Online grad programs seem to be the wave of the future as more universities are transitioning coursework online. There are huge variations of how these program operate across institutions — from traditional universities that offer online course options to entire universities that solely operate online. Many students appear to be attracted to the relative ease and accessibility of taking classes online. Not to mention that many students work full-time in addition to taking graduate coursework. In these cases, online graduate programs in psychology seem to fit their lifestyle needs quite successfully.
I am the first to admit that I have little real-life experience with online graduate programs in psychology. I earned my doctorate from a very traditional program (very proud to say one of the top rated doctoral programs in the nation), and took not one single class online. Each of the classes I took I benefited immensely from meeting for class in-person and through engaging real-time discussion of emerging theory and research with top-notch professors. This is definitely not to say that these rewards can’t be reaped from online graduate programs.
As a professional in the field of psychology, I have never met any online masters or doctoral degree recipients in professional circles. Not at any national conferences. Haven’t seen their work published in major academic journals. This leads me to believe that most online graduate programs emphasize the more applied, practical side of psychology. Of course there’s nothing wrong with that, but one piece of advice I offer is to do your research to make sure that whatever graduate program you apply to fits your particular career needs.
