An online educational psychology program is a degree that you can pursue online. It is a great way to pursue your education from the comfort of your home. These courses are designed especially for those students who have been unable to attend a full-time course on campus. If you are a working professional and cannot devote too much time to a college education, this course is ideal for you. It is also perfect for those who want to restart their education after a long gap, though the eligibility criteria may be different then. You may be expected to retake one of the standardized tests, like GRE. The following is a brief guide to an online educational psychology program. Through this guide, you will be taken through various levels of the program and the different courses you can take. A degree in educational psychology will equip you to work in schools and teaching institutions, with students and teachers alike to make the process of learning more accessible.
Levels of the Degree
There are a few different levels to the online psychology degree. All these levels may not necessarily be available online but there are a few that you can study online with ease. The following are some of the common levels of the program you may need to go through:
Bachelor’s
There are few bachelor’s degrees that are specifically devoted to educational psychology. You will find courses focusing simply on education, courses focusing on child education, early childhood development and education, etc. All of these courses are linked to psychology or at least have a base in psychology, but are not necessarily focused on educational psychology. Still, these are great foundation courses for you to begin with and will help you pick a specialty by taking you through a whole range of disciplines related to education. A more general undergraduate degree will also give you more options to choose from at the graduate level.
Master’s
There are many more master’s degrees available for educational psychology. Perhaps because it is a discipline best specialized in at the graduate level. At the undergraduate level you can study a related discipline and get a strong base in education. A master’s in educational psychology is typically two years long and may also require you to log in some work experience. You will also be going over various stages of psychology, from child to adolescent, to be able to understand the approach to education. There has been a sharp rise in online master’s in educational psychology in recent years and there are some truly excellent options that open doors in the professional world – be sure to take a look at them!
Doctoral Program
To become a practicing educational psychologist and be able to work in schools, universities and other teaching institutions to design programs for education, you will need to complete a doctorate. This is not to say you will not get employment with only a master’s degree, but most schools and institutions may prefer somebody with a Doctor of Philosophy or Psychology (Ph.D./Psy.D.) in the subject. A doctoral program can take at least two years to complete.
Online Educational Psychology Programs
The following are some of the best online educational psychology programs you can pick from.
The programs described below are all master’s programs as those are the most commonly available online.
University of Georgia
The University of Georgia offers an M.Ed. in Educational Psychology, Applied Cognition & Development. It is a two-year Master of Education degree which requires you to complete 34 credit hours over six semesters. It will take you through the through the various emotional, motivational and development processes that are involved in the process of education. You can enter fields of non-clinical educational training positions in schools and teaching institutions. The total program costs $24,968.
Florida State University
Florida State University offers an online Master of Science in Learning and Cognition. The program has been designed keeping in mind students and professionals who are interested in education, learning, cognition, etc., in a variety of different contexts related to education at different levels. You will be taken through the process of applying the theories you learn into the field of education. It takes about two years to complete the course and is done over six semesters. It costs $1,075.66 per credit hour.
Ball State Online
Ball State Online offers a Master’s Degree in Educational Psychology. You are required to complete 30 credit hours in total and takes about one-and-a-half years or 18 months to complete. The course opens you up to a variety of employment opportunities like working as a developmental specialist, teaching undergraduates and also be equipped to pursue a doctorate. You will be taken through different electives and specializations, like advanced educational psychology, methodology of educational and psychological research, etc. The course costs $616 per credit, in addition to a technology fee.
Marist College
Marist College offers a Master of Arts in Educational Psychology. It follows two tracks, the first equips you to apply for a Professional Certification in Childhood Education (grades 1-6). This is for candidates who have initial teacher certification for this field. The second track equips you to apply for Professional Certification in Adolescent Education (grades 7-12). This is designed for candidates who have an initial certificate in a field of adolescent education, like history, science, languages, mathematics, etc. The second track also goes over a professional certification in middle school extension (grades 5-6). Both tracks of the degree require you to complete 36 credit hours of coursework. The course costs $850 per credit.
Final Thoughts
The courses described above are some of the best graduate degree courses available online. As has been mentioned above, the list mentions only graduate degrees as these are the most commonly available online. At the undergraduate level, you can get a degree in education and different fields of education. The courses have disciplines related to psychology but may not be focused specifically on educational psychology. At the graduate level, there are plenty of courses for online educational psychology. An online degree also allows you to get a certificate from a reputed university or college and often an education as good as a full-time course. You are sure to find a course that you find helpful.