Jungian Studies

Certificate Program Director: Alan Vaughan, PhD, JD.

C.G. Jung's insights into the human condition, the operations of the psyche, and implications for cultural expression are as relevant in the early 21st century as they were in the early 20th. The Jungian Studies certificate focuses intensely on his collected works.

The curriculum is designed to deepen the understanding of the psyche's process for clinically trained therapists, for those currently seeking clinical certification who wish a psychodynamic orientation, and for those who wish to facilitate their personal and professional understanding of analytic psychology. The goal of this curriculum is to introduce students to the primary materials, promote understanding of concepts and their practical applications, and deepen their insight into the processes of both the personal and the cultural psyche. Seminars will also explore key challenges to Jung's ideas and will maintain a critical as well as a hermeneutical perspective on his theory. As with other influential intellectuals, Jung the person remains a controversial figure, and analytic psychology continues to be changed and enriched through open dialog with critical voices.

Certificate Requirements

The Jungian Studies certificate is a 16 unit program open to matriculated and non-degree students. Standards for the academic quality of student work in certificate programs are the same for matriculating and non-degree students. Satisfactory graduate level work is required of all students for certificate completion.

The program requires completion of 14 weekend in-person seminars over a two-year period. The San Francisco Jungian Studies cohort completes these seminars at Saybrook's campus in San Francisco, California, and the Houston cohort completes these seminars at the Jung Center in Houston, Texas. Each seminar is worth one unit. In addition, a two-unit capstone paper is required. The capstone paper requires the student to demonstrate the ability to pursue a topic focusing on Jungian and/or analytic subject matter. This project should include a clear thesis to be addressed, or a comparative study (e.g. Freud versus Jung on a particular topic), or symbolic analysis of a text or cultural form. Additionally, the student will evidence knowledge of other applicable literature on the subject, and demonstrate independent thinking and research on this topic.

Learning Objectives

Upon completion of this certificate each student will be able to:

• Demonstrate knowledge of key Jungian concepts
• Understand the analytic, psychodynamic Weltanschauung
• Be familiar with secondary literature germane to the primary texts
• Exhibit a capacity for independent research on psychological issues
• Utilize symbolic methods for interpretation of psychological and cultural phenomena.

Learning/Teaching Approach

The Jungian Studies curriculum is based on the study of the classical Jung corpus. Each year, five of the seminars will focus on primary sources. A sixth seminar will feature the work of post-Jungians such as Hillman, von Franz, Giegerich, Edinger, and others, while a seventh will focus on a Jungian approach to symbolic and cultural materials as manifest in religious, mythological, or political motifs. Each seminar will examine critiques of Jung's work, as well as more recent developments in Jungian theory and praxis.