Finding a College

There are a few good ways to learn about colleges where you can earn a Psychology Degree. If you're in high school, see your counseling office for their information on colleges. If you're out of high school, you can visit a college campus and see the catalogs in their counseling office. Seeing a counselor is always a good idea. They know many resources, frequently have software and may be members of web sites with information that can help. Some counselors also know some specific information that you can't find easily in print.

Community Colleges

Community colleges often offer several benefits over other colleges and universities, but there may be some downside points as well. Weigh both sides before you decide for or against attending a community college. Many students complete one or two years at a community college before transferring to a four-year college or university.

Community colleges cost less, can usually accept students with a broader range of GPAs and test scores, are often easier to get into than some colleges and many universities, and usually have smaller class sizes. They're also often in areas that have no other colleges or universities nearby and generally employ high quality, committed instructors. They often offer courses during evenings and even weekends since many community college students also have jobs.

On the more negative side, community colleges often have no student housing and comparatively lackluster student activities on campus. They may have a higher percentage of students who aren't particularly inclined towards academia than other colleges, and this can be difficult for more academically oriented students. The workload for many community college courses tends to be less rigorous too.

Private Colleges

Private colleges and universities sometimes have significant private sources of financial aid for students and excellent faculty. Classes are sometimes smaller than at larger state institutions too. They are frequently costly since they are not subsidized with government funding. Some are among the most prestigious schools of higher education. However, not all private colleges and universities are the same, just as there are many differences between state funded colleges and universities. Some people choose private, church affiliated schools. Others may choose a private school because of location or because a parent or grandparent attended it. Still others may be drawn by the quality of education and curricular choices of certain private school. You may find some other benefits or drawbacks as you explore the possibilities.

The Best Psychology School For You

There is no simple answer to what is the best psychology school for you. This is because the answer to this question depends on a number of complex factors and is also largely dependent on the personal preferences of the student. Some of the factors which a student should consider when selecting a psychology school include reputation, size, cost and location. Students should carefully evaluate their own preferences regarding each of these factors and then investigate each school individually to determine which schools most closely match with the student’s ideals.

Reputation of the psychology school is usually one of the easiest factors to evaluate. There are many reports published annually which rank colleges according to a number of different criteria and list the top ranking schools for a variety of different subjects. Students who wish to obtain a degree in psychology should review these lists carefully and consider applying to some of the top ranking schools. This will be helpful to the student because a degree from one of these institutions is likely to be highly valued by graduate schools and potential employers.

Next a student should carefully consider his personal preferences in factors such as size, cost and location. In relation to size, the student should consider the overall size of the school as well as the size of the psychology school. This is important because students who prefer a smaller school because they believe they are likely to thrive in this type of environment may inadvertently overlook large colleges who have a rather small psychology school within the college. The size of the psychology school is more important than the overall size of the college because after the first couple of years the student will likely spend most of his time associating with professors and students within the smaller school of psychology effectively making the college seem much smaller.

Cost and location should also be carefully considered. Some students may have a strong preference to attend a college away from home while others may prefer to commute. The location of the college will obviously dictate whether or not commuting is an option. The cost of the institution is also important because students will be required to pay any tuition not covered by scholarships or financial aid. Many students opt to wait until all scholarship and financial aid information is available before making a final decision. This will help to assure the student is able to afford to attend the chosen school.

Types of Psychology Colleges

Students who wish to obtain a degree in psychology will likely find they have a number of different options available to them. These options may include traditional four year universities, online colleges or colleges offering evening and weekend courses. Psychology colleges may offer all of these options but students who are seeking a degree should be sure the option they select will provide them with a degree which will be useful in advancing their career or education goals. In most cases this means the student should select a psychology college which is accredited but may also mean the student should select a college which offers the specific classes they are most interested in taking.

The psychology college options available to students include traditional four year universities, online colleges, and colleges offering evening and weekend courses. Traditional universities usually involve a student attending classes full time during a four year period. This period is typically long enough for the student to fulfill all of the undergraduate program requirements of the college and obtain a bachelors degree. Students may also wish to explore online college options as well. This may include either full time study online or taking courses on a part time basis. Part time students may include students who have already fulfilled most of their requirements in a traditional college setting or students who simply prefer online colleges but have limited time for study. Some students may also wish to take courses on weekends and evenings either online or in a classroom setting. This typically includes students who are trying to obtain a bachelors degree in psychology while working a full time job.

Related Tip: Psychology colleges do offer a wide variety of options to students. In addition to deciding where and when they take courses, students must also make decisions about the type of courses they take. This is significant because some psychology colleges may require a great deal of research and experimentation of students seeking a degree while other psychology colleges may focus exclusively on coursework. Students should consider these differences when selecting a psychology college to meet their needs.

Massachusetts School of Professional Psychology

The Massachusetts School of Professional Psychology is a school which offers a Doctor of Psychology (PsyD) degree to students wishing to pursue a career in clinical psychology. Approximately 400 students apply for admission to the Massachusetts School of Professional Psychology each year and only approximately 40-50 students are admitted each year. The school is quite discerning in the selection process and seeks out students who they believe will perform well in their challenging academic environment. This generally includes students who display an aptitude for clinical psychology.

The students are typically evaluated on criteria such as career potential, creativity, motivation, self awareness, sensitivity, emotional stability and responsibility. The admissions department uses these criteria in an attempt to select the students who are most likely to not only meet the minimal requirements for graduation but also excel within the program. Factors such as past academic performance, practical experience and references are usually taken into consideration when making a decision regarding admissions for a particular student.

State Colleges and Universities

State colleges and universities are subsidized by their states, so the costs of attendance are lower for state residents than at private colleges and universities. Many state colleges and universities have excellent reputations for academic excellence, vibrant student life, and a range of programs or departments and courses. Housing is often available on or near campus. The costs can be high for tuition for students who are not state residents, although scholarships, grants and/or loans may be available. In the undergraduate years, in particular, class sizes may be very large, in the hundreds in large lecture halls, and it may be very difficult to arrange one-on-one time with instructors. If you're considering research, you may want to find out about research projects on campus with which you might be able to become involved. Be sure to look carefully at the course catalog and requirements for graduation.

Choosing Your Psychology College

Where you go to school for your first Psychology Degree will probably depend on several factors. Where you go to school for a graduate or doctoral degree will matter more, though. You may decide to get an Associates Degree and go to a community college for it, or go to a community college before going on to a four-year college or university for a Bachelor's Degree. You can also choose to go into a four-year college or university without attending a community college if you meet the admissions criteria. There may be some potential pros and cons of attending a community college first and we'll discuss some of those in the next section. You may choose a private or state college or university. At this beginning level, and if you plan to or think you might continue on with your psychology education, you needn't consider whether the courses fit exactly what you think you'll need for your career. However, you might need to look at; financial aid options, your costs, campus housing, location, the range and types of Psychology courses offered, the quality and reputation of the school if you think you might want to continue on into graduate school, classroom sizes, availability and quality of instructors, internship opportunities, job placement services, the size of the school, whether you can meet the admissions criteria and other considerations.These may all be important variables in choosing a graduate school or doctoral program too, but by the time you're ready for either of those, you'll know more clearly what you want to do in the field, where and with whom. At these levels, you'll have more of such choices to make from more specific options.