Best Online Psychology Programs

Even after shaving done their research and chosen their top schools, the process of getting into the right online psychology program has just begun. Track each school's online application deadline date, and keep each application organized separately, as many schools have different requirements. Most ask for basic information such as the student's demographics and extracurricular activities they participated in during their high school career.

All official, sealed transcripts from completed high school or former higher education programs must be sent to prospective schools. Psychology students should be sure to include any national test scores such as the ACT and SAT and grades from advanced placement courses, especially those related to psychology. These components may be used to determine placement certain courses and may affect overall acceptance in competitive online programs.

Write and revise required student essays on academic and career objectives. This is a great opportunity for the student to include their interest within each individual online psychology program, or pinpoint a school's specializations. Most schools will provide a writing prompt and content requirements that must be included in your essay.

Open an account and complete a financial aid application at the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA®) website. Explore other financial aid opportunities available specifically for students seeking a bachelor's degree in psychology, or an online degree program. Observe and meet application deadlines and be sure to include the school code that is providing your future online psychology program, listed on the site.

Assemble a packet containing each formal application to the schools of choice. When applying to multiple psychology programs, it's easy to lose track of or confuse requirements and deadlines. Some admissions into online bachelor's programs are very competitive, and missing a deadline will likely result in rejection.

Prospective students will begin receiving offer letters from colleges and universities that have accepted their application up to two semesters prior to enrollment. Making a choice with multiple offers can be difficult, and psychology students should evaluate each school's online program standards, curriculum and post-graduation opportunities before accepting an offer and enrolling.

Academic advisors are typically available in every department, but online students may need to make extra efforts to meet and work with their psychology advisor. Advisors can recommend courses, professors and help students map out and stick to a graduation plan. Often times meetings can be done remotely with online students.

Psychologists are required to convey their advice in a proactive and professional way, to both their clients and their peers. This required high-level communication skills. Bachelor's level psychology students are encouraged to enroll in basic communication courses in the first two years of study to improve this skill set.

All career paths in psychology require an understanding of writing and research. These skills can be used when psychologists are conducting their own experiments or interpreting data from other professionals in the field. First and second year students enroll in their school's basic professional writing and research classes.

Though much study during the first half of a bachelor's psychology program is restricted to core credits rather than electives, students will begin taking introductory courses in their field towards the end of their first and second years. These classes will give students a basic overview of the concepts, principles and history of psychology as a profession, and are often prerequisites for upper-division psychology courses.

By this point, students enrolled in a bachelor's level online psychology program have applied their lower division theory, research and experience to more advanced courses. It's time to consider which psychology-specific courses interest them the most and choose an area of the field to focus and specialize in.

Professional psychologists are expected to conduct inquiries to advance scholarship in the field. This is a great opportunity for bachelor's level students to jump in and gain real-world experience. As higher level psychology students or professors conduct research, inquire about becoming a research assistant or apply for an internship with a professional research company or private clinical psychologist. This experience will come in handy as students begin work on their own research upcoming capstone coursework prior to graduation.

As graduation gets closer, bachelor's level students will want to start considering building a professional profile. For online students who may not get much face time with professors, it is especially important to make personal connections elsewhere. Professional psychology associations often offer student memberships and provide networking opportunities that can eventually help grads get a foot in the door for their first job.

Nearing graduation time, bachelor's level psychology students will have to put their knowledge to the test, calling upon values of informed consent, confidentiality and ethical responsibility to piece together a creative, insightful capstone project. This may include a private research project, or a component of a larger piece of professional research done during internships or job shadow opportunities. A realistic capstone project is key to smoothly transitioning into the workforce after graduation.

Bachelor's level psychology students learn to master the techniques of verbal and written communication, from using client-sensitive methodology and field-specific terminology in record reporting to more informal interpersonal communications. Psychologists must learn to juggle focused written communication styles across a wide spectrum of audiences for reports, statistical studies, publications and presentations.

Bachelor's level students learn to design research projects, gather data and accurately report their findings and conclusions. Students gain experience using qualitative and quantitative data employed in case studies, field experiments, surveys, cross-sectional studies and content analysis. Proper advanced research methodology is vital in conducting testing and experiments in psychology clinical settings and laboratories.

Through electives or specialty study, bachelor's level psychology students learn and practice skills used in a clinical setting. For example, aspiring school counselors will have completed instructional hours and clinical research including studies and student testing, assessment and intervention, while industrial and organizational specialized students would build skills in organizational training, workplace assessment, change management, cultural dynamics and the psychology of leadership.