Top Online Schools for a Bachelors Degree in Psychology

Navigating the waters of online psychology degree programs can be tricky. A simple Internet search turns up loads of information disbursed by the marketing department of the best known names in on-line education. Unfortunately, those well known names are not always the best option for your educational needs.

Columbia Southern University

Columbia Southern University ranks fourth overall based on student reviews. Because the three programs ahead of it do not offer undergraduate degrees in psychology, CSU offers the top on-line program to earn a Bachelor of Science in Psychology. CSU's curriculum provides a comprehensive survey of psychology while building upon a foundation of general and applied science, health care management, human relations and development, along with research methods and technical writing .

One hundred and twenty semester hours are required to complete the undergraduate degree. Sixty of those hours must be in psychology. For students who have previous credits, CSU allows transfer credit of up to 75% of undergraduate coursework and 50% of coursework relating to the psychology degree.

Reviewers referenced CSU's rigorous, but reasonable assignments, its free textbooks, and a convenient open-enrollment course format. The university's relatively low cost was also well received.

Students should plan on finishing their degrees at CSU due to some problems with other institutions refusing to accept their credits if students transfer. The school is a nationally accredited member of the Distance Education and Training Council.

Grand Canyon University

Grand Canyon University ranks sixth overall among students pursuing on-line degrees, but they rank second in schools offering an undergraduate degree in psychology. Their Bachelor of Science in Psychology is designed to prepare students for entry-level positions in agencies and organizations that seek to help those in need. As with any degree in psychology, education beyond a bachelors is required for positions above entry level.

One hundred and twenty semester hours are required to complete a psychology degree at GCU. Forty-eight of those hours must be in psychology. Please note that GCU's psychology program cannot be completed on-line only. Some courses require classroom attendance.

Several reviewers referenced the heavy workload given during the pursuit of an undergraduate psychology degree at GCU, however, they also felt that the knowledge gained was worth it. They recommend the university to anyone who is self-motivated.

The university is regionally accredited by the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools.

American Military University

American Military University ranks seventh overall, but third among schools with on-line psychology degree programs. Graduates of AMU's psychology program tend to excel in professions that involve a high level of human interaction such as counseling, education, human services, law, law enforcement, military service, politics, and public management.

One hundred and twenty two hours are required to graduate from AMU with a degree in psychology. Thirty-four hours are core requirements which include several psychology courses. An additional fifteen hours of upper level psychology courses are required to fulfill the major. Students may transfer up to ninety hours of previous coursework toward a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology.

AMU is especially useful for members of the military who live overseas and want to get started on their degrees before returning Stateside. AMU offers the following upper levels courses: Psychology of Terrorism, Psychology of Disaster, and Psychology of Combat. These course make the university especially attractive for people entering careers in law enforcement in addition to those serving in the military.

Previous and current student reviewers of AMU insist that future students be self-starters to successfully complete the challenging curriculum. However, there is a consensus that their knowledge-base is much wider as a result of the rigorous workload.

AMU is regionally accredited by the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools. It is nationally accredited by the Distance Education and Training Council.

References
Online School Rankings:
http://www.onlinedegreereviews.org/college/page/best-online-colleges-for-2010/

Columbia Southern degree hours:
http://www.columbiasouthern.edu/degree/general/bachelor/psychology/

Grand Canyon University degree programs:
http://my.gcu.edu/Academics/Pages/DegreeProgramsofStudy.aspx

GCU psychology course requirements:
http://my.gcu.edu/SiteCollectionDocuments/POS/COLA/BSPsychologyPOS.pdf

American Military University psychology degree requirements:
http://www.amu.apus.edu/academic/programs/degree/1271/bachelor-of-arts-in-psychology