ONLINE PSYCHOLOGY DEGREES HELP MEET DEMAND FOR MENTAL HEALTH TRAINING
In light of recent tragedies and mass shootings on college campuses, student mental health is an increasingly important issue. A National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) survey of 765 college students living with mental illness revealed that 64% withdrew from school. Half of those students never accessed mental health support through their universities.
Student success is often tied to mental health, as many students struggling with emotional disorders and chemical imbalances do not seek the mental health help they need. Equally so, in the cases of Virginia Tech and the recent shooting in Denver, there were warning signs about mentally unstable students that went ignored or unnoticed.
The survey showed that 36% of participants said the fear of a stigma prevented them from seeking help through their university mental health services, and 35% said they were unaware of the mental health support available. Only 22% of students who were aware of campus mental health resources learned about them from faculty. All things considered, nearly 80% of students surveyed agreed that mental health training for faculty and staff was extremely important.
“The numbers are dramatic. They point to a ‘shadow’ mental health crisis that colleges and universities need to address,” said NAMI Executive Director Michael J. Fitzpatrick. “The survey reveals an extremely important need to train college faculty and staff as a first line of defense for mental health awareness.”.
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the field of psychology is expected to grow 20% by 2020. Online psychology degrees can help meet the growing demand for mental health training on college campuses and numerous other industries. Online psychology degrees are one of the most common distance learning programs. While most psychology careers require advanced degrees, online learners can begin their psychology education at the associate level and continue all the way through doctorate degrees in a variety of psychology subfields.
Liberty University: Associate of Art in Psychology Students can get an introduction to the discipline of psychology at Liberty University, a private, Christian university located in Lynchburg, Va., was founded in 1971 by the late Rev. Jerry Fallwell, Sr. The associate degree in psychology is the first step in education for careers in administration, advocacy, community relations, counseling, and mental health services.
Penn State World Campus: Bachelor of Arts in Psychology Students will learn the basic principles of psychology, analytical, and problem solving skills that are applicable in nearly every job, but specifically prepare students for careers in social work, probation and corrections, care-giving for the elderly and children, and recreational therapy. Penn State World Campus also has a business option that focuses on psychology in the workplace. This option is ideal for students interested in working in human resources, management, organizational culture, or marketing. The program requires 123 credits to graduate, and tuition is $504 per credit hour for in-state residents, and $542 for out-of-state residents.
Drexel University Online: Bachelor of Science in PsychologyOnline students will receive the same instruction, same curriculum, and same rigor as on-campus Drexel students. Students will take a total of 182 quarter credits. The curriculum includes the standard undergraduate core classes with an emphasis in the sciences and math courses, and psychology courses such as approaches to personality, developmental psychology, psychology of learning, and abnormal psychology. The program can be completed entirely online, and students can take classes full time or part time. Tuition is $408 per credit hour, which is a 40% discount off Drexel’s regular undergraduate tuition of $680 for new online matriculated students.
University of Southern California: Master of Social Work Social work is one of the many fields that attracts students of psychology. If you have an undergraduate degree in psychology, a master’s degree in social work could be the next step. The highly regarded MSW at USC is a serious time commitment, requiring an estimated 75-90 minutes per class per week participating in discussions, attending online lectures and meeting with peers in study groups. While there is no residency requirement for students to visit USC, the program is not completely online. Students will be assigned to a community field placement that requires about 20 hours per week of practical work. Full-time students can complete the 60 credit hour degree in four consecutive semesters, but part-time to full-time students can complete in three or four years. There is no differentiation between in-state and out-of-state tuition, but tuition is $1,473 is the per unit rate for students enrolled in 1-14 units, and $21,861 is the flat rate for students enrolled in 15-18 units.
The Chicago School of Professional Psychology The Chicago School of Professional Psychologyis the nation’s oldest nonprofit school dedicated entirely to psychology and behavioral sciences. Accredited by the Higher Learning Commission,, this highly competitive school offers several online/blended advanced psychology degrees including master’s degrees in forensic psychology and industrial/organizational psychology with an applied research project track. Doctoral degrees include a doctorate in international psychology with concentrations in organizations and systems and trauma services, a doctorate in organizational leadership and a doctor of psychology program in business psychology. These hybrid programs require both visits to campus and extensive practical field experiences.
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