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Thread: Online Degrees

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    Featured Member bambiblue's Avatar
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    Default Online Degrees

    I was wondering if any of you have any information on online colleges. I have been going to a regular university for the last 2 years for my psychology degree but lately between raising 2 kids and working these awful hours I just can't do it anymore. I am exhausted. I have a cummulative G.P.A. of 3.8 but I am already falling behind this semester. It is very important for me to succeed and god knows I want to return to a "normal life" as soon as possible. The school I have the most interest in is called Maryland University College. They offer a bachelor degree in science for psychology. I just want to make sure when all is said and done I can get into a good grad school especially since I have worked so hard over the last 2 years. I don't want to waste my money if it won't be looked as as well as a degree from a regular school. Thanks girls!!!

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    Veteran Member Pumpkin Pie's Avatar
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    Default Re:Online Degrees

    Having a degree in psychology, raised by a professor in it, and more than once having looked at graduate programs in psychology, your GPA is sort of important but not that much. I know of graduate programs that won't give serious consideration to college graduates who have no real world experience and simply went from high school to undergraduate college and now want to go to graduate school. This is especially so for programs that will make you a psychotherapist. Without real world experience, what are you going to be able to relate to the patient with? How well you chugged down a beer at a frat party?

    What I suggest you do is contact graduate programs that are of interest to you and talk to them what they seek from their applicants. Don't hide that you're an exotic dancer. Most graduate programs will actually view that as a positive since it means you have real world experience. Same goes for you being a mother. It shows you've dealt with real life issues and that's what being a psychotherapist is all about.
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    Featured Member bambiblue's Avatar
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    Default Re:Online Degrees

    This is why it is important to do internships. I already have that covered, I was asking more about the actual accreditation of the online degrees to get into a graduate school. I am going to join the big bro big sis club and maybe do some part time entry level work at a nearby group home. I just don't want to waste my time if the online degree won't "COUNT"

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    God/dess Farrah_Holiday's Avatar
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    Default Re:Online Degrees

    Bambiblue,

    I am taking online courses this semester. I suggest calling the school and ask if they are accredited..Have you received literature from the school, etc ?
    Online classes are becoming very popular. A lot of colleges offer internet degrees. I suggest looking for a school you feel comfortable with. Is there a reason you are questioning if the degree from this university will not be valid ?
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    Featured Member bambiblue's Avatar
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    Default Re:Online Degrees

    I guess the only reason I am questioning it is because I have worked so hard for 2 years and I don't want to throw that away. The school I am looking into is accredited, and one of the few that offers my program. I guess I am being a worry wart.

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    Veteran Member Pumpkin Pie's Avatar
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    Default Re:Online Degrees

    Quote Originally Posted by bambiblue link=board=1;threadid=6785;start=msg75909#msg75909 date=1077319216
    This is why it is important to do internships. I already have that covered, I was asking more about the actual accreditation of the online degrees to get into a graduate school. I am going to join the big bro big sis club and maybe do some part time entry level work at a nearby group home. I just don't want to waste my time if the online degree won't "COUNT"
    Again, talk to the graduate programs you want to go to. It doesn't matter what anyone or any other institution has to say. The graduate program's decision is all that matters. And they vary from one program to the next. I wouldn't be surprised at all that they don't care in the slightest if your degree is online or not, but you need to ask the ones you want to apply to. Go to them. Take the tour. Chat with your tour guide. Chat up the admissions people. They'll let you know. As I've said before, you might find they're more interested in what real world experience you have than where you got your BA.

    As for real world experience, volunteering isn't all the big of a plus for psychology graduate programs. Going out and working full-time as a waitress, exotic dancer, or ANY job while not going to college at the same time is usually counted for more. College is academia and academia is a sheltered fairyland that operates by very pampered rules and conditions. Very few people live in this never-neverland and psychology graduate programs realize this. Same goes for jobs you worked while going to college. You're not really experiencing life as normal people are experiencing it.

    For example, when I went to talk to psychology graduate programs, the discussion always got around to my real life experiences. Once they found out that I served in the military full-time (sorry, weekend warriors don't count), the whole mood of the discussion changed and focused on that real life experience. What did I learn from it? What was it like? What difficulties did I have to overcome? What unusual experiences did I encounter? And if I had said that I wanted to eventually become a psychotherapist for military personnel, I was told I would have been immediately accepted and grant money given to me to attend their program.

    However, I went and talked to the top psychotherapist graduate programs in the nation. If you're willing to settle for less, you'll have an easier time getting into a program.

    And here's something you should keep in mind. No potential patient cares what psychology graduate program you got your Ph.D. from. Most clinics won't either. And those clinics themselves will be more interested in what real life experiences you had before you went to graduate school and that will likely determine where you'll get hired. If you served in the military and apply to a clinic that services military personnel, you'll get hired on the spot. If you worked in the ghetto and apply to a ghetto clinic, same thing. You're a mom. Take a guess how much more attractive you are to a clinic that counsels new mothers and families. Get the picture?

    Psychotherapy is about being able to relate to your patients and help them become better. If you don't understand your patients' world, you will have an exceptionally difficult time helping them. To say nothing about establishing a practice of your own.

    Now if you don't have any real world experience, go and get some. Finish your BA and then go out into the world and experience the life of the patients you want to treat. After 3-5 years of such experiences, apply to any psychology graduate school and they'll beg you to attend them.
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    Featured Member bambiblue's Avatar
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    Default Re:Online Degrees

    Thanks for your advise, I think I have more than enough to offer as far as real life experiences go. I want to work with kids particularily those in foster care or residential treatment. Simply because I was one since I was 14 and I can relate to them on a different level than most people. I want to go more into motivational psychology or I am also considering research in health psych. Thanks again for your advice I feel much better about applying to this school now.

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    Default Re:Online Degrees

    Bambi,
    PP gave excellent advise ( as usual !)..I beleive in the end its really up to you. I worried to death before taking classes at the current school I go to. I really had worked hard to get into a top design school in NYC but, I couldn't get anyone to help take care of my nieces and nephew. I was crushed and thought I would never get to where I wanted to be with a degree from the school I am currently attending. Everything is working out just fine for me. I am already getting jobs and I haven't even graduated yet. This summer I am going to try to go to Paris for an internship.
    I said all that to say..everything will work out for you too. I really admire you and your heart is in the right place..
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    Veteran Member Pumpkin Pie's Avatar
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    Default Re:Online Degrees

    Quote Originally Posted by bambiblue link=board=1;threadid=6785;start=msg75949#msg75949 date=1077323583
    I want to work with kids particularily those in foster care or residential treatment. Simply because I was one since I was 14 and I can relate to them on a different level than most people.
    This is what I'm talking about. You'll do just fine getting into a graduate program. Just stress to the graduate programs this life experience of yours and your desire to help those going through it.

    But, again, talk to the graduate programs now. Not all programs are the same. You need to find one whose approach you agree with. This will take you time. It will also make you look better to the graduate programs. It makes you look intelligent and trying to find the right fit between you and a graduate program. When you can articulate why you picked their program over other graduate programs, you'll shine in their eyes.
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    Default Re:Online Degrees

    Quote Originally Posted by bambiblue link=board=1;threadid=6785;start=msg75949#msg75949 date=1077323583
    Thanks for your advise, I think I have more than enough to offer as far as real life experiences go. I want to work with kids particularily those in foster care or residential treatment. Simply because I was one since I was 14 and I can relate to them on a different level than most people. I want to go more into motivational psychology or I am also considering research in health psych. Thanks again for your advice I feel much better about applying to this school now.
    Bambi, that is such an excellent goal! I wish you the best of luck in that! My little sister and brother were in the system, both in foster care and group homes until they reached legal age. I think that field could definitely use more dedicated and caring people. Good luck in whatever you do hon!


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    God/dess montythegeek's Avatar
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    Default Re:Online Degrees

    Online education is better structured to "fact based" or "task based" learning than "interpretative" skills. Say learning a computer language than analysis of a poem. You can either solve a problem or not at the end. Some classes in you endeavor would lend themselves to this method, others would not. I would consider looking for a program which had some of both, the online for what it does well, the classes for interaction/feedback.

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