California Institute of Integral Studies, located in San Francisco, will welcome its first undergrad class this August<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The home of the Summer of Love will soon house the first undergraduate program in psychedelic studies.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The California Institute of Integral Studies \u2013 a non-profit university founded in 1968 and located in San Francisco\u2019s SoMa neighborhood \u2013 will welcome its first class of undergrads to its Bachelor of Science in Psychedelic Studies program this August. The program\u2019s launch symbolizes the renewed attention<\/a> hallucinogens like MDMA and psilocybin have received in recent years as a growing body of evidence suggests they may be powerful treatments for psychiatric conditions, like PTSD and treatment-resistant depression.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cAnyone who has a passion for psychedelics and for their capacity to create transformation and healing on an individual level, on a cultural and social level, there\u2019s something for them in this program,\u201d said the psychology professor Nick Walker in a promotional video<\/a> for the program.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The bachelors program is the first such undergraduate degree in psychedelics to be offered in the United States \u2013 although a growing number of universities are offering certificates<\/a>, minors<\/a> or advanced degrees<\/a> focused on psychedelics.<\/p>\n\n\n\n To do that, the California<\/a> Institute of Integral Studies (or CIIS) is asking students to apply only once they have completed a minimum of 54 transferable semester units in general education coursework elsewhere. Then, their three semesters of classes at CIIS will focus solely on psychedelics, including psychology, neuroscience, research methods, psychopharmacology and ethical and legal considerations. Some of those course titles include \u201cGlobal and Indigenous Knowledges and Ecopsychedelics\u201d and \u201cPsychedelic Advocacy, Equity, Research, and Connection\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The program\u2019s website emphasizes that \u201cat no time does the program promote or require the use of psychedelic drugs in any manner\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Although psilocybin \u2013 the psychoactive component in \u201cmagic\u201d mushrooms \u2013 has been legalized in Oregon and Colorado, psychedelics remain illegal in California (although several cities have decriminalized them). Nevertheless, at least 72 clinical trials<\/a> involving psychedelics are ongoing in California \u2013 including at universities like UC Berkeley<\/a>, UCLA<\/a>, UCSF<\/a>, and UC San Diego<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Students are currently enrolling in CIIS\u2019s first freshman class and include many who say psychedelics have personally benefitted their own mental health.<\/p>\n\n\n\n