Psychology Colleges Online Comparing Online Classes vs. Traditional Classes ,Is Online Learning Right For You?
Perhaps the most important thing to consider is self-direction. Students who succeed in an online learning environment are self-motivated and are able to set and meet their own deadlines for coursework, since in an online course learning is often self-paced. In addition, while many courses rely on web conferencing and include some real-time discussion, not all do; face-to-face interaction with professors and peers is generally limited compared to the campus involvement that traditional students experience.
Another thing to consider is that concentration or specialization options that are offered on-campus are not always available when earning your psychology degree online. However, informal concentrations such as child psychology, school psychology, or forensic psychology can often be arranged depending on a given school's selection of online psychology courses. Related to this, many online psychology degree programs require students to complete an internship or practicum experience. Those who are attending courses online from another state than that in which their school is based may need to arrange an appropriate internship in their own local area.
Benefits of Earning a Psychology Colleges Online
Another benefit to earning a psychology degree online is the option of attending an out-of-state school without relocating. If you live in an area that is not within commuting distance to the top schools for psychology, distance learning may be an option for you. In addition, while some programs allow you to earn your psychology degree entirely online, others are degree completion programs that are geared towards students who already hold an associate's degree or a certain number of college credits. Transferring these credits to a four-year school can reduce the time that it takes to earn your bachelor's.
Finally, online courses can also reduce the cost of earning your bachelor's degree. Many schools offer in-state tuition rates to students attending courses online, even if those students are residents of another state. Many programs also offer special tuition rates for online students that are lower than the traditional on-campus tuition for state residents.
Things to Know Before Choosing an Psychology Colleges Online Program
You should also consider your career goals and understand the careers available with a bachelor's degree in psychology. A bachelor of arts (BA) or bachelor of science (BS) in psychology can prepare you for employment in human resources, communication, marketing, and a host of other careers that deal with human decisions and behavior. However, don't expect to land a position as a researcher or psychologist based on a four-year degree alone. These positions generally require graduate school; a master's degree is appropriate for management specializations and some positions in research, while a doctoral degree is required to work as a psychologist or professor and in the majority of research positions.
With that in mind, a bachelor's degree in psychology is a popular option for beginning a career in the social sciences or humanities because it provides broad preparation for such a variety of occupations. Continue reading to find the best online psychology degree program for your needs and goals.
Top Schools with Psychology Colleges Online Degree Programs
To help you choose an online psychology degree program, we have ranked the top psychology schools in the US using our own unique methodology. All schools in this list are not-for-profit and hold regional accreditation from one of the six regional accreditation agencies in the US that are recognized by the US Department of Education. Regional accreditation is important because it is a marker of quality education and also a prerequisite for offering certain types of low-cost federal loans to students. Regionally accredited schools will also more readily accept transfer credits from other regionally accredited schools, which is not always the case with schools that are nationally or privately accredited. In addition, the online psychology degrees from the regionally accredited schools on this list are the same degrees granted to traditional, on-campus students.
Major factors included in our ranking methodology include the average tuition cost per online credit hour, the percentage of students enrolled only in distance education courses, the overall graduation rate of enrolled students, and schools rankings according to US News and World Report in the regional, national, and online categories. Some factors are weighted more heavily than others, such as a school's overall graduation rate. We also took into account more lightly weighted factors, such as whether a given school's graduate psychology program is accredited by the American Psychological Association (APA). Clicking on the name of select schools on the following list will lead you to additional data about that school and its programs, including comparisons of in- and out-of-state tuition rates for online and on-campus students, faculty statistics, and more.
