Adler University USA

ABOUT UNIVERSITY

Adler University is a private university with campuses in Chicago, Illinois, and Vancouver, British Columbia, along with an extensive online education platform offering both master's and doctoral programs. The university is named after Alfred Adler, an Austrian physician and psychotherapist who founded Adlerian psychology, also known as individual psychology. Adler is recognized as one of the first community psychologists due to his pioneering work in community life, prevention, and public health. The university was established by Rudolf Dreikurs, a follower of Adler, who immigrated to Chicago in 1937. In 1952, Dreikurs founded the Institute of Adlerian Psychology, which was later renamed the Alfred Adler Institute of Chicago in 1954, then the Adler School of Professional Psychology in 1991, and finally Adler University in 2015. Founding faculty also included Bernard Shulman, Harold Mosak, Bina Rosenberg, and Robert Powers.In 1963, the institute was chartered as a not-for-profit educational institution in Illinois and soon began its long-standing involvement with underserved communities by launching a group therapy program for inmates at Cook County Jail. In 1972, it opened the Dreikurs Psychological Services Center, which evolved into Adler Community Health Services, a key training site for students. The university was authorized to grant a Master of Arts in Counseling Psychology in 1973 and awarded its first master’s degrees in 1978. In 1987, it achieved accreditation for doctoral programs and began awarding Doctor of Psychology (Psy.D.) degrees in 1990. The Psy.D. program, accredited by the American Psychological Association since 1998, is limited to the Chicago campus. Adler University remains deeply committed to social justice, community engagement, and mental health training grounded in Adlerian principles.