Antioch University's tripartite educational model of academic excellence, experiential learning, and community service is manifest in the distinct yet related learning areas of professional competence emphasized in the graduate master of arts psychology curriculum:

• Theoretical learning includes classic and contemporary theory in the fields of psychology and marriage and family therapy, ongoing critique of theories, and the relevance of specific theories to clinical populations in Southern California.
• Clinical application provides varied approaches to effective clinical work with different kinds of clients, assists the student in developing skills as a clinical practitioner, and stresses self-awareness.
• Professionalization communicates to students an understanding of the profession of psychology and marriage and family therapy, including legal and ethical guidelines, and develops the skills and knowledge needed to practice professionally in varied clinical and organizational settings.
• Social justice emphasizes the impact of society on the development of the individual; considers issues of diversity in society, such as gender, class, race, and sexual orientation; and helps students explore values and biases so that they may contribute to the solution of social problems through idealistic, well-informed clinical practice.