Major: Psychology
Erin Blair wasn’t happy with her experience at a four-year university and made the switch to College of DuPage.
“COD was much closer to home than the school I attended previously and had classes that fit well in my schedule,” she said. “Not only were there more sections of each class, but the classes were also offered at multiple times of day. Balancing a job and school, this variety of choice in my classes was great.”
Blair finished her coursework at COD and transferred to Benedictine University, where she graduated cum laude with her bachelor’s in Psychology. She then earned her master’s degree in Marriage and Family Therapy at Northern Illinois University, which is one of only two programs in the state, and worked as a therapist in NIU’s on-campus clinic helping couples, families and individuals. In addition, she completed an internship in an outpatient behavioral health program for Centegra Hospital System in Woodstock, providing family therapy and conducting group therapy.
She accepted a position at a private practice until moving to North Carolina for a short period. Having returned to Illinois, Blair currently works as a private clinician in private practice.
“I like being able to help people and psychology is a good way to do that,” she said. “When I first started in private practice, I was able to acquire several couple-specific certifications. I continue to work with other clinicians and love having the opportunity to learn new techniques that make me a better therapist.”
The teachers are invested in helping you achieve and the classes I took were small and personalized.
Erin Blair
Blair believes COD was the best choice she could have made to start achieving her goals. In fact, after starting her master’s program, she returned to COD for several prerequisite courses that transferred easily to NIU.
“They say COD is the ‘Value of a Lifetime’ and I would wholeheartedly agree,” she said. “I was paying thousands of dollars a year to go to a four-year school that prided itself on small class sizes, teachers who knew your name and a sense of community. I didn’t have any of those things until I came to COD, and it was a fraction of the price. The teachers are invested in helping you achieve and the classes I took were small and personalized, not in a lecture hall or taught by a teacher’s aide.
“I finished my BA in exactly four years and graduated on time thanks to how easily my COD classes transferred over. I know I received a quality education, and it wasn’t easy leaving COD behind!”
Learn more about the Psychology program at College of DuPage