Universities throughout the nation continue to expand the breath of their curriculums to keep in step with the career needs of their potential applicants, students and alumni in such disciplines as law, business, arts, science and medicine.  However, over the years, few private accredited universities have considered looking into the possibility of dedicating an entire school to the discipline of alternative medicine or holistics.  Thus, finding an educational degree program for those interested in such an area of interest or passion can be difficult to find.  Yet, there is one particular American university, located in California’s San Francisco Bay Area that has not only dedicated an entire graduate curriculum to the discipline of holistics, but an entire school.

John F. Kennedy University (JFKU) was founded in 1964 to honor President Kennedy’s insistence that the opportunity and application of education should be geared toward the community as a whole.  It is accredited by the Western Association of Schools and Colleges (WASC) which is one of six regional associations that accredit public and private schools, colleges, and universities throughout the United States.    

JFKU has three campuses in Pleasant Hill, Berkeley and Campbell, CA, and has primarily created its programs for working adults who wish to return to school in order to achieve their goals, thus the university’s admissions process takes into consideration the applicant’s personal and professional qualifications as well as academic record when reviewing his or her application for admission.

The university has five schools offering degrees in: law, management, liberal arts, professional psychology of holistic studies.  John F. Kennedy University was one of the only schools in the nation to offer a comprehensive curriculum in holistic studies upon establishing the Graduate School of Holistic Studies in 1977.

This school offers a total of seven Masters Degrees (MA) in such holistic subjects as Consciousness Studies, Holistic Health Education, Transformative Arts, Integral Psychology and Counseling Psychology (with specializations in either Somatic Psychology, Transpersonal Psychology or Holistic Studies).  A Masters of Fine Arts (MFA) in Studio Arts from the Department of Arts and Consciousness and two certificates programs in Dream Studies and Life Coaching are also available. 

The Graduate School of Holistic Studies of John F. Kennedy University professes the importance of an education integrating body, mind and spirit.   And as stated by the school, “Each degree program shares a common educational goal: to prepare students to work professionally for positive change in the world, based on their own direct experiences of personal growth and transformation.”

For further information on John F. Kennedy University and its Graduate School of Holistic Studies, please call (925) 969-3500, visit www.jfku.edu or email: holistic@jfku.edu