An online degree is a way to move forward with your education without pressing pause on your work, career or other responsibilities. A distance-learning course is designed in a way that accommodates your schedule and also allows you to learn at your own pace. The courses are designed keeping in mind working professionals and their schedules. Typically the entire course is delivered online and you may also be expected to complete an internship and a practicum. The following is a brief guide to online degrees in counseling psychology.
What Is an Online Degree in Counseling Psychology?
An online degree in counseling psychology is one that prepares you to interact with clients and share tools of psychotherapy and other methods to cope with stressors. Counselors can work in a variety of places. As a counselor, you can work at a school, at a hospital, private practice and even at workplaces and organizations. An online degree in counseling will give you the required skill sets to apply for licensure to become a professional counselor. The following are some of the best online degrees in counseling psychology. The degrees listed below are all at the graduate level as you require at least an online master’s degree in counseling to apply for a license and practice as a counselor.
Best Online Degree in Counseling Psychology
The following are some of the best online degrees in counseling psychology:
Northwestern University
Northwestern University has an online Master of Arts in Counseling. There is also an option to specialize in Child and Adolescent Psychology. Through the degree, you should be able to get hands-on experience and get exposure in the field to get a taste of what the professional world as a counselor would be like. You will be able to access the course through an interface called ‘2U’, which a convenient and effective learning platform. On this platform, you will get complete tech support, you will have access to all the course material and you will also be able to interact with your mentors and faculty. It is a rigorous and comprehensive M.A. course that allows you to explore methods that would be useful to mental health professionals. The full-time course requires you to complete 24 courses, apart from a practicum and an internship. The course costs $415 per credit hour.
Texas Tech University System
Texas Tech University System is one of the largest public university systems in the country. It has four institutions and the Texas Tech University Health Science Center offers the relevant degrees for those who want to pursue psychology. There are other healthcare field-related subjects the school offers too, like nursing and pharmacy. When it comes to counseling, there are three different courses the school offers — addiction counseling, clinical rehabilitation counseling, and mental health counseling.
All three are unique and extremely important fields of counseling. These are all Master of Science programs and involves core courses like counseling theory, treatment planning, psychopathology, addictions, etc. You are required to complete 60 credit hours and as an online student, you will be expected to do an internship in your local area. The course costs $465 per credit hour.
Touro University Worldwide
Touro University Worldwide offers a Master of Arts in Marriage and Family Therapy. The course will enable you to provide guidance and counseling to couples and families. You can pick between three track options — non-clinical, clinical and Licensed Professional Clinical Counseling (LPCC). The course can be accessed through a virtual learning tool called Blackboard. The clinical and LPCC programs require you to complete a practicum, though in the non-clinical program you are exempted from one. You can also access the Student Success Center for career counseling, orientation courses and advisement services. The clinical track requires you to complete 72 credit hours and 500 total client contact hours; the LPCC track requires you to complete 82 credit hours and 500 total client contact hours; and finally, the non-clinical track requires you to complete. The non-clinical track costs $27,000, the clinical track costs $36,000 and the LPCC track costs $41,000.
NYU Steinhardt
NYU Steinhardt offers an online Master of Arts in Counseling for Mental Health and Wellness. This is an exceptional and efficient course which devotes individual attention to each student. There are live classes held every week and a class does not have more than 15 students. There are qualified internship sites that have been identified in your area where you are required to get internship experience. You are required to complete 60 credit hours, 100 hours of practicum experience and 600 hours of internship experience.
Palo Alto University
Palo Alto University is an accredited private university that offers some of the best courses and programs in the country. The university offers a Master of Arts in Counseling which has an emphasis on two areas — clinical mental health practice and marriage, and family and child counseling. The university uses virtual remote classrooms for real-time lectures, interactions and discussions. Over one year, students are expected to complete 700 experience hours to meet licensure guidelines. You are also required to complete 93 quarter units of coursework and a capstone project. The course costs $523 per unit.
Final Thoughts
The courses named above are some of the best online degrees in counseling psychology. These graduate degrees will open you up to opportunities and prepare you for acquiring a license to practice as a counselor. There are several different fields of psychology you can specialize in but the job of a counselor is extremely difficult and also extremely important.
As a counselor, you can work in a school, at colleges, in hospitals, clinics, private practices and more. A counselor can work with children and adults alike, though, of course, you will have your specialization. Through internships, work experiences and practicums, these graduate courses will prepare you for client interaction and give you the confidence and skills to solve difficult cases and guide clients through periods of distress and mental health issues. The foundation of a good counselor lies in a great education.