Psychology Degree Programs & Online Schools

General Psychology Degree Information

Students who pursue a bachelor's degree in psychology from any school of psychology will receive a basic overview of the different psychological disciplines, from experimental psychology to social psychology to abnormal psychology. If they decide to pursue a higher degree, students can choose to specialize in one of these areas where they can focus their efforts.

Psychology Degree Study Options

Students interested in psychology will start with a bachelor's degree in psychology. Some junior colleges may offer a two year Associate of Arts in Psychology, but for a rewarding psychology career, further education will usually be needed and can be earned from any top psychology school. The Bachelor of Arts in Psychology typically takes four years to complete and involves the learning of the different approaches to psychology, the major theories and their originators, the history of the discipline and its various applications. Students may then move on to a master's degree or doctoral degree in psychology or a related field.

Advanced Psychology Degrees

Students who have a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology may choose to pursue a Master of Arts in Psychology, either for its own sake or as a precursor to a Ph.D. or Psy.D. in Psychology. Students looking for a terminal masters degree in psychology may instead choose to pursue a Masters of Social Work (MSW). Other students may decide to use their psychology background in medical school. Upon graduation, they may decide to do their residency in mental health and become psychiatrists.

Master Of Arts In Psychology Degree

A Master of Arts degree is a two-year program that often leads to a doctoral program in psychology. However, those who do not pursue the doctoral degree will find that there are many jobs in the psychological field that they are qualified for, including work as a psychology assistant or counselor in a group home or special education setting.

Doctor Of Psychology Degree

The Doctor of Psychology (Psy.D.) is distinct from the Doctor of Philosophy in Psychology (Ph.D.) in that the Ph.D. tends to be more heavily research oriented. While both degrees qualify one for clinical work, students who plan to focus mainly on treatment of patients through various forms of psychological therapy may wish to skip some of the rigorous research requirements for the Ph.D. and opt for the Psy.D. instead.

Choosing A Degree In Psychology

Anyone who is curious about the workings of the human mind and the underpinnings of behavior will want to study psychology. Psychotherapists use their knowledge about the human mind to help suffering individuals find comfort and happiness in their lives. Experimental psychologists use their studies of the mind to help society learn how to cope with certain situations, how to communicate and how to understand themselves and each other. Cognitive behavioral psychologists help retrain the mind to think in more positive ways and break the habit of faulty, self-sabotaging behaviors.

Career Opportunities In Psychology

For those who have earned a psychology degree, there are many career opportunities in psychology, and the one, chosen will depend on the type of psychology they study. Industrial psychologists can be hired as consultants to help improve worker productivity. Psychoanalysts treat patients who are suffering from serious neuroses in private therapy sessions. Behavioral and cognitive behavioral psychologists may be found in the mental health wing of a hospital ward helping distressed patience learn and re-learn effective coping mechanisms for normal functioning. Experimental psychologists may be found in private and public research laboratories. A child psychology degree will also help one specialize in the area of

Earning Potential For Psychology Careers

Earning a top psychology degree can lead to a very rewarding career, and a very lucrative one. The highest 10 percent of clinical, counseling and school psychologists earned over $100,000 in 2006 according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Industrial/Organizational psychologists made a median income of $86,420.

Getting Your Psychology Degree Online

Psychology is one of the more popular degrees that one can earn online. Through online distance learning programs, students can take psychology courses according to their own schedule, earning a B.A. or master's degree in psychology often in less time than it would take to earn the degree at a traditional university. Providing that the degree is earned from an accredited online university, the student can take his credential and be eligible for any career that requires a bachelor's or master's degree in psychology.

Getting Your Psychology Degree Offline

Psychology is also a very popular major at traditional universities, and most colleges and universities that offer liberal arts or ìsoft scienceî courses of study feature a psychology degree option. The bachelor's degree will take four years to complete, a master's degree two and a doctoral degree usually five years or more. Students will have the opportunity to meet one-on-one with professors who can help guide them through their psychological studies, helping them gain focus and learn how to apply their newfound psychological knowledge and research skills. Students who graduate from a top traditional university with a psychology degree will be well equipped to find a desirable and successful career path.

Online Psychology Degree FAQs

What Is Psychology?

Psychology is the study of the human mind, including thought processes and behavior patterns. Having this type of insight into the way humans think is one of the most important reasons why today's most successful businesspersons earn degrees in psychology.

How Does One Become a Psychologist?

Your degree in psychology is proof that you have what it takes to understand your fellow man. This is powerful knowledge that many employers tend seek out in prospective job candidates. Aside from that, the field of psychology experiences continuous growth, providing even more job possibilities for graduates of these programs.

In What Industry Sectors Can I Find Employment With My Online Psychology Degree?

Nearly every industry sector looks for job prospects with a degree in psychology. Some industries include health care, education, business, government, private practice counseling, commerce, banking and many others.

How Much Does a Psychologist Earn?

Annual incomes can vary in this field, as psychology graduates can find work in a multiple careers. For instance, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor, psychology graduates who work as psychologists in the education sector can earn close to $60,000 a year, while organizational psychologists can make well over $70,000 annually.

What Types of Online Degrees Are Available in Psychology?

There are specific online programs designed to provide the student with an associate's, bachelor's, master's or doctoral degree upon successful completion. In most states, practicing psychologists must have a master's or doctoral degree, along with licensing from the state in which they practice.

The American Psychological Association awards accreditation. One can choose to become certified through the National Association of School Psychologists if a career as a school psychologist is sought.

What Are the Benefits of Earning an Online Degree in Psychology?

There are a number of benefits for taking an online degree in psychology. Two of the most popular include affordability and flexibility. Since financial aid is available to eligible students, distance learning is a great way for those who find difficulty affording a college education.

Additionally, online learning enables students to keep full-time jobs while pursuing academic goals. With many online degree programs being offered by accredited colleges and universities, there is no better time to get back to school and start working toward your future.

What Are The Best Psychology Schools?

Picking the best school of psychology can sometimes be as tricky as picking the right psychology degree program. However with a clear indication of what area one chooses to specialize in, this could be made simpler. Some of the best online schools that offer school psychology and general psychology degrees include Ashford university, Walden university, the University of Phoenix and Kaplan university.

Related Psychology Degree Programs

• Online Bachelor Psychology Degree Programs
• Online Master Degree Programs in Psychology
• Online Associate Psychology Degree Programs

Psychology Student Guide

Psychology is the study of the human mind. Psychologists use their knowledge of how the mind works to predict and guide behavior for the betterment of both individuals and groups. There are a number of sub-disciplines within psychology including behavioral psychology, clinical psychology and organizational psychology.

Psychology Books

The books you will need for your psychology studies will depend on which discipline of psychology you are focusing on. Students interested in a career in psychoanalysis will need to read "The Interpretation of Dreams" as well as other works by Sigmund Freud. Students are also likely to need the "Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-IV-TR)". Your psychology instructor will recommend other books and the ways to obtain them.

Psychology Articles And Databases

Finding good psychology articles is crucial to a successful course of study in psychology. Psychology is a heavily research-based discipline and students will need to cite many articles in their essays and research projects. Psychology students should consult PsycINFO, the American Psychological Association's database of psychological literature. Students can learn how to access PsycINFO by going to the APA website.

Online Psychology Journals

The articles used in psychology research will generally be found in one of the many psychological journals that is published regularly or has been in the past. Online psychology journal information can also be found at PsycInfo. Some of the journals you may find yourself using during your psychology studies include American Behavioral Scientist, American Journal of Psychoanalysis, American Journal of Psychology, Annual Review of Psychology, British Journal of Clinical Psychology, International Forum of Psychoanalysis, Psychoanalytic Psychologyand Psychoanalytic Review.

Other Psychology Research Tools

The American Psychological Association website is where all psychology students can go for research tools and other assistance with their psychology studies. The site has information about writing research papers in APA style, links to journals and articles, basic information on the various subtopics of psychology and much more.

Online Psychology News

Psychology at ScienceDaily.com
News resource for psychology. Also see their social-psychology page.

MedicalNewsToday
"Medical News Today is owned by MediLexicon International Ltd with head offices in the United Kingdom. It is the largest independent health and medical news website on the Internet."

Psychology & Mental Health News
"Psych Central is the Internet's largest and oldest independent mental health social network created and run by mental health professionals to guarantee reliable, trusted information and support communities to consumers, for over 13 years."

Psychology in the News
APA.org's listing of news articles related to psychology.

Internet Guides and Tutorials

Psychology 101
"Psych 101 is a general psychology text adapted to an online guided format. This online text represents a summary of the major theories, concepts, and treatment approaches in the field of psychology."

Evolutionary Psychology: A primer
The basics of evolutionary psychology at the Center for Evolutionary Psychology.

A Primer on Educational Psychology
"This glimpse into the different theories introduces the principle names, theories, and implications of each approach."

Online Journals and Journal Databases

(Please note that some journals require online registration to view.)

• Journal of Applied Behavior Analisys
  "The Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis is a psychology journal that publishes research about applications of the experimental analysis of behavior to problems of social importance."
• Cognitive Psychology
  "The journal presents original empirical, theoretical, and tutorial papers, methodological articles, and critical reviews."
• Behavioral Psychology
  "Behaviorism - school of psychology which seeks to explain animal and human behavior entirely in terms of observable and measurable responses to environmental stimuli."
• Journal of Psychology and Behavioral Sciences
  "JPBS is an annual periodical published by the Psychology Department of Fairleigh Dickinson University at Madison, New Jersey."
• Journals Related to Social Psychology
  A list of social psychology journal compiled by the Social Psychology Network.
• Electronic Journals and Periodicals
  Database at Hanover College Psychology Department.
• The International Journal of Psychoanalysis
  A six time a year journal published on behalf of the Institute of Psychoanalysis.
• The American Journal of Psychoanalysis
  The American Journal of Psychoanalysis, is an international psychoanalytic quarterly founded in 1941 by Karen Horney.
• Psychoanalytig Psychology
  "Psychoanalytic Psychology serves as a resource for original contributions that reflect and broaden the interaction between psychoanalysis and psychology."

Research Tools

University of Kentucky - Philosophy of Psychiatry Bibliography
A substantial list of psychology books, and links on how to get them.

Center for Modern Psychoanalytical Studies
The Center for Modern Psychoanalytical Studies is an almost 40 year old institute, focusing on training and education in the field of psychoanalysis.

Psychoanalysis - Techniques and Practices
"This site is designed to offer valuable information concerning the theory and practice of psychoanalysis, mainly the Freudian branch."

Essays and Papers on Sigmund Freud
"This site provides essays and papers on Sigmund Freud and psychoanalysis for students looking for information related to Freud's main concepts and theories." at freudfile.org

Berkely Book List
Books on Psychology and Cognitive Science.

APA psychology books
APA.org's featured books and book lists.

Classics in the History of Psychology
"Classics in the History of Psychology is an effort to make the full texts of a large number of historically significant public domain documents from the scholarly literature of psychology and allied disciplines available on the World Wide Web."

Publishers on the Internet Related to Psychology
A list of publishers related to psychology, at hanover.edu

Cogprints
CogPrints is an electronic archive for self-archive papers in the area of Psychology, and also numerous other subjects.

Discovering Psychology
"The Discovering Psychology telecourse and educational video series first premiered in 1990 as a visual resource for teaching introductory psychology. The 26 video programs review the history of the field, including the work of early and contemporary theorists, practitioners, and researchers, illustrating their work with footage of classic experiments and modern studies."

PsychExperiments
The site consists of a set of interactive experiments, a cumulative data archive, download utilities for both data and experiment source code, downloadable Excel macros for analyzing data from the experiments, and support materials for those who want to use and/or develop experiments at the site.

CogLab, Online Laboratory
Perform some of the classic experiments in the field and get individual data. Requires registration.

Athabascau - Research methods and Statistics
The Athabasca University Psychology search engine

Writing in Psychology Guides

Preparing your laboratory report
"The following is an abridgement of the major rules for the preparation of scientific reports."

Athabascau - Centre of Psychology Home Page
"Helpful writing resources to students writing essays and preparing other kinds of written assignments. Several of resources specific to psychology, but most with general use in all disciplines."

Psychology University of Toronto
"Articles by Daryl J. Bem providing advice and tips on writing emperical and review articles for publication."

Organizations, Associations & Societies

• American Academy of Psychoanalysis and Dynamic Psychiatry
  (aapdp.org)
• American Psychoanalytical Association
  (apsa.org)
• ACAP - Psychological Institute
  (acapnj.org)
• Association for Behavior Analysis
  (abainternational.org)
• The American Psychological Association
  (apa.org)
• American Psychoanalytic Association
  (apsa.org)
• Academy for the Study of the Psychoanalytic Arts
  (academyanalyticarts.org)
• The National Psychological Association for Psychoanalysis
  (npap.org)
• Experimental Psychology Society
  (eps.ac.uk)
• National Association of School Psychologists
  (nasponline.org)
• Washington Center for Psychoanalysis
  (washpsa.org)
• National Honor Society in Psychology
  (psichi.org)
• Los Angeles Institute and Society for Psychoanalytical Studies
  (laisps.org)
• The American Psychological Society
  (psychologicalscience.org)
• The Association for Humanistic Psychology
  (ahpweb.org)
• International Primal Association
  (primals.org)

History of Psychology

American Psychology Society
Several of resources on the history of psychology

Sigmund Freud: Conflict & Culture
An online exhibition on Sigmund Freud.

Serendip's Exchange
"Mind, Brain, and the Experimental Psychology of Consciousness - A very brief history of experimental psychology starting with Fechner."

Encyclopedia of Psychology
People and History in Psychology.

History of Psychology Timeline (Geocities)
A timeline over the history of psychology (From -600 to 1899)

Muskingum College - Psychology History
History of psychology archives containing historical biographies and links.

Multimedia

PsychExhange
"Through this web site we are trying to create an easy, free and effective way for psychology teachers to share resources, ideas and comments with other psychology teachers."

Psych 1 General Psychology
"Introduction to the principal areas, problems, and concepts of psychology. This course is required for the major; students not considering a psychology major are directed to 2."

ePsych
A great resource from Mississippi State University's ePsych that contains loads of instructional videos, experiments, demos and much more regarding the subject Psychology.

Psychcentral
Psychcentral.com's top ten on the best psychological videos on the net.

Discovering Psychology
"The Discovering Psychology telecourse and educational video series first premiered in 1990 as a visual resource for teaching introductory psychology. The 26 video programs review the history of the field, including the work of early and contemporary theorists, practitioners, and researchers, illustrating their work with footage of classic experiments and modern studies."

Other Resources

schoolpsychology.net
Research learning disabilities, ADHD, functional behavioral assessment, autism, adolescence, parenting, psychological assessment, special education, mental retardation, mental health, and more.

Psychology of Religion
"This is a general introduction to the psychology of religion, for example, as it is studied by scientists in Division 36 of the American Psychological Association. Here you will find a description of what psychologists have learned about how religion influences people's lives."

Sigmund Freud and the Freud Archives
""This collection of links points to Internet resources related to Sigmund Freud and his works. Included in this collection are libraries, museums, and biographical materials, as well as materials in the Brill Library archives. ""

Counseling Degree & Online Counseling Programs

Gain some further insight into the world of stress management and tips on pursuing a degree program in counseling here.

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