Master of Arts in Process Work

The MAPW program and curriculum is currently under revision.

Please check back with us for further details!

The Master of Arts in Process Work Degree Program is a four-year program that leads to the Master of Arts in Process Work degree. It is a training program in process work, available to those who reside in the state of Oregon. The program is based on a three-year cycle of work, followed by a year of internship and research. The student's theoretical knowledge and practical skills are examined at the end of the second year. Although recipients of the Master of Arts in Process Work degree are not automatically considered certified process workers, those who are recommended by their study committees and satisfy requirements for personal work and supervision equivalent to those required by the diploma program may go on to complete the Diploma in Process Work by entering an evaluation process and doing final examinations.

Concentration Areas
1. Foundations of Process Work
2. Somatic Processes
3. Relationship Processes
4. States of Consciousness
5. Movement Work
6. Inner and Group Work
7. Video Studies
8. Research Methods
9. Electives

The Process Work Institute offers a unique degree, the Master of Arts in Process Work (MAPW). The Master's program was authorized by the State of Oregon in January, 1992. It continues the tradition of Process Work Training begun in 1982 in Zurich Switzerland with the founding of the Research Center for process-oriented psychology, by Arnold Mindell and his associates.

The MAPW program is a 4-year residential program, leading to a Master of Arts degree in Process Work. The residential nature of the program requires that students attend courses at the center in Portland, Oregon. (Please note that we do not provide on-campus housing.)

The Master's program is a self-directed course of study consisting of theoretical and clinical phases. It emphasizes on-going contact with faculty and students. Students have the opportunity to apply theory to clinical work in community-based internships and to be an active part of a research community. Process Work is, by nature, an interdisciplinary and integrative approach to human behavior. The graduate of the Master's program will be able to apply Process Work methods to a number of professions within psychology, social work, psychiatry, education, the health professions, the arts and business.

The MAPW is not a degree in psychology, counseling, or social work, and will not guarantee a license to practice psychology, counseling, or social work in Oregon or any other state. The graduate school is currently not regionally accredited, and the MAPW degree will not guarantee enrollment into a doctoral program. Graduates will have participated in a rigorous course of study; however, graduating will not yet ensure acceptance of this credential in the world at large.