Our History

We have had a significant role in the development of the professional psychology school model. The founders of our first programs were psychologists and educators who were committed to a new kind of training for clinical psychologists. Some of these innovative people remain involved with our programs today. Marc Lubin, PhD, who is currently a Professor at our Orange County campus, was one of the first faculty members at the Illinois School of Professional Psychology at Argosy University, Chicago. "It was very much a radical sort of grassroots movement in psychology," recalls Dr. Lubin. "Few places in the United States at the time offered an emphasis on training and practice. Faculty and students alike were drawn in by the concept of a doctoral degree that didn’t focus solely on research."

While our professional schools were pioneers in this movement that has transformed psychology education and practice, our innovative contributions have continued. For instance, we have been active members of the National Council of Schools and Programs of Professional Psychology (NCSPP). During 2010-2011, Stephen Lally, PhD, associate dean of the College of Psychology and Behavioral Sciences at Argosy University was the of President of NCSPP. Under his leadership, the 2011 Annual Conference, "NCSPP 2025: Leap into the Future," focused on preparing clinical psychology students for future practice. In addition, one of our most important commitments is to increase the number of quality internships available to clinical psychology students through the development of internship consortia at many of our schools. This is our legacy.