Divine Mercy University (DMU) is a Catholic graduate school of psychology and counseling, founded in 1999 as the Institute for the Psychological Sciences. The University is dedicated to the scientific study of psychology with a Catholic understanding of the person, marriage and the family. The University offers Master of Science (M.S.) and Doctoral (Psy.D.) degrees in Clinical Psychology, a Master of Science (M.S.) degree in Psychology and a Master of Science (M.S.) in Counseling.

The Divine Mercy University is governed by its Board of Directors, which has complete and final governing authority over the University. The Board consists of the Bishop Emeritus of Arlington, Virginia, seven lay Catholic leaders and three members of the Legionaries of Christ. The Legion sponsors the University by providing a President and a Chaplain and helping to maintain the Catholic identity of the institution.

Divine Mercy University is an institution of higher education offering graduate degrees, continuing education and certificate programs globally. It is affiliated with the Legionaries of Christ. The University is dedicated to the renewal of the Catholic-Christian intellectual tradition and the integration of the theoretical and empirical bases of psychology, professional counseling and related fields, with a Catholic-Christian view of the human person through teaching and learning both knowledge and critical skills.

The University provides students an appropriate academic and educational environment that supports the integration of science, scholarship and a Catholic-Christian understanding of the person through a rigorous, critical and objective search for truth. It assists students intellectually, humanly and professionally as they prepare themselves to respond to their vocation as mental health professionals or as men and women in helping professions. The University’s mission also involves dialogue about its integrative approach with practitioners, scholars and cultural leaders, nationally and internationally.

The Institute for the Psychological Sciences (Institute) was founded in 1997 by a group of mental health professionals, academicians, and clinicians, who perceived a need for a proper understanding of the interrelationship between psychology and its philosophical foundations.

In 1998, the Institute was initially incorporated as The Institute for Faith and Psychological Sciences in the Commonwealth of Virginia, sponsoring workshops for licensed mental health professionals, incorporating philosophy and psychology.

In 1999, the Institute for Faith and Psychological Sciences changed its name to The Institute for the Psychological Sciences and began offering instruction leading to the Master of Science degree in Clinical Psychology.

In 2000, the State Council of Higher Education for Virginia (SCHEV) granted provisional approval for the University to confer the Master of Science and the Doctor of Psychology degrees in Clinical Psychology. The University awarded its first degrees in the Master of Science program. The first students enrolled in the Doctor of Psychology degree program in Clinical Psychology. Also in 2000, the Institute founded the John Henry Cardinal Newman Lecture Series.

In 2004, the IPS Press is established to publish approaches to psychological sciences that are integrated with a Catholic view of the human person and the moral life.

In 2005, the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACS COC) grants accreditation to award master’s and doctoral degrees. The first doctoral degree in clinical psychology is awarded.

The Psy.D. Program is recognized in 2006 as an Association of State and Provincial Psychology Boards (ASPPB)/National Register Designated Doctoral Program in Psychology. The campus open the Center for Psychological Services for student practicum experiences. The IPS Press releases its first publication, The Person and the Polis: Faith and Values within the Secular State.

In 2008, the first Psy.D. graduates are licensed as clinical psychologists.

In 2009, IPS faculty author the first Catholic issue for the respected publication, Edification: A Journal of the Society of Christian Psychology. IPS celebrates the 10th Anniversary since its founding in 1999.

In 2010, IPS is reaffirmed for accreditation for another 10 years by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACS COC), successfully meeting all 86 SACS COC standards and requirements.

In 2012, the Master’s Program in Clinical Psychology is enhanced to broaden licensure opportunities at the master’s level in less time.

In 2014, the Institute launches its M.S. in Psychology program online, with its focus on educating working professionals and giving them the practical tools they need to become transformational leaders in their workplace or ministry.

In 2015, the institution changes its name to Divine Mercy University and announces the establishment of a School of Counseling to offer the Master of Science in Counseling with a specialization in Mental Health Counseling, beginning Fall 2016.

In 2016, the Psy.D. program is granted accreditation from the American Psychological Association. A new academic program, the M.S. in Counseling, opens.

Divine Mercy University (DMU) has entered into a strategic collaboration agreement with McLean Hospital.

Founded in 1811, McLean Hospital is a leader in psychiatric care, research, training, and advocacy, and is the largest psychiatric affiliate of Harvard Medical School.

This new strategic collaboration is the fruit of a generous grant from the Orange Crimson Foundation and the result of a series of meetings held over the last fifteen months. Both institutions have experienced these collegial interactions in an overwhelmingly positive manner, learning from each other and developing a strong and friendly rapport.

The collaboration will consist of three principal areas:

• Training and education in Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD).

• Joint research efforts to better understand the relationship between spirituality and mental health disorders.

• Worldwide dissemination of the knowledge and evidence acquired during the collaboration.

The initial period of the collaboration will be for a period of three years and work will begin during the 2020-21 school year.

The joint research efforts will involve DMU students and faculty and McLean Hospital’s Spirituality and Mental Health Program, which is led by Dr. David H. Rosmarin.