Earning psychology credits remotely

June 8, 2020 5:24 PM

My background is in visual art (BFA, MFA, ten years undergraduate teaching and professional experience), and I'm looking to respecialize in art therapy. To be eligible for an MA art therapy program, I need to pick up an additional 24-30 undergrad credits, mainly in psychology. I would prefer to do this remotely, given my own and *gestures despairingly in every direction* general circumstances. Is this possible? If so, how do I proceed? and are there particular universities/programs (Canada/USA) that I should be looking at?

The MA program I hope to enter requires 24 credits in Psychology and Applied Social Science, which must include the following (or equivalents):

Introduction to Psychology
Abnormal Psychology
Developmental Psychology (Preferably infant and child)
Theories of Personality
Research Methods (Psychology, Anthropology, Sociology, Statistics)

I don't know psychology. Is this (or at least most of it) feasible to do via distance learning? UBC, for instance, seems to offer just about everything I need online, though the necessary intro courses aren't being offered in 2020/21 (otherwise my application would already be in).

Can you recommend other places I might be looking (or other avenues I haven't considered)? I have no experience with distance learning, non-degree study or continuing ed, and I don't really know where to start.

I'm a US citizen and Canadian permanent resident living in Canada (and not leaving anytime soon, obviously). While I prefer Canadian tuitions, I expect there will be vastly more options among American schools? (Side question: am I eligible for domestic tuition in the US as a citizen abroad in this context? I last lived in Florida in 2007; my official address in the States is my father's residence in Ohio).

Beyond pragmatics, this is also material that I care about, not just means to an end. Online learning already feels like a major compromise, so quality of instruction outweighs most other factors. It would, however, be nice to get started as soon as possible. Thanks!

posted by wreckingball to Education (9 answers total)

I am not a Psychology major (Political Science and Sociology fourth year undergraduate student here and I am Canadian). I do know that Laurentian University is an on-campus and an online university in Sudbury, Ontario, Canada. They do offer an Honours BA in Psychology online (non-thesis), and it seems to be quite reputable as well. If you scroll down to the link where it states also offered online:

https://laurentian.ca/program/psychology/details

If you are looking for a thesis/academic rigior option online, there may be other schools that offer a thesis component. Also, University of Waterloo in Ontario is also exceptionally well known for Psychology, but it is on-campus only, it also comes with an excellent co-op component as well - Waterloo offers some of the best co-op placements in the world, and you may be able to use some of your past credits towards electives if possible:

https://uwaterloo.ca/psychology/current-undergraduate-students/experiential-learning/psychology-co-op

Also, UBC is excellent for Psychology too - so unless you simply want to take a handful of undergraduate courses in Psychology without pursuing the degree, that is possible as well - especially if your chief goal is to pursue an MA in Psychology. It may be a good idea to contact online schools of interest and talk to an academic advisor in Psychology to help guide you and decide which would be the best route? Also, if you are keen on research experience, thesis writing, and going towards an academic-oriented focus route, it may be difficult to do an online BA, but it is not possible - taking Directed Studies courses may be of help if you are keen on research - specifically art therapy as well.
posted by RearWindow at 6:37 PM on June 8, 2020 [1 favorite]

Both Athabasca and Thompson Rivers University have distance learning psychology programs.

Also sent you a MeMail.
posted by invokeuse at 6:52 PM on June 8, 2020 [4 favorites]

As far as I know tuition discounts in the US are at public state universities and you have to be a resident of that state and prove it with official ID, like a driver's license. Is the graduate program you wish to pursue at a university with undergraduate programs? If it is that's where you should take the prerequisite courses. You might even take undergrad courses with some of the same professors who teach the graduate courses.
posted by mareli at 6:58 PM on June 8, 2020 [1 favorite]

University of Alaska Fairbanks has ecampus, which includes the psychology major.

I took one course (outside psychology) there. Honestly, the experience went as well as it possibly could have considering that distance learning is not my preferred mode of instruction. I have to give UAF credit for its experience with distance learning and minimal hoop jumping required to enroll as a non-degree seeking student. Moreover, unlike several other colleges/universities I investigated, UAF had space available at the last minute, and listed instructors of online* courses.

*At other institutions, it seemed that the instructor for the online section was either TBD or had horrible reviews online.

I suggest you consider looking for a high quality online course for psych 101 for the fall, because a lot of the disadvantages of introductory large lecture style classes are the same or similar to online courses.
posted by oceano at 7:53 PM on June 8, 2020

RearWindow's advice isn't incorrect, but it pertains mostly to getting into a BA psych programs as a degree-seeking student, whereas it sounds like you just want to take courses as a non-degree student. I know that Waterloo at least has an entirely separate "make-up" track for non-degree students who need to pick up some extra credits for grad school (traditionally these are mostly people who got general rather than honours BAs), which is a different matter altogether than being able to do their psych co-op option as a second degree. Waterloo does offer intro psych online through extended learning, and you can take it as a one-off course as a non-degree student; the issue is whether you'll be able to do the rest of your required coursework there as a distance student.

Also, a second BA takes 60 semester hours (or the equivalent of two years of full-time study), give or take, whereas you only need a bit less than a year's worth. It doesn't sound like you need an extra degree, but part of your challenge is whether you will be able to take the credits you need as a non-degree student. Canadian universities are, as a generalization, not quite as liberal as US public universities in letting non-matriculated students enrol in degree-level coursework.

Athabasca and TRU are two of the big go-tos in Canada when people need to pick up post-bacc credits through distance ed without matriculating into a degree program. Ryerson's online offerings through continuing studies are also an option; a lot of their continuing ed psych courses are also eligible for degree credit, so you may want to look into whether their intro psych equivalent would be acceptable transfer credit at UBC.
posted by blerghamot at 8:03 PM on June 8, 2020 [1 favorite]

I'm doing a couple of courses right now at Athabasca and can recommend them if you are able to teach yourself stuff and basically digest a textbook. Neither of the courses I am doing involve any type of recorded lecture, just reading and then completing written assignments and exams. I imagine psych would be the same way.
posted by zdravo at 8:10 PM on June 8, 2020

It doesn't sound like you need an extra degree, but part of your challenge is whether you will be able to take the credits you need as a non-degree student.

Just to follow up on this - I had to take a bunch of classes for a prereq after having already obtained a BA and I was able to do that at UBC by enrolling as an "Unclassified" student. The University of Alberta calls it "Open Studies". I'm not sure if this option is available at other universities, but just an FYI that the option may be there under a name you might not know at first.
posted by thebots at 10:27 PM on June 8, 2020

I teach at Frederick Community College in Maryland and our classes are going to be "live" distance learning in the fall, meaning that you'll log in at the time of the class, but not have to go on campus. You might check at schools in your area - there might be a chance to take classes online that aren't normally offered that way by that institution.
posted by orsonet at 4:06 PM on June 9, 2020

short answer.. this is EVERY COLLEGE now! literally all of them! this time is an awesome window of opportunity for this.

longer answer - hmm I thought i'd responded before but .. I must not have pressed "post" -- I second what the person above said -- almost all community colleges in the us are now offering formerly in person classes -- even LAB sciences -- virtually AND synchronously. This was previously a rare commodity, and in my view asynchronous online courses pale in comparison to having a live instructor and classmates on a zoom to ask questions of / discuss things with. If you are a resident in a US state your in state tuition at local community colleges as a courses only or non matriculated student might be the cheapest bet.

that said, I have found that the Ivy Tech community college system in Indiana is vast (many campuses, integrated state wide system) AND affordable even if you are out of state, by comparison to other US community colleges, any way.. maybe other mefites can chime in here on other community colleges with low per credit cost for out of state students...

I mostly have encountered other folks from Indiana in classes there, but I think if community colleges like this could get more "business" from out of state folks, it might mean more Synchronous classes offered (they already had more of these than average, even before covid) after covid times are over, and that would be terrific. Altho.. I don't know.. maybe it would mean the opposite - I don't really know much about the intricacies of allocating state money to com colleges and whether a bunch of out of state students would really be beneficial or just a burden on their administrative systems..

anyways... Most instructors are flexible and you can watch a recorded lecture if you missed in real time. OF course, as with everything, do your research on sites like rate my professor to make sure you are getting an instructor worth your money time and effort.

good luck. feel free to memail if you like
posted by elgee at 1:39 PM on June 10, 2020