Alliant International University is a “professional practice university,” with an emphasis on psychology, management and education—fields of knowledge that are intended to improve the way people live, learn and work together. Alliant, a not-for-profit institution, serves more than 3,600 students at six locations in California, in Mexico City and in Tokyo. 

A Commitment to Solving Social Problems that Begins Even Before our Students Graduate As a community of scholars and practitioners, Alliant faculty and students are committed to making an inpact in society, and on producing results that make a difference in the lives of individuals, families, schools, organizations and businesses and nations. We have always applied scholarship to solve social problems. Drawing on the history of the institutions that joined to form Alliant International University, we continue to have a special concern for diversity and internationalism. Of this orientation, our president, Dr. Geoffrey Cox, has written: "We live in an age of tremendous progress in terms of science, medicine and technology. Indeed, we have come to believe that many of life’s troubles will sooner or later be eliminated by a new invention, a new medicine or some other scientific discovery. But many of the world’s most intractable problems— psychological suffering, family strife, inadequate education, dysfunctional organizations and misunderstandings among groups—are not amenable to technological solutions. "Alliant emphasizes the social and human sciences—bodies of knowledge that are aimed at improving the condition of individuals, families, organizations and communities. From preparing  marriage and family therapists to educating managers with special concerns for the "human side" of business, our success as an institution is measured not just in terms of the number of graduates produced or the number of papers written by our faculty, but also by the impact our students and graduates have on the communities they serve. This impact begins while our students are in school. Across all programs and campuses, Alliant students devote more than 750,000 hours per year to community service."

Alliant was formed in 2001, but its roots extend back more than 40 years through the histories of two legacy institutions. The California School of Professional Psychology was founded in 1969 by the California Psychological Association. It was the first free-standing professional school of psychology and was a pioneer in developing an applied, practice-oriented approach to education in clinical psychology. More than half of all psychologists practicing in California are graduates of CSPP. 

Alliant’s other legacy institution was United States International University. Its mission was to promote international understanding through a network of campuses around the world, with students and faculty moving easily from one location to another. All together, Alliant and its legacy institutions have more than 25,000 alumni in every part of the world.

CSPP and USIU merged to form Alliant, and we continue to build on a tradition of bold innovation in higher education. CSPP continues to be at the forefront of education in psychology, and it gives the University a strong core of expertise in the human and social sciences. Alliant’s Graduate School of Education is a leader in developing alternative pathways for teacher certification to help address the nation’s chronic shortage of teachers, particularly in urban school areas. Alliant’s programs in Forensic Studies are tied closely with our Institute on Violence, Abuse and Trauma, a global center of research and policy studies addr essing problems of domestic violence, workplace violence, youth crime and other major social problems. The new Marshall Goldsmith School of Management is designed to reinvent management education by focusing on the importance of organizations and human interactions in business.

Alliant has been recognized by US News and World Report as one of the most diverse institutions of higher education in the nation, and the faculty shares a commitment to bringing issues of cultural understanding into every program. Our traditions of international education continue through our programs in Mexico and Japan, and plans are underway to add more international sites in the coming years. Alliant is uniquely built for the global and multicultural world in which we live.

Alliant’s 200 core faculty members are dedicated to blending theory and practice, always remembering that the purpose of education in our context is to translate knowledge into action. Our graduates make a positive difference in the lives of individuals, and in the effectiveness of organizations, schools, businesses and communities.