Should You Earn Online Masters Degree in Psychology?
The convenience of online education makes it a very attractive option for many students, especially those with busy schedules, who work full-time, who have families, or other obligations that leave them with a set schedule to work around.
Online education has become very popular and many academic institutions will now allow you to earn online masters degree in psychology fully online, though many require some sort of residency requirements to be fulfilled. How long residencies must be to fulfill requirements depends on the type of program you are in. Some programs that lead to licensure require longer residency periods, such as counseling psychology.
If you think you might like to earn online masters degree in psychology, there are many factors to consider. Will a degree help you achieve your goals for your career? Do you need a master’s degree? Will you continue on to a Ph.D. program? Will you require a license to do your job and does this program fulfill licensing requirements where you intend to practice?
What Can You Do With an Online Master’s In Psychology?
The most important question to ask yourself before committing yourself to the enormous investment of time, money, and effort required to earn online masters degree in psychology is whether it will get you where you want to go in your career. For some, it is a vital step toward a doctorate degree, the ultimate prize needed for a career as a Professor or a researcher in academia. For other students, a master’s degree may mean better job choices, more money, or a change of career. Still other student’s choose to earn online masters degree in psychology because they love the topic, learning, and digging into the mysteries of human behavior. Regardless of your reasons, spend some time contemplating those reasons, aligning them with your vision, and determining how the choices available to you will help you achieve your goals.
What you choose to do with your degree will have much to do with your passions, your goals, the job market, the region in which you settle, career choices, and other decisions you make.
After you earn online masters degree in psychology, you may find work in public or private sectors, mental health, education, government, business, research, or a variety of other fields. Ultimately, it will depend on decisions you made regarding your education, the program you chose, what subjects you took, and whether your program was sufficiently designed to meet the licensure or certification requirements in the state you chose to live after graduate school.
Finally, make sure that you’ve chosen to earn online masters degree in psychology for the right reasons. If you’re trying to avoid getting out into the work world and finding a job, or you feel like you should be doing something “more” with your life, but you’re not sure what, graduate school might not be the way to go right now. If that’s the case, think about your future for a while and where you see yourself in 5, 10 or 20 years. Does it require a master’s degree in psychology? No? Maybe? Think about it some more until you’re really sure. Yes! Make the best choice you can and get going toward that future you.