ready to roll up their sleeves and work.
One last thing– reviews of PGI are rife with criticisms of its WASC probationary status. While a probation would certainly be cause for concern, Phillips is no longer on probation. Here’s a link to the official document if you want to read it for yourself: