Antioch University-Los Angeles Reviews

"Wildly disorganized with little support when that disorganization costs you time and money. The social-justice focus is great, but the lack of consistent staff, policies, or even across-the-board understanding of those policies by staff is ridiculous. Too many of us have lost months of our lives and thousands of dollars to these issues; staff never takes responsibility, let alone offers any sort of support during these difficult times. This is not to mention their refusal to support students with disabilities. Please spend your efforts elsewhere.Read Less"

"I would echo the review below by lo langford, but apply it to the MFA Program. The mentors are generally caring and the core faculty do try hard, but they're not recognizable lights of the literary world by any stretch. The main problem is the program takes practically anyone who they find get to pay $10+K at term for basically online lectures and a chance to email/zoom with a mediocre(albeit caring) writer about your work. A high acceptance rate says something about an MFA program and it's not good. An MFA is supposed to be a terminal degree for select(key word) and serious writers to pursue their craft, not an achievement certificate. You get lots of wealthy retirees and K12 teachers, and the odd mid-career working professional(think doctor/lawyer) now trying their hand at doing the writing thing. Don't expect insightful commentary and inspiring workshops. Workshops are quite amateur. Serious creative writers should look elsewhere, but someone working on a late-in-life passion project might find some expensive help with Antioch's MFA.Read Less"

"So many of the issues with Antioch pertain to the administrative side of things, sadly. The clinical training office is a joke, they have one guy doing it part time and he’s completely incompetent and disorganized, so you will spend literal months after ‘graduating’ trying to get him to confirm your clinical training credits (which really is a rubber stamp, since approved supervisors have already signed off on these hours). Suffice it to say that this offboarding experience is so awful, it will taint your entire graduate school experience. And not having those credits completed in a timely fashion also handicaps you during the program, because registration time slots each quarter are allocated based on them, so people who arent in specializations end up getting worse time slots. Beyond that whole nightmare, the quality of instruction is incredibly uneven, with a lot of turnover among the adjunct professors particularly. I had a few great classes, the rest ranged from mediocre to terrible. On the plus side, I met some great people and it was less expensive than comparable programs at USC and Pepperdine (where a lot of the adjuncts also teach, so on the plus side you’ll be taking some mediocre classes at a cut rate). Honestly, if they fixed the CTO, I would feel better about my experience. If you can, get into CSU Northridge.Read Less"

"These are facts: I did graduate from Antioch Los Angeles in 2010 (Psychology). I did pass my 2 licensing tests on my first attempt. I am currently working on my own practice making more than 120K per year. I am bilingual Spanish and I work 10 hours a day. These are my opinions: I am really happy with my education and my career. I am glad that I have attended Antioch since I got the education I needed and did not waste time. I am not so happy about still having to pay for my student loans, but it was well worth it.Read Less"

"The school offers very limited amount of classes and workshops needed for students. During my 2 years at this school they changed the requirements completely and lacked advising for most students. Specialization such as trauma only offer classes in the evenings meaning you are learning about sex trafficking and mass violence till 10 pm. Overall I would not recommend this school because of their lack of organization."

"Antioch accepts anyone who applies and that is reflected in the students you're surrounded by. The teaching and classes are really hit or miss and it's definitely up to you to make the most of your career, as professors are rarely available or helpful."

"I am a graduate student at Antioch University Los Angeles, pursuing my Master's Degree in Clinical Psychology. My goal is to obtain a Marriage and Family Therapy (MFT) license. Aside from degrees or licensing, what I really want is to just help people. As an undergraduate, I studied communications and somehow found myself working in advertising. It was a fast-paced and demanding job that I found deeply unfulfilling. As I began to rise in the ranks, gaining some form of success in that career, I could sense that somehow I was in the wrong place. But I had no clear direction where to go. One day, frustrated and exhausted, I began to seek a new path for myself. Eventually, I found myself to Antioch. I was truly terrified of changing course and direction so abruptly. I remember sitting at the orientation last fall thinking over and over again to myself if I was making the right decision. I decided to take the leap. Almost a year later, I have grown more than I could have ever imagined. It's not so much that I have learned more about myself; but rather that I've come to understand myself in a new way. Sigmund Freud said, "Out of your vulnerabilities comes your strength." Never before did I believe that my vulnerabilities could serve me in my life path. I always had thought they were weaknesses to hide, not strengths I could utilize and celebrate. Antioch offers fascinating courses, brilliant professors, and an impressive reputation. But more than anything, this school has an intangible quality that goes beyond accolade or reputation. It has transformed the way I see myself. Its my personal belief that the human experience can be reduced to two basic desires: to love and to be loved. I believe all beings are born with these basic inclinations. Along the way, life experiences often divert us from these most pure intentions. Through my work as a therapist, I hope to help my clients find their way back to self, and overcome their barriers to building authentic connections with their loved ones and in their chosen communities. Thank you.Read Less"

"I am currently attending Antioch University Los Angeles towards a path of becoming a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist. I am so glad that I have chosen this school for my master's degree. The program is vigorous and hands-on, with a focus on applied work rather than only research. This is important to me because one needs to practice a lot and develop good skills if you want to become an effective therapist. The school provides all the tools and learning opportunities one could wish for. Also, the faculty is extremely knowledgable and supportive, which makes all the difference. I am grateful and cannot wait to truly turn this wonderful learning experience into a career.Read Less"

"This university is very open-minded, tends to think outside of the box, and is very helpful in learning clinical tools that may be utilized in the field."

"Great school! Love the liberal arts setting and small class sizes. I appreciated that most classes were discussions rather than lectures. Professors were kind and approachable while still be challenging. The campus is small and close knit. I did the cohort model and had the support of my classmates when needed."

"Very diverse in both students and faculty. Faculty is extremely helpful and accessible. They also work one on one with you to help plan your classes. Accelerated program available."

"Antioch provides night classes for the working adult. The classes are student centered. WHat I like the most are the topics we address. I can't imagine anywhere else I can go and get the information I am getting ."

"Pros: flexible schedule suitable for working professional. Curriculum is current and fully acceptable by the licensing board. Modern campus and access to computer lab and other student services. Convenient parking. Cons: Radical liberal agenda takes precedent over even-handedness. Faculty members are very busy and not always available for out-of-class questioning. No career placement."

"It is a very expensive program, but I would say that the quality of education that we are getting is worth it. We experience a different system of learning. It is not all about grades, but rather your academic progress to YOUR personal goals."

"I enjoyed my learning experience at Antioch. The University is best known as a Social Justice institute.The academics are above measure. I am familiar with the curriculum at other universities/higher learning institutions and after attending Antioch, I am not impressed with the others. The instructors that have remained through the test of time were excellent, from UCLA/USC and from other note worthy institutions. They make every attempt at diversity; however, I would like to see more qualified people of color employed as instructors; other than that, its a great place to learn and the students and staff become like family. Most important, I feel as though I was prepared for a career in Psychology and have had the pleasure of working in high powered positions. It is a private institution; therefore, it is pricy but in the end I am glad that I made the investment.Read Less"

"Pros: an extremely diverse, open program with top-notch faculty (writers) who are generally easily accessible. Cons: the finances! Residencies require hotel stays if you are not from the area (and in my case plane fare), and the school's scholarships are limited, small and not well-publicized. The cost of the school is no more than other grad programs, but none are cheap. I would also have enjoyed a bit more-academic courses in the past; one or two residency seminars that become term-long classes would be super.Read Less"

"What I love: the diversity of students is excellent. We come from all walks of life and experience, and Antioch makes an effort to include all kinds of people in the program. As a lesbian, it is one of the few places I've found where the ratio of straight to gay seems just about even. I love working with the mentors, too; for most of them, I don't get the sense that they'd rather be just working on their own stuff and teaching is just to pay the bills. The feedback is extremely insightful, but the mentors I've worked with don't hold their opinions as gospel. The focus on issues of social justice is also highly appealing - this is not a school to come to if you are conservative politically and socially. For me, this is a really nice change of pace and one I enjoy. The biggest two drawbacks for me with Antioch are the financial burden and the lack of student housing. Because the program is low-residency, many students live elsewhere and get to school by one mode of transportation or another. But the school has no dorms, and no place to put students up. Some local hotels have special discounts to accommodate students, and you may be able to find a peer who lives nearby and is willing to offer you a place to stay, but otherwise, the housing issue can be quite a problem. Worse than that is the lack of financial aid that is not in the form of loans. Many traditional grad schools offer fellowships and things in lieu of tuition; Antioch LA doesn't have anything even remotely like that (you can't even assist a mentor for reduced tuition) and the school-based scholarships are very few and far between, and many include the undergrads as well, so competition is intense. There are no scholarships that cover all school expenses, let alone transportation. You either need to be wealthy or married with a nice savings account, win a lot of outside scholarships or add to your undergrad loan. I must say if I had thought about this more carefully early on, I might not have chosen to come for financial reasons. It's quite a burden.Read Less"

"I loved Antioch overall. Most of the professors are amazing, and the education I received helped me get into a competitive APA approved doctoral program. People grow here - it's really head-and-shoulders above the other programs that i researched. Remember - you get out of it what you put into it."

"I love the low-residency MFA program at Antioch University. Since it's done online and we only meet in person for 20 days a year, you can live anywhere in the world and organize your life a way that best works for you. The sense of community at Antioch is powerful, even though we are spread out all over the world, and you can be as engaged as you want to be. Since I live locally, I've also participated in on-campus events/opportunities and found them to really enhance my experience. The staff is the most accessible and caring I've ever encountered. It's a great school, and endows its students with a great sense of social awareness and responsibility as well as a quality education.Read Less"

"I truly appreciate the education I am receiving at Antioch. The professors are licensed therapists working in a variety of areas, not just private practice. I was accepted to 4 psychology programs in the Los Angeles area but decided to attend Antioch because it has a hands-on approach to learning."