Antioch University Southern California is an independent institution that provides an excellent, innovative graduate and undergraduate education for adults.  An Antioch education empowers the student to act responsibly and to affect personal, social and environmental change within a global context.  The Antioch approach emphasizes:

• the development of the student as a whole person;

• the integration of academic and experiential learning;

• creative, critical and independent thinking.

This approach to education springs from Antioch's long-standing heritage of making learning meaningful and vital while promoting social justice.  Given Antioch's student-centered approach to education and its commitment to intellectual, social, cultural and ethnic diversity, the faculty's primary duties are to teach and advise, as well as to engage in the intellectual dialogue of their profession.  In addition, faculty, staff and students work with local communities to provide leadership and service, participating as broadly as possible in civic affairs.

Vision Statement

Antioch University Southern California strives to promote a spirit of inquiry as a multi-cultural, intergenerational, and accessible institution, which values and nurtures an innovative, reflective, and experiential approach to educational excellence.

Building on our history and fostering creativity and leadership, we, the community of Antioch faculty, students, staff, and alumni — centering ourselves in compassion, ethical steadfastness, and a never-ending belief in the possible — carry this vision into the world. 

Values Statement

We value and commit to model in our lives and our work:

• global perspectives and knowledge of the interconnected context in which we act;

• coalitions across groups for building common ground;

• social justice, support for a sustainable environment, and community partnerships;

• anti-racism as an imperative of the historical moment in which we live;

• human dignity and dismantling ethnic biases, heterosexism, sexism, classism, ageism,

ableism, discrimination based on religious, cultural and political affiliations, and other

forms of oppression;

• an intellectual climate that acknowledges the whole person, focusing on wisdom,

creativity, experience, and skills needed to promote social change.

The Antioch Experience

Antioch has been a pioneer in educational innovation and reform for nearly 150 years. Since its inception in 1852, the belief that education is an agent for positive social change has been central to Antioch's philosophy.  Horace Mann, Antioch's first president and himself a pioneer in public education, urged the graduating class of 1857 to “be ashamed to die until you have won some victory for humanity.” This early institutional commitment to social justice, tolerance for diverse backgrounds and points of view, and community activism continues today at all five Antioch campuses, where progressive, socially responsible, and egalitarian values inform the curriculum and make Antioch an engaging and inspiring place to learn.

Antioch's educational philosophy focuses on the whole person and fosters educational experimentation and innovation. Examples include faculty and student participation in college policy-making, written evaluations in place of grades, co-equal valuing of work-based and other experiential learning with classroom learning, and satellite campuses. Antioch has led educational institutions in recognizing that learning is a lifelong process and, for this reason, was among the first educational institutions to offer programs for adult learners.

Faculty, students, and staff respect and support one another.  Lively discussion, free-flowing ideas, and open exchange characterize the Antioch educational experience and enable students to own their ideas and discover their voices as they participate in the larger public discourse of educated men and women.  This interactive approach to learning helps students integrate their knowledge and experience with academic concepts and their practical applications. Through internships and field studies, students test their ideas in real world settings.  Antioch's narrative evaluation process lets students participate in setting goals and assessing their educational achievements.  Flexible, family- and job-friendly scheduling makes it easy for students to set their own pace for learning.

Antioch graduates describe their experience at Antioch as “transformative” because an Antioch education elicits profound personal change and a deepened commitment to the greater good of the community.

We welcome you to the Antioch Experience and encourage you to seek your own victory for humanity.

The Black Student Union

A Brief History:

Jennifer McDaniel, Janette Gayle and Joyce Martin-Sevier, all BA students at the time, initiated this organization, and approached MeHee Hyun of the BA Core Faculty to be the Faculty Sponsor.  We filed a petition through the Academic Dean's Office and received approval in Fall, 2000.

Mission Statement:

The Antioch University Black Student Union is a community that is committed to intellectual, cultural, social, and ethnic diversity.  Our main focus is to build awareness, education, and a new level of consciousness about being an African American in this society.  We aim to teach others about diversity and show that through engaging in activities focused around acceptance and tolerance, we will get a better understanding of others while learning about ourselves.

Vision Statement:

We are committed to building a stronger community within a larger community.  We aim to work along Antioch's mission in bringing diversity to this arena by exposing students and faculty to African American culture.  By building on our history and fostering creativity and leadership, we will continue to be leaders and role models in an age when it is most needed.

All members of the Antioch community — students, faculty, staff and friends – who share an interest in African-American issues and how they relate to the educational environment are welcome to join us at our meetings, field trips, and other events that we sponsor.

Antioch has been empowering students to develop and practice leadership since 1852. 

Antioch University Los Angeles provides high quality, innovative undergraduate and graduate education for adults.  Through the integration of academic and experiential learning and by fostering creativity and independent thinking, an Antioch education empowers students to act responsibly to effect personal, social and environmental change.

The Antioch approach emphasizes the intellectual, emotional and ethical development of the student.  Students are expected to acquire the tools of scholarship and a critical awareness of intellectual traditions and current developments in academic disciplines.  They are encouraged to question the traditions, standards, and practices of disciplines and professions.

In addition, they are challenged to examine critically a variety of values in order to integrate, articulate and take responsibility for their own values.

Antioch University Los Angeles strives to be a community of learners consisting of students, faculty, staff, alumni and friends.  Within this community, Antioch delivers a distinctive education, including the use of written narrative evaluations. Among the distinctive features of our learning environment are:

A personalized education that integrates academic excellence, experiential learning, and a commitment to community service.

An integration of theory and practice. Graduate and undergraduate students alike are required to earn credits through experiential learning, such as field study, internships, and traineeships.

An emphasis on encouraging students to recognize and integrate diversity in intercultural, intergroup, intergenerational, and interpersonal dynamics. Antioch students are encouraged to question and probe their own views and those held by others, while simultaneously being responsible for respecting each individual in the community. 

A supportive environment that encourages collaborative learning, values social awareness and activism, and respects the multiple roles of adult students. 

The development of communication and critical thinking skills to support effective and independent thought and action and a curriculum designed to prepare students to find meaningful work, improve professional opportunities, and lead more purposeful lives.

An Antioch education provides a framework for self-motivated learners to use their creative talents to express themselves and to succeed.  The curriculum encourages respect for established wisdom and the opportunity to challenge it.  The faculty focus on creating a classroom environment that blends critical thinking, problem solving, understanding and consensus in a diverse community experience.  Prominent thought leaders in the community are invited to speak at Antioch’s many special speaker series events that are publicized on our website and throughout the community.  Student, faculty and the community gather together for a collaborative and rich learning process, all important elements of an Antioch education.

Antioch students learn to recognize and pursue individual potential and to be intelligent decision makers, leaders and practitioners. Students embark on an educational process within a vibrant academic community that values the ideals of dialog, diversity and discovery, while working closely with the faculty to develop individual plans for their education and graduation.

BA Liberal Studies (BA) students have the opportunity to choose concentrations in Child Studies, Creative Writing, Liberal Studies, Management and Psychology. 

It’s exciting to know that a majority of our BA graduates are admitted in graduate programs at Antioch and at leading graduate schools across the country.

The BA concentration in Child Studies provides eligible BA students with the opportunity to earn graduate credit towards the Antioch University Los Angeles MA in Education Teaching Credential (MAETC) Program. The MAETC program is Southern California's most supportive teacher preparation program. MAETC students value child development, prepare to teach K-8 and earn a teaching credential in 12 months.  The second year of the MAETC program provides students with the opportunity to earn a clearing credential.

The Master of Arts in Education/ Leadership and Change (MAEx) is an innovative and unique degree program that was developed for experienced educators such as school counselors, teachers, administrators and staff. MAEx students learn about creating or supporting meaningful learning experiences for all students, particularly those who have been underserved.  The curriculum includes coursework in developing grassroots movements and fundraising. Students focus on experiences and goals for educational change, effective learning and working styles, recognizing and overcoming barriers that hinder performance as a facilitator/leader in a school setting, collaborative experiences with cultural or ethnic groups and working towards and organizing for social change in a school setting.

The Management concentration provides eligible BA students with the opportunity to earn graduate credit towards the Antioch University Los Angeles MA in Organizational Management (MAOM) program. MAOM students may declare concentrations in human resources, leadership or organizational development and engage in hands on field studies to gain practical insight and knowledge in selected organizations in Los Angeles.  Some notable field study topics include Marketing Strategy and Board Development for the Los Angeles Municipal Art Gallery Associates (LAMAGA) and Professional Association Development for the Los Angeles Area Organization Development Professionals.

The MA in Psychology (MAP) program enjoys an excellent academic presence in the community and offers concentrations and specializations in applied community psychology, child studies, marriage family therapy and opportunities for students to work with faculty to develop individualized or dual concentrations. Students receive strong preparation for meeting licensure requirements, leading to high pass rates on the MFT licensing examination administered by the Board of Behavioral Science in the State of California.

The MFA in Creative Writing (MFA) is one of the nation’s pre-eminent low residency programs. Students choose individual or dual genres in fiction, creative non-fiction and poetry.  Students and nationally recognized award winning faculty mentors meet for two 10 day residency periods in June and December and continue with year round on-line instruction.  The result is a rewarding artistic and creative process that further enhances and develops new and established writers.  MFA graduates from Antioch University Los Angeles and other accredited institutions may earn a Certificate in the Teaching of Creative Writing by taking an additional postgraduate semester (project period and residency) of study.  Students earning this certificate take related course work and participate in field studies or internships aimed at increasing their knowledge and understanding of current theoretical and practical approaches to the teaching of creative writing.  During