Online Psychology Course Programs: Not Just For the Summer Term

This summer, an increasing number of students majoring in psychology or seeking graduate degrees in the field may be opting to take an online psychology course.
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At Ozarks Technical Community College (OTC) in Springfield, Missouri, for example, half of the summer’s enrollment is for online courses, including psychology.

The director of OTC’s online programs says that the popularity of taking an online psychology course as well as courses in other fields is due to its convenience. If many students nowadays take online degree programs so that they can combine work and studies, students during the summer opt for an online course so that they can combine travel or leisure and studies, as they could always log on and work on their course work from a computer almost anywhere in the world.

The convenience and versatility of online courses in the summer demonstrate why online degree programs are increasingly popular. In psychology, many colleges and universities offer online psychology course programs that lead to bachelor’s, master’s and even doctoral degrees.

Moreover, nearly all academic institutions offer a complete array of online psychology course programs that lead to various specializations in the field, and some are recognized for certain specializations over others.

Industrial-Organizational Psychology

One such specialization is industrial-organizational psychology, which is the application of psychology to organizations and in the workplace. It seeks to make the work environment more efficient and productive by promoting the well-being of those who work in it. It is thus an attractive career option for those with an interest in both business and in psychology.
Colleges that offer online psychology course programs leading to bachelor’s degrees in this field include Walden University, with its BS Psychology–Psychology Applied in the Workplace program; American Intercontinental University, which has a Bachelor of Business Administration-Organizational Psychology and Development program; and Argosy University Online, which has a program leading to a Bachelor of Arts-Psychology: Organizational Psychology.

Other colleges with an online psychology course program lead only to a general bachelor’s degree in psychology, as most universities consider industrial-organizational psychology as a specialist field requiring at least a master’s degree.

Master’s Online Psychology Course Programs

For a master’s degree, one can apply at Capella University, which has an online psychology course program leading to an MS in Industrial/Organizational Psychology; and Grand Canyon University, with a program leading to an MS in Psychology: Industrial and Organizational Psychology. The other colleges mentioned previously with bachelor’s degree programs also have online psychology course programs leading to master’s degrees in this field, such as Walden and American Intercontinental.

Doctoral and Post-doctoral Online Psychology Course Programs

Earning a PhD in this field enables one to open his or her own consultancy firm, or at least a top executive position in a corporation. Colleges with online psychology course programs leading to doctorates and post-graduate studies in industrial-organizational psychology are the University of Phoenix and Capella University.

One must remember, though, that these programs are not completely on-line. Most programs include clinician courses that involve periodic visits to the campus, and doctoral programs also involve colloquia that also involve meeting one’s professors and fellow doctoral students in person. Thus while the summer online psychology course is most suitable to someone who plans to take a vacation abroad while accumulating academic credits, an entire program requires a presence closer to home.