2013 through academic Catalog. Living the Transformed Life. Atlantic University

Transcription

1 2013 through 2014 academic Catalog Living the Transformed Life Atlantic University

2 Quote from the Founder: Spiritual philosopher and holistic healing pioneer, Edgar Cayce helped to found Atlantic University in That we may know our relations with our fellowman, to do good, that we may make manifest God s love for man. This shall ever be the criterion, the basic force, for any such [University] endeavor The time is ready. Who will harken? Who will make ready, that the light may shine unto the dark places? The time is at hand (Q) Is the present an auspicious time for the establishment of the university? (A) The time is at hand. The harvest is ready. Begin. Commence. Understanding that, to succeed, it must be builded upon that as given. Edgar Cayce reading , December 13, Edgar Cayce Readings 1971, by the Edgar Cayce Foundation. All rights reserved Academic Catalog Atlantic University th Street Virginia Beach, VA Phone: / Fax: Toll Free: info@atlanticuniv.edu Hours of Operation: Monday through Friday, 9:00 am 5:00 pm University Holidays: New Year s Eve (December 31st) New Years Day (January 1st) Memorial Day (last Monday in May) Independence Day (July 4th) Labor Day (1st Monday in September) Thanksgiving Day (4th Thursday in November) the day after Thanksgiving (4th Friday in November) Christmas Eve (December 24th) Christmas Day (December 25th) A holiday that falls on Saturday is observed on Friday the day before the holiday. A holiday that falls on Sunday is observed on Monday the day after the holiday. Atlantic University Academic Catalog: 2013 through

3 Welcome to Atlantic University! When Edgar Cayce founded Atlantic University along with a group of supporters in 1930, it was truly ahead of its time. In addition to its focus on the integration of body, mind and spirit as an important means of personal transformation and achieving higher human potential, the university was unique in many respects. Atlantic University offered a coeducational program in which men and women were admitted and educated on equal terms. The university also championed the importance of international relations and emphasized each individual s contribution to the whole and the importance of service in the affairs of humankind. Although time and technology have prompted many incredible changes for Atlantic University, many things remain the same. To be sure, the university s founders could have never imagined the possibility of electronic classrooms and discussions with students and educators from around the world. However, I believe that educative principles within our curriculum would continue to inspire Edgar Cayce and his contemporaries. These principles and ideas remain at the heart of what Atlantic University has to offer: The nature of humankind is spiritual we are spiritual beings having a physical experience. It is not only possible but essential that each individual attempt to awaken a direct connection to her or his spiritual core. There are many dimensions or levels of human consciousness that can be examined, researched and explored. Personal application of new ideas is the best way to truly learn and grow. Whether your interest is a single course, a continuing education program, or a masters degree, I welcome you to the learning community that is Atlantic University! Kevin J. Todeschi Executive Director & CEO 3 Atlantic University Academic Catalog: 2013 through 2014

4 Quotes from the Founder...2 Hours of Operation...2 Welcome to Atlantic University Message from CEO Kevin Todeschi...3 Table of Contents...4 About Atlantic University...6 mission statement... 6 vision statement... 6 institutional goals & objectives... 6 history... 7 licensure & Accreditation... 7 About the MA Program...8 What are Transpersonal Studies?... 8 Curriculum Objectives... 9 Au Curriculum structure the Master s Degree Courses Master s Program Core Required Courses The Six Study Tracks General Studies track Applied spirituality track Consciousness track Creativity track Leadership and conflict Transformation track transpersonal visual arts track Other options for study proctered exams Specialization...30 Spiritual Guidance Mentorship Training Who should apply? Graduate Certificate...31 Graduate Requirements...32 The Culminating Project and Oral Presentation...32 Technological Requirements...33 Admissions and Financial Information...33 General admission requirements and acceptance Classification of Admission student writing requirement Transfer Credit International Students tuiton and fees Atlantic University Academic Catalog: 2013 through

5 Standardized study track (sst) and the academic year textbooks refund policy and procedures drop/add process and withdrawals fees for extensions and incompletes scholarship aid tuition support for veterans and active duty military Student Information...39 students at atlantic university course duration grade point average right of petition grade challenge procedure student grievance procedure active student status Atlantic University Grading System...42 program completion repeating a course academic drop/add and withdrawal procedures and policies for incompletes/extensions probation DISMISSAL FROM THE UNIVERSITY STUDENT RIGHTS AND RESPONSIBILITIES ACADEMIC INTEGRITY AND PLAGIARISM POLICY STUDENT CONDUCT STUDENT PRIVACY RIGHTS TRANSCRIPTS AND DIPLOMAS Spring 2013 Calendar...46 Summer 2013 Calendar...46 Fall 2013 Calendar...47 Spring 2014 Calendar...47 Summer 2014 Calendar...48 Fall 2014 Calendar...48 Meet Our Faculty...49 Meet Our Staff...50 A.R.E./A.U. Trustees Atlantic University Academic Catalog: 2013 through 2014

6 About Atlantic University Mission Statement Atlantic University s mission is to provide a high quality graduate-level distance education learning environment for adult learners that integrates body, mind, and spirit to help people achieve higher human potential and transform their lives, better understand their relationship to all life, and be of profound service to others. Vision Statement Drawing on the best of the humanities, social and natural sciences, psychology, and religious and spiritual traditions, Atlantic University s vision is to offer the most unique and distinguishd course of scholarship in the field of transpersonal studies by: providing a stimulating academic curriculum that focuses on the nature of consciousness, the nature of personal belief and personal spirituality, the nature of holistic living, and the interrelationship between body, mind and spirit; providing a high quality continuing and professional education curriculum in a variety of fields related to body, mind and spirit; understanding and meeting the needs of its students, communities and other constituents as they follow their various professional career paths; fostering knowledge of the existence of a dimension to human nature greater than the individual and instilling the notion that connecting with this larger part of one s self is instrumental to creativity, health, and optimum human performance; encouraging students to test and apply transpersonal concepts personally in order to experience personal growth and integration; enabling individuals to change their lives for the better, positively affecting their relationships and their surroundings in the process; giving individuals life experience with their highest integrated potential and their interrelationship to the rest of humankind. Institutional Goals & Objectives The mission statement guides Atlantic University in its commitment to provide: An atmosphere of community among students, faculty and staff that focuses on integrity, empathy, creativity, scholarship, innovation, personal transformation and service. An atmosphere of community among students, faculty and staff that encourages students to acquire learning not only from their professors and coursework but also from one another and from their own inner wisdom. An ever-improving array of educational opportunities and methods that help students change their lives for the better, positively affecting their relationships and their surroundings in the process. An ever-improving educational environment that encourages students to adopt Atlantic University s philosophy of personal and global integration and through that philosophy to serve as effective citizens in the emerging global community. Atlantic University Academic Catalog: 2013 through

7 History Atlantic University received its charter on April 29, 1930, with a vision of offering a liberal arts education through a holistic perspective. Owing to the economic conditions prevailing in the United States at the time, the university remained open for only two years. Nevertheless, the vision remained alive in the minds of several people who kept the charter active with a sense of expectancy that the University would reopen its doors when the time was proper. Through the 1970s and into the early 1980s, interested persons met to lay the groundwork for the rebirth of the University with a new mission, scope, and purpose. In the fall trimester of 1985, Atlantic University reopened as a graduate school with a curriculum that focused on the newly developing interdisciplinary field of transpersonal studies. Initially the Masters of Arts in Transpersonal Studies was offered as a residential program with a few independent study distance education options accomplished through a correspondence course model. Over the years the ratio of distance education courses to residential courses changed until the majority of courses were taught as distance education. The method of instruction of distance courses also changed from a correspondence course model to web-based courses to courses on CD, and in the fall of 2010, the conversion to a truly online school with three trimesters was begun. As the university evolved continuing education and personal enrichment courses and online events were also added to the mix. The sections that follow will deal specifically with the master s program offered by Atlantic University. More information about continuing education and personal enrichments courses and events are available on the Atlantic University website. Licensure and Accreditation In May 1989, the State Council of Higher Education for Virginia (SCHEV) granted the University a provisional license for five years, with the stipulation that certain advances be achieved by May These steps were taken, and the University was licensed to confer the degree of Master of Arts in Transpersonal Studies. The University continues to maintain its licensure with SCHEV. On November 19, 1989, Atlantic University graduated its first class as a graduate school. In January 1990, the University received approval from the Veteran s Administration to provide education and training to eligible persons. The institution received accreditation from the Distance Education and Training Council (DETC) in 1994 for its distance education program and was reaccredited in 1999, 2005 and The DETC accrediting commission is listed by the U.S. Department of Education as a nationally recognized accrediting agency and is a member of the Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA). Distance Education and Training Council th St. NW, Suite 2, Washington, DC (202) Fax: (202) State Council of Higher Education for Virginia 101 N. 14 th St., James Monroe Bldg. Richmond, VA (804) Fax: (804) When I first enrolled in Atlantic University, I was apprehensive and insecure, feeling I was too old to be starting a Masters program. That all changed as I became immersed in my studies and began to interact with A.U. s extraordinary faculty who inspired and empowered me to confidently identify and embrace my soul s purpose. I am grateful to all at A.U. who came into my life and touched me in so profound a way, giving me the courage, conviction and passion to fulfill my spiritual ideal with a renewed sense of divine purpose. - Joanne DiMaggio Class of Atlantic University Academic Catalog: 2013 through 2014

8 About the MA Program The founding principle of the Master of Arts in Transpersonal Studies is the recognition of the existence of a dimension to human nature greater than the individual. The basic premise is that connecting with this larger part of one s self is instrumental in creativity, health, and full human potential. Therefore, the graduate level distance education curriculum in the Master s program has always focused on the nature of humanity, the nature of the universe, the nature of reality, and holistic living. This principle is expressed through twin goals. The program encourages students to test personally and to apply these core concepts in order to grow toward integration of body, mind and spirit. The program also encourages students to transform the growth they experience into profound service to others. This unique experience is available to those seeking personal growth and enrichment through for-credit master s level instruction. The academic program is designed to be an innovative learning experience that may augment various professional career paths. The educational program requires students to synthesize ideas from several research and academic sources. what are transpersonal studies? Transpersonal Studies involve an interdisciplinary approach to understanding human nature and the world around us. It attempts to synthesize many complementary disciplines, including psychology, philosophy, religious studies, art, anthropology, history, and healing. It is most closely linked with the contemporary movement known as transpersonal psychology. The word transpersonal comes from Western psychology, with Carl Jung and Abraham Maslow among the first to propose its use. Both of these pioneers were interested in a synthesis of common themes from religious traditions (both East and West); the perennial philosophy, with its wisdom teachings that are centuries old; and the insights of modern depth psychology. Transpersonal Studies seek to blend critical and contemplative thinking. The transpersonal researcher maintains a fundamental appreciation for the value of human experience itself as meaningful data. Ultimately, Transpersonal Studies is the investigation of ourselves and our world from the orientation of several assumptions. Among the key tenets of the transpersonal perspective are: There exists a fundamental oneness to all of life and the universe itself. Interconnectedness is a key to understanding the nature of reality. Our essential nature is spiritual. Consciousness is multidimensional. The ordinary consciousness that we experience most of the time is simply the outward tip of consciousness. Contacting a deeper source of wisdom and guidance within is both possible and helpful to growth. Our lives and actions are meaningful. Discovering this meaning is therapeutic and accords with the observation that a person can cope with anything if it is meaningful. Learning is a matter of connecting to preexisting, internal resources. Whereas traditional education has viewed the student mind as a blank slate, the transpersonal approach calls upon the educator to help the student find the wisdom that already resides within. At Atlantic University, we believe that the fundamental purpose of education is to nourish the inherent possibilities of human development. Universities should be places that facilitate the total development of all learners. Learning must involve the enrichment and deepening of relationships to self, to family and community members, to the global community, and to the planet. These ideas have been expressed eloquently and put into practice by such educational pioneers as Dewey, Montessori, Steiner, and many others. Atlantic University Academic Catalog: 2013 through

9 Atlantic University strives for wholeness in the educational process. Wholeness implies that each academic discipline provides a different perspective on the rich, complex, integrating phenomenon of life. Holistic education celebrates and makes constructive use of evolving, alternative views of reality, and multiple ways of knowing. It is not only the intellectual and vocational aspects of human development that need guidance and nurturance but also the physical, social, moral, aesthetic, creative, and in a nonsectarian sense spiritual aspects. Holistic education takes into account the mystery of life and the universe, in addition to experiential reality. In keeping with this transpersonal perspective, the following learning objectives have been established for those students who complete the master s program. Curriculum Objectives The student will be able to describe and discuss fundamental theories about consciousness and human nature from transpersonal perspectives and explain the relevance of those theories to his or her own life. The student will be able to describe her or his understanding of the interrelationships between the levels of bodymind-spirit, drawing upon both spiritual and psychological perspectives, and will have encountered a variety of transformative experiences at each of those levels. The student will have acquired a broader perspective on the meaning of life, the stages of human psychological development, and traditional and transpersonal approaches to life after death, while seeing the interconnectedness between these various approaches and her or his own beliefs and perspectives. The student will have demonstrated his or her ability to exercise critical thinking through a variety of written and interactive assignments exploring the transpersonal studies curriculum. The student will be able to discuss perceptual consciousness beyond the conventional five senses using examples found in Eastern and Western spiritual traditions. The student will be able to describe the first-hand expanded self-awareness he or she has acquired through working with dreams and meditation and explain how this process deepened his or her personal understanding of mindbody-spirit healing. The student will be able to approach and describe contemporary human issues from the perspective of wisdom traditions and their emphasis on the ongoing transformation of human consciousness. The student who opts to complete the degree program with a Culminating Project will be able to incorporate a deep description of her or his own understanding of the connection of their work to the emerging global community. 9 Atlantic University Academic Catalog: 2013 through 2014

10 Atlantic University Curriculum Structure General Studies Track Applied Spirituality Track Consciousness Track Creativity Track Leadership & Conflict Track Transpersonal Visual Arts Track 1st Year 2nd Year ; ; ; ; ; Required Courses Credits TS5000 TS5005 TS5010 TS5015 TS5000 TS5005 TS5010 TS5015 TS5000 TS5005 TS5010 TS5015 TS5000 TS5005 TS5010 TS5015 TS5000 TS5005 TS5010 TS5015 TS5000 TS5005 TS5010 TS5015 Track Required Courses 6 Credits TS5100 TS5050 TS5055 TS5065 TS5100 TS5105 TS5150 TS5155 TS5200 TS5205 TS5250 Track Electives Minimum of 9 Credits Choose from any track TS6000 TS6005 TS6010 TS6100 TS6110 TS6140 elective courses in development TS6300 TS6305 TS6315 TS6405 other elective courses in development Directed Study Elective TS6900 TS6900 TS6900 TS6900 TS6900 TS6900 Other Electives Needed to Meet Graduation 6 Credits plus TS6999 or 2 additional electives 6 Credits plus TS6999 or 2 additional electives 6 Credits plus TS6999 or 2 additional electives 6 Credits plus TS6999 or 2 additional electives 6 Credits plus TS6999 or 2 additional electives 6 Credits plus TS6999 or 2 additional electives Notes: Atlantic University uses the semester hour. That is, although offered in 14-week semesters, each course is constructed to meet the Department of Education s credit hour rule for semester-based courses, 135 hours of academic engagement and prepartion across the duration of the course so as to equal 3 credit hours per course. On a week-by-week basis this means students will be engaged in their course work for nine and three quarter hours at a minimum. 36 hours are needed to graduate if TS6999 Culminating Project is taken, or 39 hours if 2 additional electives are taken instead of TS6999. Students may change study tracks. Please contact the Admissions and Academic Advising Administrator to discuss your options. Atlantic University Academic Catalog: 2013 through

11 The Master s Degree Courses All courses offered in the Master of Arts in Transpersonal Studies confer three credit hours upon successful completion. Courses are offered on the trimester system: that is there are three fourteen-week trimesters in the academic year, Spring, Summer and Fall. All students are required to complete four required courses. From there, the students are guided to the several pathways they can take through the curriculum. These tracks offer a variety of options students may use to pursue their interests and educational goals while at Atlantic University. Each track includes required courses and electives. Students are encouraged to start out with the required core courses and then make a track selection that best fits their needs. While each track has distinctive differences from the other tracks, each track can equip the student to make a difference in the world. The six tracks are: Applied Spirituality, Consciousness, Creativity, General Studies, Leadership and Conflict Transformation, and Transpersonal Visual Arts. master s program core required courses The following are the four core required courses that every student must take. TS5000 Introduction to Transpersonal Studies Introduction to Transpersonal Studies is the first course that all newly-admitted master s students are required to take. This course brings the students into contact with the field of transpersonal studies as it relates to psychology, philosophy, science, and human development. Including a blend of both the theoretical and the practical, the course is designed to provide students with a background in knowledge related to the transpersonal. Also essential to the course, students will have the opportunity to explore the transpersonal dimensions of their own lives and reflect upon their mission in life. Learning Outcomes: The student will be able to identify and describe the transpersonal and transformative ideas articulated in the assigned writings of major thinkers in the field. The student will be able to describe and discuss the life of Edgar Cayce as an example of a transpersonal thinker. The student will be able to appraise and contrast the adequacy of scientific experimentation to inner knowing. The student will be able to describe those of his or her own life experiences that the student considers transpersonal and spiritual by writing an exceptional human experiences autobiography. The student will be able to identify and explain the major themes of the course within the context of the proctored final examination. 11 Atlantic University Academic Catalog: 2013 through 2014

12 TS5000 is available every trimester. For faculty mentors please check the course listing page on the website. TS5005 Spiritual Crisis Throughout the ages, individuals who have had intense religious experiences have also frequently exhibited unusual behaviors ranging from eccentric to fanatical, from saintly to insane. This course will assist students in defining such key concepts as mysticism, mental health, mental illness, among others. Course work will focus on the neurobiological, psychosocial, and transpersonal aspects of various forms of mystical experience and mental illness. Students will be encouraged to examine their own experiences and develop a strategy for maintaining balance on the spiritual path. Those who take the class will be provided with guidelines and suggestions for assisting others who may be undergoing a spiritual emergency or transformational crisis. Learning Outcomes: The student will be able to describe the relationships of mental illness to creativity and to spiritual emergencies. The student will be able to explain the impact of psychic development practices on spiritual emergencies. The student will be able to differentiate between mystical experiences and mental illness. The student will be able to evaluate strategies and types of support for working through spiritual emergencies and to develop guidelines and criteria for providing such support. The student will be able to identify and explain the major themes of the course within the context of the proctored final examination. TS5005 is available at least every other trimester. For faculty mentors please check the course listing page on the website. TS5010 The Inner Life: Dreams, Meditation, Creativity, and Imagination The purpose of this course is to teach certain skills associated with the introverted side of life as it relates to transpersonal themes of personal development found in mythology. Included is a study of the practice of dream interpretation, meditation, and imagination and their use in personal growth as expressed in the development of a personal mythology. A personal mythology is a uniquely personal version of a universal story regarding the meaningful events typically found in a person s life span. The student will engage in a variety of experiential and research projects that will personalize the material and lead toward the creation of the student s personal mythology. Learning Outcomes: The student will be able to describe the process of learning meditation as it was experienced by the student during the course, to identify the common challenges that meditation students often face, and to describe methods by which those challenges may be overcome. The student will be able to describe the processes of remembering, interpreting, and acting upon dreams, both as these processes were personally experienced by the student and used to understand and overcome personal challenges during the course, and as they have been described in assigned historical accounts of life interventions inspired by dreams. The student will be able to describe the methods that have been used by the student to summon imagery that informed, guided, or inspired the student as she or he has sought to understand the student s own life issues. The student will be able to write a personal mythology, in which the student explains his or her own highly personal, subjective approach to dealing with Atlantic University Academic Catalog: 2013 through

13 universal life issues, drawing examples from the student s own dreams and imagery. The student will be able to identify and explain the major themes of the course within the context of the proctored final examination. TS5010 is available every trimester. For faculty mentors please check the course listing page on the website. TS5015 Qualitative Research Methods from a Transpersonal Perspective This is a research methods course designed to help students develop skills in thinking about the meaning of scientific research, broadly speaking, and to be able to concretize their thoughts in terms of actual methods for conducting research in a transpersonal fashion. By taking this course, students image of research will be expanded and enhanced, enabling them to become inspired by the possibilities for research as a path of personal growth and for enhancing the consciousness and lifestyles of humanity. Learning Outcomes: The student will be able to match transpersonallyoriented research questions with the appropriate qualitative research designs. The student will be able to describe the differences and/or similarities between various qualitative and other non-quantitative approaches to transpersonal research. The student will be able to design and justify a hypothetical research plan in an area of personal interest that uses some form of the transpersonal research approach. TS5015 is available in Fall and Spring trimesters. For faculty mentors please check the course listing page on the website. The Six Study Tracks The six study tracks provide Master s students with the opportunity to customize their experience at Atlantic University according to their interests and goals. While it is not necessary to designate a study track when first entering the program, many students commit to a track fairly early on in their AU experience. Guidance for track choices is always available both from AU Faculty Mentors but also from Candis Collins, the Admissions and Academic Advising Administrator, who, in addition, can provide guidance if a student has chosen a specific track and then finds they wish to move to a different track later on in their progress through the program. What follows in this section are descriptions of the individual tracks as a whole, the track required courses and the suggested electives. In addition to the core required courses for the program, the Track required and Track elective courses, students take additional electives and then choose one of two graduating options: completing a Culminating Project or adding on an additional two electives. On page 32 you will find more information on the options for graduation, and on page 10 an easy tabular guide is presented that is based on the information covered in this section. The table also lists the number of other electives each student is required to take arranged according to Tracks. 13 Atlantic University Academic Catalog: 2013 through 2014

14 General Studies Track The General Studies Track offers the most flexibility for the master s degree student who prefers to sample a wide variety of courses from within the array of electives available in the curriculum. This track towards the master s degree is essentially the program that we have offered with great success to students since 1985 when the master s degree program formally began. Knowing that we will continue to have many students who prefer to leave their options open as they progress through the program, this pathway allows a student to create his or her own mix of courses once the required courses are completed. The General Studies track student must complete TS5000 prior to taking any track required courses. The other three core required courses detailed in the previous section must be completed before the student has reached the halfway mark in their program. Once TS5000 is complete, however, students may begin to take the two courses that are required for the General Studies track. Track Required Courses TS5100 Origin and Destiny of Human Consciousness This course introduces the student to various theories regarding the origins and development of consciousness, as well as historical and contemporary models for the structure of consciousness, and possible directions for the further evolution of consciousness. The course emphasizes the contributions of metaphysics, religion, and transpersonal psychology, but also considers traditional viewpoints. The standpoint of such thinkers as Wilber, Cayce, Eisler, Schneider, and others are included. Students will also consider their own development of consciousness. Learning Outcomes: The student will be able to describe various theories concerning the origins and development of human consciousness from an historical/anthropological perspective and to discuss his or her own beliefs about and preference for a particular model of reality. The student will be able to describe the development of human consciousness in the life cycle of each human being and to explain how this growth cycle recapitulates the evolutionary emergence of consciousness in humankind as a whole. The student will be able both to illustrate how he or she will apply the theories of human consciousness in her or his own life, and to describe how personal life experiences have contributed to the development of his or her own consciousness. TS5100 is available in the Fall trimester. For faculty mentors please check the course listing page on the website. Atlantic University Academic Catalog: 2013 through

15 TS5050 Religion, Spirituality, and the Transpersonal This course examines the five major world religions (Hinduism, Buddhism, Judaism, Christianity, and Islam) from three distinct angles. Students will first gain a formal understanding of the religion, comprised of studying the origin, history, rituals, and practices of the religion. Then they will delve into the spiritual practices and begin to learn how followers of each religion experience God. Finally, students will examine transpersonal/transformative experiences of people who have attained some level of enlightenment through their experiences with the various traditions and their practices. Learning Outcomes: The student will be able to describe the similarities and differences between the five major world religions, Hinduism, Buddhism, Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. The student will be able to explain the relationship between the traditional religious experience and spiritual paths that fall outside the arena of these traditional faiths. The student will be able to describe the common elements found in the major world religions. The student will be able to explain how people experience God through the major world religions. TS5050 is available in the Spring trimester. For faculty mentors please check the course listing page on the website. Recommended Electives General Studies students may take their electives from any track in the Program, for a minimum of 3 courses or 9 credit hours. 15 Atlantic University Academic Catalog: 2013 through 2014

16 Applied Spirtuality Track This pathway through the curriculum is designed for students who want to develop a set of skills that relate to using body-mind-spirit principles in practical applications in their community. In addition to the four required core courses for the Master of Arts in Transpersonal Studies, students must take the following two track required courses for Applied Spirituality. Track Required Courses TS5055 Principles and Practices of Spiritual Mentorship This course is designed to help you understand your role as a spiritual mentor, and the qualities that you need to nurture in yourself to enhance your effectiveness. It will also explore the nature of the mentoring relationship, and what a mentor does and does not do in the role of spiritual guide. It examines the function of spiritual experiences, and ways by which we can evaluate their validity and direction. It also will clarify how mentoring compares to counseling and psychotherapy, and it teaches fundamental tools that are crucial to the development of skills and success at being a spiritual guidance mentor. Learning Outcomes: The student will be able to structure his or her setting, manage time, establish good boundaries, and communicate clearly what she or he does, and does not do as a mentor to clients. The student will be able to develop a framework for evaluating a person s spiritual experiences that is based on traditional approaches and on his or her own experiences. The student will be able to articulate the differences and similarities between mentoring and counseling/psychotherapy, and outline methods and statements that communicate to clients how her or his work aligns with the mentoring model. The student will be able to develop strategies for dealing with a mentee s negative view of him- or herself that includes exhibiting skills that emphasize listening to and supporting a mentee during times of particular confusion and ambiguity in her or his life with the intention of eliciting underlying feelings, themes, and direction. Atlantic University Academic Catalog: 2013 through

17 The student will be able to articulate the stages of a mentee s unfoldment and the differing roles that mentors play at each stage in the process. This course is available in the Fall & Spring trimester. For faculty mentors please check the course listing page on the website. TS5065 Prisms of the Soul: Holistic Self-Assessment Tools This course presents two holistic self-assessment tools, chosen for their combined diversity and depth. Collectively, they extend from the individual to the universal, from the personality self to the embodied soul. Their varied focuses offer contrasting yet compatible approaches to self-understanding as well as an opportunity to develop critical analysis skills. Simplistically speaking, the Enneagram endeavors to support the highest possible expressions of the personality self; the Human Design System provides an instruction manual of sorts for living within a biological vehicle governed by specific genetic codes. Together, these rich and varied systems inspire contemplation, introspection, deep analysis and expansion of awareness. Perhaps more than anything, when engaged properly, they tug upon the compassionate heart, coaxing it forward as a consort to the developing mind. Reflective exercises and application experiments abound. Discernment skills learned in this course can carry over into many areas of life. Learning Outcomes: The student will be able to compare and contrast two systems of Enneagram understanding, to create and implement a personal development plan based upon Enneagram teachings, and to consider individual differences in light of Enneagram Personality Types. Based upon his or her birth information in relation to the Human Design System, the student will be able to discern his or her unique role in the evolution of humanity as a whole and to devise and experiment with a personal guidance plan that incorporates an understanding of their own energetic configurations. After engaging in a variety of creative application exercises, the student will be able to work independently towards viewing self and others through the Eyes of Compassion. The student will be able to synthesize aspects of self-assessment tools and to analyze in a critical fashion the practical and inspirational value and/or the limitations of such tools. TS5065 is available in Fall and Spring trimesters. Recommended Track Electives Applied Spirituality students need to take three elective courses. It is recommended that Applied Spirituality students take the following three electives: TS6000 Becoming a Teacher of Dream Work/Dream Interpretation This course is designed to deepen your appreciation for the role played by dreams in personal growth and transformation. It provides you with the skills you need to understand your dreams better and, more significantly, prepares you to help others understand their own dreams. It examines the important role waking life plays in the dream world, and the role of personal responsibility and ethics in working with the dreams of others. Course requirements include a practicum. This course will not provide the student with the background to offer psychotherapy or other therapeutic counseling, which requires special training and state licensure. Learning Outcomes: The student will be able to describe numerous methods of working with dreams. After completing hands-on personal dreamwork, the student will be able to employ a number of different methods to work with their own dreams or to assist others with their dreams. After completing a practicum, the student will be able to lead a dream group, present a dreamwork workshop and/or 17 Atlantic University Academic Catalog: 2013 through 2014

18 take on the role of a dreamworker assisting others in working with their dreams and/or in becoming a dreamworker. TS6000 is available Fall trimester 2013 and Fall trimester For faculty mentors please check the course listing page on the website. TS6005 Becoming a Teacher of Finding Your Mission in Life The purpose of this course is to help you develop skills and methods that will allow you to clarify your own mission in life so you can help others find theirs. The strategies for creating a personal mission statement are drawn largely from the material found in Edgar Cayce s nearly 2,000 life readings clairvoyant, spiritual counseling discourses given to individuals between 1923 and 1944 material that provides a framework that is easily adaptable to contemporary seekers. Course requirements include a practicum. Learning Outcomes: The student will be able to describe the role that personal values and talents play in the formulation of a personal mission statement. The student will be able to create a mission statement and a personal application plan for her or his own life. After completing a personal practicum, the student will be able to lead a mission-in-life workshop and/ or coach and mentor those who seek to formulate their own mission in life. TS6005 is available in the Fall trimester 2013 & Summer For faculty mentors please check the course listing page on the website. TS6010 Becoming a Teacher of Meditation and the Inner Life This course is designed to deepen your appreciation for methods for connecting with your inner spiritual resources. The approach to this study and practice will be eclectic drawing up sources from Eastern and Western traditions. As you deepen your own inner life, you will be better prepared to act as a guide, teacher, or mentor to others. The course culminates in a practical demonstration of your growing capacity to serve as a helper to other seekers. Course requirements include a practicum, in which you will have the opportunity to teach and share your own personal version of meditation instruction. Learning Outcomes: The student will be able to examine and discuss various models for understanding soul growth and the role of meditation in cultivating an inner life. After having engaged in personal meditation practices, the student will be able to describe the effects that the different methods have had on the cultivation of his or her inner life. After having completed a practicum, the student will be able to lead an inner life and meditation workshop and/or coach and mentor other individuals who wish to explore their own inner lives. TS6010 is available in the Spring trimester 2013 & Spring For faculty mentors please check the course listing page on the website. My experience with Atlantic University has exceeded my expectations. the mentors are knowledgeable, helpful and compassionate instructors. I have grown both personally and professionally. I am currently serving in a leadership position, and my ability to serve effectively in this capacity has increased greatly due to my studies. I have found through the curriculum with AU my mind has been opened to an entirely different perspective. The most significant growth I have seen has been related to my understanding of where I fit in with this universe, and how I can better serve humanity and fulfill my purpose in life. I would highly recommend Atlantic University to anyone. - Kevin Fulford Class of 2010 Atlantic University Academic Catalog: 2013 through

19 Consciousness Track Track Required Courses This pathway is for students especially interested in the psychological side of transpersonal studies. Someone already trained professionally in some aspect of psychology or mental health might especially like to add our master s degree with this area of focus. But students without previous professional training in psychology may also find these courses intriguing and useful in preparing themselves for service in the world. TS5100 Origin and Destiny of Human Consciousness This course introduces the student to various theories regarding the origins and development of consciousness, as well as historical and contemporary models for the structure of consciousness, and possible directions for the further evolution of consciousness. The course emphasizes the contributions of metaphysics, religion, and transpersonal psychology, but also considers traditional viewpoints. The standpoint of such thinkers as Wilber, Cayce, Eisler, Schneider and others are included. Students will also consider their own development of consciousness. Learning Outcomes: The student will be able to describe various theories concerning the origins and development of human consciousness from an historical/anthropological perspective and to discuss his or her own beliefs about and preference for a particular model of reality. The student will be able to describe the development of human consciousness in the life cycle of each human being and to explain how this growth cycle recapitulates the evolutionary emergence of consciousness in humankind as a whole. The student will be able both to illustrate how he or she will apply the theories of human consciousness in her or his own life, and to describe how personal life experiences have contributed to the development of his or her own consciousness. TS5100 is available in the Fall trimester 2013 & For faculty mentors please check the course listing page on the website. 19 Atlantic University Academic Catalog: 2013 through 2014

20 TS5105 Leading Thinkers in Transpersonal Psychology This course will give the student a guided tour of leading-edge thinkers, their ideas and their research, and the opportunities for transpersonal experience they provide. Topics include altered states of consciousness, alternative realities, spirituality, and intuition. The study of this material should stimulate the student and expand the student s horizon of exploration with the field of transpersonal psychology, enabling the student to gain tools of thought, perspectives, and experiences that will prepare him or her for the more focused, in-depth studies in subsequent courses. Learning Outcomes: The student will be able to describe the works of various individuals in the transpersonal field who are covered in the course and to integrate these perspectives by discussing similarities and patterns among leading-edge thinkers. The student will be able to evaluate and compare supplemental materials in the consciousness field to other course materials. After participating in experiential exercises, the student will be able to evaluate her or his personal experiences in light of the theories and perspectives found in the course curriculum. This course is available in the Spring trimester. For faculty mentors please check the course listing page on the website Track electives TS6100 Principles of Parapsychology This course is a survey of the field of parapsychology, including spontaneous psychic experiences, studies of mediums and psychics, experimental studies, and the relationship of psychic phenomena to religious experience. It approaches psychic phenomena from the perspective of integrating them with other aspects of human consciousness. The course combines intellectual and experiential approaches. The course compares the methods used to study and experience various types of psychic phenomena, and explores the implications of these phenomena for other fields of human endeavor. There are also opportunities for you to explore your own psychic ability, and to conduct a study of the psychic abilities of others. Learning Outcomes: The student will be able to evaluate his or her impressions of academic parapsychology and describe how the information presented in the course may have changed previously held personal perceptions about the field of parapsychology and psychic phenomena. The student will be able to conduct a variety of informal experiments and evaluate the results obtained in terms of measurable differences from outcomes that would have been expected by random chance. The student will be able to describe and evaluate the best approaches for working with psychic development and/or contacting psychic sources and to explain the rationale behind her or his preferred approach. This course is available in the Spring and Fall trimesters. For faculty mentors please check the course listing page on the website. TS6110 Spiritual Applications Self-Hypnosis The underlying purpose of the Self-Hypnosis course is to develop an overall experiential and intellectual framework for understanding the meaning and implications of the popular term hypnosis, as it applies within a self-conducted process of consciousness alteration, a self-help model. The immediate purpose of this course is to guide you through self-hypnosis, so that you will have experienced for yourself what it is like to make changes or receive guidance from this process. In this course, you will teach yourself various methods and applications of self-hypnosis by reading material and through actual practice. Learning Outcomes: The student will be able to demonstrate the basic skills of relaxation, autosuggestion, past-life regression, and self-healing through self-hypnosis, and to describe these tools to others. The student will be able to describe the psychological, philosophical and spiritual significance of the imagination, and discuss the implications for an inner life, spiritualism, channeling and other non-material sources of information. The student will be able to write a statement suitable for giving to clients about the process of learning selfhypnosis and to use positive suggestions for simple life enhancements. Atlantic University Academic Catalog: 2013 through

21 This course is available in the Summer trimester. For faculty mentors please check the course listing page on the website. TS6140 Mythology and Symbolism: Pathway to Transformation This course explores the nature of symbols and mythology, the reasons for their importance, and their effect on the way in which we experience life. It explores how our belief systems and the resulting behaviors reflect our family and culture, and how, during our passage from one stage of life to another, symbols and images arise from our biological, emotional, psychological and spiritual maturation. The purpose of this course is to increase the student s deep understanding of myths and symbols for the transformations in life. Learning Outcomes: The student will be able to recognize and explain in their own words when and how symbols and mythology influence their daily activities. The student will be able to analyze and describe how symbolic material relates to their ongoing process of personal transformation. The student will be able to assess, demonstrate skills for and describe the processes of integrating and expressing the impact of symbolic material on their lives. This course is available in the Spring trimester. For faculty mentors please check the course listing page on the website. TS 6115 Integrated Imagery Level One* *Includes a mandatory four-day residency in Virginia Beach The purpose of the TS 6115 Level One course is to introduce the student to a technique for psychological and spiritual growth called Integrated Imagery through a didactic and supervised experiential process that includes a four-day residency and on-line cohort and mentor interaction prior to and subsequent to the residency. The course starts with an introduction to the principles of the technique, to reincarnation theory as it relates to growth processes, to the model of complex psychology and the concept of the energetic chain of experience. The student will learn basic intake and induction techniques, introductory processing and guidelines, and closure and integration techniques designed to de-energize negative patterns and enliven positive experiences and memories. The primary emphasis of this introductory course and level of training is on exploring the positive aspects of one s psycho-spiritual nature and how those aspects affect one s sense of life path, also viewed as Soul Purpose in some spiritual systems. Another application of Integrated Imagery is to access transpersonal states of consciousness in order to gain additional insights, guidance, and creative impetus to support the process of conscious evolution and creativity. Although the technique enables people to access what appear to be past lives and transpersonal states of consciousness, the subjects of the regression experience need not have any belief in reincarnation or spirituality for the purpose of insight and healing. In this respect, Integrated Imagery can be viewed as another technique comparable to those used in dream work, sand play, and/or any of the creative arts therapies. Consequently, the regression experience will tend to be relevant to the subject s life and therefore have healing potential. Learning Outcomes The student will be able to describe the principles of reincarnation theory, Eriksonian hypnosis techniques, complex psychology, and the basic principles of Integrated Imagery. The student will be able to perform intake preparation, induction, processing, closure, and integration techniques of Integrated Imagery at a basic skill level that produces meaningful material from the subconscious for the subjects that can be used to enhance quality of life. The student will be able to describe how positive complexes form and function and how they relate to the issue of Soul Purpose, and demonstrate skill in guiding the traveler through the regression experience focused on those principles. The student will be able to guide a subject into accessing creative insight and enabling the creative impulse. This course if offered in the Fall 2013 & 2014 trimester. TS 6120 Integrated Imagery Level Two* *Includes a mandatory four-day residency in Virginia Beach Pre-requisite: TS 6115 Integrated Imagery Level One. 21 Atlantic University Academic Catalog: 2013 through 2014