Pursuing online college courses for psychology is a good way to move forward with your education without taking time away from your job and other responsibilities. An online course allows you the freedom to work remotely and from anywhere. Most courses are also designed keeping in mind working professionals so you can study as well as work with ample time in hand. The following is a mix of undergraduate and graduate online courses in psychology that you can pursue:
Best Online College Courses for Psychology
The following are some of the good online college courses for psychology available in different universities and schools:
Arizona State University
The Arizona State University is one of the best universities that offers an online undergraduate course in psychology.
The Bachelors in Psychology course will acquaint you with the basic theories and principles of psychology which will help you prepare your skill sets as a professional, should you want to pursue employment in the field. You can explore a variety of different employment opportunities with this course, including clinical data management, health education, counseling, etc. This course will create a strong foundation for further education. You are required to complete 40 courses spread over 120 credit hours in total. The online course costs $520 – $728 per credit hour.
Sam Houston State University
The Sam Houston State University is a great school to get a degree from as neither the transcripts nor the degree will mention the word ‘online’. The documents will only mention the prestigious name of the university. But apart from this, the course curriculum and the faculty will provide you with the best education possible. While 75% of the courses are carried out online, 25% of the course load is conducted on campus for which you will need to make yourself available. The course will prepare you for a variety of jobs in the field of psychology, like psychotherapy, public relations, advocacy, etc. You will be expected to complete 120 credit hours and the four-year course costs approximately $5,085 per semester.
Oregon State University
Oregon State University offers a variety of undergraduate courses for psychology and related subjects. You can opt for a Bachelor of Science in Psychology among other options. It is structured in a quarter-term system and each term carries on for 11 weeks. If you live in the Portland area, you can also make use of the campus and take a mixed course, with a few classes online and a few on-site. But for those who live outside the Portland area, the classes are delivered 100% online. All the undergraduate degrees, whether B.A. or B.S. in Psychology, requires 180 credit hours and costs $297 per credit.
Capella University
Capella University is a great college to turn to for graduate courses. The university offers a Master of Science in Psychology where you can specialize in general psychology. You will be trained in various research methodologies and also be able to comment on and find links between psychology and other aspects of life, like business, public policy, ethics at the workplace, etc. There are four core courses, five specialization courses and one integrative project at the end of the two-year course. What is great about the college is that you can opt for the GuidedPathTM format, in which the school will set the schedule and you will need to keep up with the deadlines. The other option is the FlexPathTM format, in which the course is a lot more flexible and you can choose your own hours. The GuidedPathTM format costs $485 per credit and there are a total of 50 credit hours you are expected to complete. The FlexPathTM format, on the other hand, has a flat fee of $10,800-$21,600.
Walden University
At Walden University, you can pick between a variety of different graduate programs for psychology. Some of the examples of popular programs at the school include Master of Science (MS) in Psychology, MS in Developmental Psychology, MS in Clinical Mental Health Counseling, MS in School Counseling, etc. Each course has its own methodology and mode of instruction, but they are all carried out online and will familiarize you with theories and principles of your specialization. The different schools encourage you to apply what you have learned in fieldwork and in your research methodology. This kind of education enables you to acquire the right kind of skills for working or pursuing psychology as a profession, regardless of in what capacity. You will be expected to complete 48 quarter credit hours and the courses are priced at $535 per quarter hour.
Colorado State University
If you have had the opportunity to work at an organization or have friends relaying their office experiences back to you, you know that workplaces can be fraught with tension that makes for an environment conducive for creating and increasing stress, anxiety and mental health issues. At Colorado State University, you can learn how to mitigate stress at work for employees and make workplaces generally healthy for both, employees and employers. The university offers an online Masters in Industrial and Organizational Psychology. The course will allow you to analyze the programs that are working at workplaces and the ones which are not. You will also be able to design and customize programs for each workplace you are engaged with. It takes between two and four years to complete the online degree and you will become familiar with core subjects like applied industrial psychology, workforce training and development, applied organizational development, etc. The course requires you to complete 38 credit hours and the tuition is priced at $757 per credit hour.
Final Thoughts
An online course frees you up to maintain a full or part-time job, or take care of other responsibilities that may be preventing you from attending a full-fledged course on campus. It also saves you the money and trouble of relocating and paying for accommodation. You can get the same education for less money and from the comfort of your house. The courses mentioned above are surely going to find appeal with undergraduates and graduates alike.
If you’re interested in learning more, be sure to take a look at our article on accredited online psychology courses and online psychology courses with certificates.