Reviews

CIIS offers progressive educational practices, formats, and courses of study that suit both traditional and non-traditional students. Faculty expertise coupled with honoring student experience allows the learner to be an explorer as meaningful connections are made in a creative space.

Consider how you expect to use the degree you will earn here and match the cost of the program to your anticipated marketability - know what you are investing in before you commit. However, be open to the possibility that doors will open that you never imagined existed before getting into the coursework! CIIS is a unique education that prioritizes your personal transformation, which can be valuable to you in ways yet to be discovered.

Because CIIS emphasizes holistic learning and engaging personal processes, the rigor can be managed in ways perhaps unavailable in traditional settings. Faculty are leaders in their fields and work collaboratively to integrate multiple disciplines into student experiences. Learning to switch genres is part of the art of being a CIIS student.

CIIS hybrid distance programs (graduate level) meet in a hotel in Pacifica for a week to kick off semesters. The feel is like summer camp for an incredibly interesting mix of adults. The beachfront location and views bring the vast spirit of the ocean into the sessions, which adds dramatic elements to the experience.

At the Residential Intensive in Pacifica, the food has been heavy and repetitive, but a new caterer has been contracted. The administrators have proven that they listen to student concerns.

Talk to your fellow students! The programs attract people with diverse life experience and interests. Simply talking to someone new each day is fuel for fun for the length of your program. In case you need a break, the city of San Francisco and cliffs of Pacifica offer a million activities for every palate.

CIIS is reasonably priced for graduate study and the hybrid programs allow people who would rather not relocate to the Bay Area to stay put. The quality of education is top notch. When factoring in the personal growth so integral to the institute's mission, you absolutely get a great bang for your buck.

There is a rooftop meditation garden that can be used by faculty, staff and students.

People who want to examine change in unusual ways, engage progressive thinkers, and take risks in their scholarship are good fits for CIIS.