THE STATE EDUCATION DEPARTMENT / THE UNIVERSITY OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK / ALBANY, NY 12234

 

TO:	The Honorable the Members of the Board of Regents
FROM:	Johanna Duncan-Poiter
COMMITTEE:	Higher Education and Professional Practice
TITLE OF ITEM:	Master Plan Amendment: Boston Graduate School of Psychoanalysis, New York - Master of Arts (M.A.) in Psychoanalysis
DATE OF SUBMISSION:	December 20, 2004
PROPOSED HANDLING:	Approval (Consent Agenda)
RATIONALE FOR ITEM:	Master plan amendment is required when an institution offers a program for the first time in New York State
STRATEGIC GOAL:	Goals 2 and 4
AUTHORIZATION(S):

 

SUMMARY:

 

Boston Graduate School of Psychoanalysis, Boston, MA has requested amendment of its master plan in order to offer Master of Arts (M.A.) degree in Psychoanalysis.  Master plan amendment is required because this would the School’s first-degree program in New York State.    The institution also has a petition before the Board this month requesting a provisional charter in the name of Boston Graduate School of Psychoanalysis, New York.

 

The Office of Higher Education has determined that the proposed program, if approved, would meet the standards for registration set forth in the Regulations of the Commissioner of Education.

 

Recommendation:  I recommend that the Regents take the following action:

 

VOTED, that Boston Graduate School of Psychoanalysis, New York be authorized by master plan amendment, effective January 11, 2005 to offer the Master of Arts (M.A.) degree in Psychoanalysis.  This amendment will be effective only until January 31, 2006, unless the program is registered by the Department prior to that date, in which case master plan amendment shall be without term.

Boston Graduate School of Psychoanalysis, New York

Master of Arts in Psychoanalysis

 

          The Boston Graduate School of Psychoanalysis, New York (BGSP) proposes to offer the Master of Arts (M.A.) degree in Psychoanalysis located at 16 West 10^th Street, New York, NY, 10011 where the Center for Modern Psychoanalytic Studies (CMPS) is also located.

 

Under the proposal, BGSP, which offers the Master’s degree, the post-graduate Certificate in Psychoanalysis, and the Doctor of Psychoanalysis degree at campuses in Boston and Vermont, will offer one of the first graduate degrees in psychoanalysis in the New York region.  The Psychoanalysis program will fill a void in graduate education, making it possible for students interested in the field of psychoanalysis to study at the graduate level, and making psychoanalytic education available to a wider range of students. 

 

The field of psychoanalysis has generally held a standard in the field that students obtain a Master’s degree prior to training in psychoanalysis at the post-graduate level.  However, psychoanalytic education at the Master’s level has generally not been available in the region, to date.  A recent survey of CMPS students indicated that of the respondents (48% of those surveyed), 100% held graduate degrees.  Only three of these degrees were in psychoanalysis.  Of the students surveyed holding doctoral degrees, 65% said their degree did not prepare them for their career as psychoanalysts, and 37.5% indicated they would have chosen to pursue graduate work in psychoanalysis if it were available to them.  Forty-six percent indicated interest in pursuing a degree in psychoanalysis in New York if it were offered. The proposed program will thus allow students pursuing advanced, post-Master’s training in psychoanalysis to obtain the required master’s degree in their field of study.

 

The program will be open to students with a baccalaureate or higher degree, with the motivation and interest to study psychoanalysis, and demonstrated capacity to study at the graduate level.  The program will offer students a broad, graduate level mastery of psychoanalytic theory, the history of psychoanalytic thought, and research methods in social sciences and psychoanalytic studies, as well as an introduction to clinical applications of psychoanalytic theory.  The program does not prepare students to practice psychoanalysis without further training.  Graduates of the program will be prepared to apply psychoanalytic principles to work in related areas and to pursue post-graduate psychoanalytic training.  To date, graduates of the Boston program have used their training to work in mental health settings such as residences, hospitals and social service agencies; to enhance their work in the field of education; and to apply their understanding of psychoanalytic principles in careers related to law and management, to name a few.  Students also use the degree as a basis for training in the practice of psychoanalysis.

 

          It is projected that 50-60% of the students will come from within New York City’s five boroughs and Long Island.  Based on BGSP’s experiences in Boston, it is likely that, once the program is eligible, a small but significant percentage of international students will relocate to New York and enroll.

 

The Board of Trustees of the Boston Graduate School of Psychoanalysis will govern BGSP, New York.  The branch will be administered by the President of BGSP and by its central administration. The Program Director, faculty and administrators will be hired and report to central administration.  Specifically, the Program Director will lead the program at the New York location under the guidance of the Provost and President of BGSP.  A Program Liaison travels regularly between New York and Boston to facilitate communication between the central and branch campuses.

 

Faculty members hold doctorates in various fields and are experienced, certified psychoanalysts with decades of collective experience in clinical practice, training, research, scholarship, university teaching, and development of the field of psychoanalysis, including the application of psychoanalytic principles to related concerns.  The faculty also provides intensive academic advising and academic support such as placements in the field.

 

Enrollment for the program is anticipated at approximately 20 FTE students in the initial year, growing to approximately 37 FTE students in the fifth year. 

 

Facilities include administrative space for admissions, student registration, student records, advisement, and faculty offices.  The facility has two large classrooms as well as library space for use by all students.  The library is professionally staffed part-time by a librarian in New York and by BGSP’s Director of Library Services in Boston.  The New York City library collection includes over 3,300 volumes related to psychoanalysis.  The collection is augmented by numerous electronic databases including CD Rom based professional articles with full-text access, EBSCO host’s MasterFile Select, INFOTRAC Health References among others within the field as well as interlibrary loan access from the Boston and Vermont Campuses. BGSP belongs to Metrowest Massachusetts Regional Library System and will be affiliated with METRO.

 

The Boston Graduate School of Psychoanalysis is regionally accredited by the New England Association of Schools and Colleges. 

 

Planning Review

 

          Boston Graduate School of Psychoanalysis, New York plans to serve students who are interested in pursuing a Certificate in Psychoanalysis, which requires students obtain a masters degree before graduating, and students who are interested in the field of psychoanalysis.

 

A canvass was conducted of the New York City Region. There were eleven responses indicating no objection or negative impact on academic offerings.