Psychology is one of the most popular graduate degrees in the United States. A number of employment opportunities open up with a master’s degree in psychology. The learnings can also be put to use in various other lines of work as well.
Online programs have made it easier for students to access quality education at affordable costs. It’s no longer necessary to break the bank in order to earn a top degree that creates new and exciting career pathways for you. Plus, online programs now have the necessary accreditation required to legitimize them.
Top Masters in Psychology Online Accredited Programs
Boston University
Boston University’s Department of Psychology and Brain Sciences offers a Master’s in Psychology. The degree is made up of eight courses and is typically completed in 12 months.
The department has a great set of faculty, who help students with research projects, besides teaching and supervising academic work. A bachelor’s degree in psychology is not mandatory. Students from all backgrounds are eligible to apply for admission. However, this degree doesn’t qualify you to begin practicing as a psychologist. As part of the course, students will have to complete at least an introductory course in psychology, along with completing a research apprenticeship. But there’s no need to submit a thesis.
University of Southern California
University of Southern California, which is based in Los Angeles, has an excellent distance education department that offers an online Master of Science in Applied Psychology program. You will get the opportunity to explore psychology from various angles in this program, including research, theory and application. The primary focus of the program is to teach students the fundamental principles of psychology from the perspective of business. There are in-depth courses on organizational psychology and consumer psychology. Workforce management strategies is the main focus of the organizational psychology course, while marketing services management is the key focus of the consumer psychology course.
The total credit requirement of this master’s program is 34 credit hours. The credits are divided into three sections. The core courses, which includes the two above mentioned courses and courses on human behavior and research methods, comprise 20 credit hours. Students also need to complete advanced coursework on specialized electives in their area of interest or based on their professional goals. These electives make up 12 credit hours. Students can complete all of this online. However, as part of the master’s program, students need to complete an internship at an approved professional set up. This internship completes the two final credit hours required for the program. Students don’t have to travel to Los Angeles or California for the internship. University of Southern California allows them to complete it at an approved organization close to home. Typically, students complete this master’s program in 16 to 18 months.
The tuition for this program is $1,863 per credit. You can call (877) 830-8638 to learn more about the program and admissions procedure.
Touro University Worldwide
Touro University Worldwide offers a variety of online degrees, including a Master of Arts in Psychology. The online master’s program in psychology, at this New York headquartered university, prepares students for practical applications of the various principles of the subject. After completing the degree you will be equipped to apply the principles in various professions, which will open up several employment opportunities. It’s worth noting here that a high percentage of working students opt for this program, because it’s flexible. There’s isn’t a fixed timetable, which provides working students enough time to work on assignments and keep their jobs. While this is a 24-month program, full-time students can complete it and get their degrees in about 12 months.
The three specialization options offered in the program are media psychology, educational psychology and health psychology. The total credit requirement for this program is 36 credit hours. The core courses take up 27 credit hours and specialized coursework takes up the remaining nine credit hours. The core courses include fundamental principles and concepts of psychology and applied research methodologies. As part of the program, students also need to submit a capstone project, which is a detailed paper or report on a particular issue in their area of specialization.
You must have completed an undergraduate degree, with a GPA of 2.5 or more to apply for this master’s program. The tuition is $500 per credit. To find out more about the program, you can call on (818) 575-6800 or write to online@tuw.edu.
Nova Southeastern University
Nova Southeastern University offers an online Master of Science in General Psychology program. This program is made up of a total of 3o credit hours, which includes 21 credit hours for the core courses and nine credit hours for coursework related to the student’s specialization or concentration area. The core courses include behavioral studies and social psychology, as well as psychological research and quantitative methods.
The two concentration areas offered with the program are general psychology and applied health science psychology. The students who select the former have the option of substituting two courses with thesis work that’s worth six credit hours. The health sciences specialization provides in-depth knowledge of application of psychology in the healthcare industry. Interview techniques are also taught as part of this specialization.
The online program offers ample flexibility that allows working students to study and continue working. However, the online program doesn’t satisfy the licensure requirements in Florida. But students can progress to a doctoral program after completing this program.
This is a 24-month or 2-year program and the fee is $755 per credit. Students need a GPA of 3.0 or more to be eligible for admission. Alternatively, they can submit their GRE score. For more information call on (954) 262-7563 or write to gradschool@nova.edu.
Conclusion
Online programs offer a lot of flexibility to students. They can work on assignments and projects as per their convenience. Hence, it’s important that you are disciplined and focused. You might become a bit too relaxed and postpone work far too much, which will ultimately hurt your scores.
Note: The American Psychological Association (APA) doesn’t accredit online-only programs or master’s and bachelor’s programs. It only accredits doctoral graduate programs, internship programs and postdoctoral residency programs.