[citation needed] Founded in 1974, William James College uses an experiential education model, which combines academic instruction with supervised clinical experience.

Students are in the field beginning in the first year, and are placed in various local field facilities including social service agencies, schools, hospitals, community mental health centers, child guidance clinics, court clinics, college counseling centers, private agencies and corporate settings.

[5] The academic concentration provides relevant coursework and summer immersion programs in Costa Rica and Ecuador focused on improving Spanish language skills and exposure to Latino cultures through community service mental health work.

In 2011,[6] William James College was awarded a grant from the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, working to recruit veterans and train them to meet the mental health needs of their fellow service men and women.

[7] William James College is also home to the Black Mental Health Graduate Academy, an emerging academic pipeline program designed to recruit, mentor, and support Black students in Master's and Doctoral degree programs for mental health counseling and psychology.