Best Online Bachelor’s in Psychology

At Lesley University, students who earn a bachelor’s degree in psychology don't just learn the discipline from a theoretical perspective. Instead, the school puts a strong emphasis on experiential learning and to that end, the department offers research and lab experiences to students. In addition, to successfully earn their degrees, students are required to participate in an internship that provides professional experience that trains them to work in a career related to human behavior. In the classroom, students learn topics such as individual development, cognition, abnormal psychology, and neurobiology. As a result, students leave the program with a strong understanding of psychology theory and the tools to put it into practice.

Indiana Wesleyan University provides a psychology education that is based on both the theoretical framework of the field and the Christian principles that the school was founded on. As a result, students who earn a bachelor’s degree from the school not only learn the concepts that guide the field, but also how psychology can be used as a tool for service. In addition, the program focuses on important practical skills that students need to work in the psychology profession, including research, critical thinking, interpersonal, and problem solving abilities. The coursework in this program includes topics such as learning and motivation, social psychology, counseling, personality, psychopharmacology, and art therapy.

Prescott College is a private liberal arts institution founded in 1966. Current offerings include resident and limited-residency degree programs at the undergraduate and graduate levels. Limited-residency programs are designed to accommodate students with family or work obligations. The Psychology and Human Development Department offers bachelor degree programs in psychology at both residency and limited-residency formats. Students are encouraged to develop their unique study plan focused on educational and career goals. The four-year degree offers students a choice of concentrations in critical psychology, counseling, ecopsychology, holistic health & wellness, expressive arts, gender & sexuality studies, or psychology/human development.

New York University, founded as a private institution in 1831, has grown into one of the nation’s largest schools. Its original enrollment of 150 has swelled to today’s 50,000 students attending programs in New York City, Abu Dhabi, and Shanghai. NYU’s psychology undergraduate degree has become the most-popular program at the College of Arts and Sciences. A minimum of ten, four-credit courses are required for the major, including Introduction to Psychology, Statistics for the Behavioral Sciences, and Advanced Psychological Statistics. In addition, students take courses in natural or social sciences and at least one laboratory course. Entering students who received a four or five score on the AP exam in psychology receive automatic credit for the introductory course.

Established in 1888 in Ohio, Tiffin University offers campus-based and online degree programs to more than 3,200 students. Enrollment increased by 105% from 2005 to 2015. The university’s Bachelor of Arts (BA) Degree in Psychology prepares students for careers in non-practitioner fields as well as for admissions to psychology graduate degree programs. In addition to completing comprehensive, well-rounded core studies in psychology (24 hours), students choose from concentrations in experimental, addictions counseling, or human services. In their first semester, students take a seminar dedicated to time management and the development of study skills.

Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College, a Catholic, coeducational liberal arts college, was founded near Terre Haute in 1840. Today, the Woods offers online or campus-based undergraduate degree programs accredited by the Higher Learning Commission. Programs are open to students of all faiths. The 120-credit online undergraduate psychology baccalaureate program is based upon 43 credit hours of courses in the major. All degree students are required to complete a course in ethics for the helping professions. An additional six credits are required in psychology electives. Undergraduate students may also declare a 21-credit psychology minor.

University of Utah, founded in 1850, is a space-grant research university in Salt Lake City. More than 23,900 undergraduate students attend the university, pursing degrees online or at the 1,534 acre campus. The Utah Department of Psychology offers a bachelor degree that incorporates curriculum in clinical psychology, health psychology, cognitive neuroscience, personality psychology, and developmental psychology. The four-year major is comprised of 12 courses, including required core studies in developmental, cognitive, clinical, social, and behavioral neuroscience areas. The program begins with introductory studies in psychology and research/statistical methodologies. Applicants are assisted along the way by the Psychology Advising Center.

The University of Alabama became the state’s first public college when it was established in 1831. A record high of more than 37,000 students enrolled in 2015. "The Capstone" is the nickname applied by students, faculty and graduates. The university’s Department of Psychology offers four-year undergraduate programs leading to either a bachelor of arts (BA) or bachelor of science (BS) degree. The psychology BA degree program offers students studies in pre-medical, pre-physical therapy, pre-law, and pre-occupational therapy. The BS degree program includes studies in human growth and potential, and the biological bases of behavior. Both degrees require 120 credits for graduation.

Judson College offers a bachelor’s degree in psychology which may be a worthwhile pursuit for any student with aspirations of achieving a counseling-based career. The small student-to-faculty ratio at Judson College allows students to be certain they will receive the academic and emotional support that will ensure the successful completion of their education. Judson College also helps students to learn the importance of peer engagement through close-knit campus residence communities. Student-run clubs and organizations are also available to fill the hours between classes; organizations include intramural sports, mentoring programs, and special interest groups.

As psychology is a widely applicable field of study, a student who completes a bachelor’s degree in psychology with Buena Vista University will have a large selection of career paths to pursue. Buena Vista’s curriculum focuses on the analytics of cognition and human behavior, providing students with the learning necessary to succeed in a career of mental health counseling, corrections, or even animal behavioral studies. The programs offered at Buena Vista are intensive and involve a high level of hands-on work, giving students the greatest opportunity to fully understand their field of choice.