Golden Gate University Launches School of Psychology

SAN FRANCISCO – Golden Gate University today announced the establishment of its School of Psychology. Under the leadership of founding Dean Tom Wooldridge, GGU’s new School of Psychology will prepare students to become mental health professionals and navigate human systems in the age of AI: how individuals think, decide, lead, and practice in a world shaped by artificial intelligence. Today’s launch builds upon existing GGU strengths, with more than 1,800 students currently enrolled in GGU psychology programs.

“AI is already embedded in professional practice, in clinical documentation, risk assessment, performance evaluation, workforce decisions,” said Dr. Wooldridge. “But the professionals deploying these tools have rarely been trained in how they affect human judgment, relationships, or ethics. That gap is exactly what this school is built to close.”

GGU President Brent White said, “Psychology has always been about understanding how people function. The question now is whether that understanding keeps pace with the systems people function inside. This school makes sure it does.”

Edward Roekaert, GGU’s Executive Vice President and Incoming Provost, noted that the school will house a human systems lab, a virtual makerspace where students, faculty, and practitioners co-create applied tools: ethical AI guidance for clinical settings, psychological safety toolkits for data-driven teams, and resources for human-centered leadership under technological change.

GGU’s School of Psychology offers all levels of study, including a BA in Psychology, MA in Counseling Psychology, MA in Industrial-Organizational Psychology, and PsyD in Applied Counseling Psychology. Consistent with GGU’s global mission, the School’s programs will be offered in multiple languages, through flexible formats, at prices students can afford.

Forbes Advisor ranks GGU’s MA in Industrial-Organizational Psychology #2 nationally among online master’s programs and named the MA in Counseling Psychology its “Most Flexible Online Program” (2025). Intelligent.com ranks GGU among the top 14 online master’s in psychology programs in the country.

About Dr. Tom Wooldridge

Tom Wooldridge, PsyD, ABPP, FIPA, CEDS-C, is a tenured Professor and Department Chair of Psychology at GGU, where he has served for over 13 years. He is a board-certified clinical psychologist, certified psychoanalyst, and certified eating disorders specialist–consultant, licensed in both California and New York. A Brown University graduate, Tom has authored six books with publishers including Routledge and Guilford Press, published more than 25 peer-reviewed articles in leading journals such as the Journal of the American Psychoanalytic Association and the Psychoanalytic Quarterly, and serves on the editorial boards of JAPA and Eating Disorders: The Journal of Treatment & Prevention. He sits on the Scientific Advisory Council of the National Eating Disorders Association, held an assistant clinical professorship at UCSF Medical School, and was selected as a consultant for the Psychodynamic Diagnostic Manual, 3rd Edition. At GGU, he has received the Outstanding Research Award twice and the Judith Browning Outstanding Teaching Award and has led key institutional service, including chairing the Committee on Academic Standards and serving on the WASC, Faculty Personnel, and AI Task Force committees.

About Golden Gate University

Golden Gate University (GGU) is a private, nonprofit university anchored in San Francisco, serving more than 7,500 students worldwide. As an AI-focused, global, and multilingual institution, GGU is reimagining higher education for the future of work.