Penn State to offer two psychology degrees online

University Park, Pa. — Penn State is preparing to open two new online degree programs in psychology — a first for public universities participating in online education.

Beginning this month, Penn State will open admission to its bachelor of arts and bachelor of science degrees in psychology to online degree students. Students can begin applying to the program later this month, and courses will be offered starting in the summer 2008 semester.

"We wanted to provide students with an option for their education," said Rich Carlson, faculty lead for the psychology degrees. "A psychology degree can help students in many different jobs, so we wanted to allow them to choose courses and a degree that best meet their personal and career goals."

The bachelor of arts program is geared towards professionals who want to pursue psychology with a focus on the human-services aspects of the field or plan to continue on to a master's degree in psychology. The bachelor of science program follows a business track, designed for professionals interested in psychology-driven aspects of business — such as human resources, management, leadership development and marketing.

"Our degree includes some unique features carried over from our campus courses," explained Carlson. "For example, one required course, 'Psychology as a Science and Profession,' introduces students to critical thinking and professional issues in psychology, and helps students find a good 'career fit' among the various subfields of psychology."

Another required course, "Senior Seminar in Psychology," helps students learn about and use original scholarly research in a current topic area.

"Our psychology degrees balance the theoretical and practical sides of the discipline," Carlson said.

As with all of Penn State's online programs, the new psychology degrees are designed to empower working adults to pursue life and career-enhancing higher education without sacrificing personal or professional time.

The program is from the University's College of the Liberal Arts and is delivered through Penn World Campus. More information about the online psychology degrees is available at http://www.worldcampus.psu.edu/PsychNews online.