An online master’s program is a great way to move forward in your education without needing to compromise on your day job. If you have a full-time job, you can still enroll in a distance-learning course and earn a degree at the end of one or two years. Sure, it may not always be easy and there may be days when you are too tired after work or a long day to study or finish an assignment. But these courses are typically structured in a way that you can work and study on your own time.
The schools that offer these courses acknowledge that most of their students also have jobs or other limitations that prevent them from attending the course on campus full time. The courses are, therefore, structured accordingly. They are not without their hardships but an online degree is a good way to keep the mind growing and learning.
What is an Online Master’s Degree in Psychology
A master’s online psychology degree is an M.A. in Psychology that you can acquire through distance learning. However, the degree is not as simple or as basic as that. Since this is at the graduate level, you can choose specific courses that are more in tandem with the field you want to specialize in. You can do an M.A. in Clinical Psychology, in Child Psychology, Developmental Psychology, etc. The list of the fields you can explore are endless.
An online master’s degree typically takes one or two years to complete. You need to have a bachelor’s degree to be eligible for an M.A. Different universities and schools also have a minimum requirement in terms of your GPA and standardized test scores. You will be expected to complete a stipulated number of credit hours. While most of the course is conducted online, there may be instances you have to attend classes on campus for a hands-on experience. There may even be training periods, internships and placements periods involved. While the mode of learning is distance, there may be certain cases where you are expected to attend classes on campus, or you are expected to complete a stipulated number of hours at an internship. Other than that, the hours are in your control.
The Best Psychology Master’s Programs Online
The following are the best online masters courses in psychology:
University of Southern California
The University of Southern California offers a Master of Science in Applied Psychology as a 16-month program. The career options you can advance in after this course include human capital management, advertising, market research, public relations, marketing, etc.
The course is meant to be at the intersection of psychology theory, research and practice from a business point of view and in a business setting. The course requires 34 credits and has foundation courses, electives and a practicum at the end. The admission requirements include standardized tests and GRE. The tuition fee is $1,863 per credit.
University of Georgia
The University of Georgia offers an M.Ed in Educational Psychology, Applied Cognitive and Development. This is a great course for somebody who wants to enter the workforce in the field of education. You will learn a lot about how students think, how learning can be made more effective and how you can develop techniques to teach students better.
The program focuses on the human cognitive mind and the motivational and developmental processes that are at work in the field of education. After graduating from this course, you may find further employment in fields like religious education, educational technology, lifespan development, etc. The course requires 34 credit hours and costs $629 per credit hour. Admission requirements include a minimum GPA of 2.6 standardized tests like GRE or GMAT.
Harvard University
One of the biggest names among the Ivy League schools, Harvard University offers an online degree in M.A. Psychology. The course will allow you to dig deeper into human behavior and work in a variety of fields related to psychology.
The degree has 12 courses, three of which need to be attended on campus. You can choose elective papers and customize the list of 12 courses you take so they are in keeping with your ultimate goals. You will also be expected to present a thesis at the end of the course. The university follows a hybrid program that allows you to complete three degree courses before officially applying to the program. You need to have a minimum GPA of 3.0 to submit an application for the final degree. The program is two years long and you require 36 credits. The tuition is approximately $2,750/course.
Golden Gate University
The Golden Gate University, San Francisco offers an M.A. in Industrial-Organizational Psychology. After graduating from this course, you will be able to apply your skills in workplaces and develop techniques for employee training, conducting market research, discerning and solving internal problems at the workplace, etc.
Through your intervention, organizations will be able to improve productivity as a result of better employer-employee relations. The course requires over 42 credit hours and takes two years to complete. The tuition fee is placed at $1,050 per credit. The course also requires a minimum GPA of 2.0 and clearing standardized tests like the Graduate Writing Placement Exam, GRE or GMAT.
Touro University Worldwide
The Touro University Worldwide offers an online M.A. in Psychology. Through the course, you will become familiar with research methodology, cognitive psychology, social psychology, learning theory, etc. You will also be made to work through case studies. The course offers concentrations that will allow you to choose your field of study. These concentrations include media psychology, educational psychology and health psychology. You are required to complete 12 courses, nine of which are required and three of which are elective courses. There are 36 credits required and the tuition fees have been marked at $500 per credit. You require a minimum GPA of 2.5 and 2.75 if you are a transfer student.
The Chicago School of Professional Psychology
The Chicago School of Professional Psychology offers a variety of different online courses in psychology, including M.S. Clinical Psychopharmacology, Online Master of Science in Applied Behavior Analysis and Online Psychology Master’s Degree Program. The programs are all generally taught online but there are a few courses that require research and fieldwork, which may require you to travel. Most Master’s courses require you to complete 36 credits, divided over a mix of core courses and elective courses. The program can be completed over one year, as a full-time course or over two years, as a part-time course. You require a minimum GPA of 3.0, you need to have cleared standardized tests and two years of work experience is mandatory. The course costs $1,164 per credit.
Final Thoughts
The courses mentioned above are some of the best-rated master’s courses for psychology in the country. They have a minimum requirement of qualifications and the courses have been designed such that you can enjoy the flexibility of an online mode of learning. There are assignments, lectures and class interactions, just like any other college. The big difference is you need to pay a lot less than attending college on campus and you can study from the comfort of your home. These master’s degrees also open you up to a variety of employment opportunities, as has been illustrated clearly above. Besides, at the end of two years, you get to mention a respectable and sought after name of a university on your resume!