As an online student in a psychology degree, one can expect virtually the same types of courses encountered by brick-and-mortar class attendees. But outside of the core course basics in math, reading and writing, and the like, what kinds of courses can the online psychology student expect to encounter? Here are five examples to help light the direction this particular degree path will take.
Psychometrics
Psychometrics is the term given to the weights and measures systems used by psychologists in research as well as other areas of practice. In order to measure and give relative values to different concepts, behaviors, and so on, a system had to be devised to handle measure and value therein. Psychometrics is that system, and this example of required coursework will assure students have a good, general understanding of this area.
Ethics in Psychology
As in nearly all other professions, ethics also plays its undeniable part in the world of psychology. What kind of information should a psychotherapist reveal to authorities despite typical doctor-patient confidentiality regulations? When does a patient’s self-medicating cross the line into the realm of substance abuse? What are some of the best ways to approach highly sensitive topics with patients, their families, or even fellow staff members? These are examples of the ethics concerns encountered in this field that call for associated coursework in the psychology degree.
Personality theories
What elements comprise personality, and how does it change over time? This question has vexed humankind for ages, and personality theory, or the set of theories about personality introduced by leading researchers and scientists in the field, attempts to explain it all. Students in this required psychology course will learn about many theories and even the theorists themselves, like Carl Jung, who, in the words of the Encyclopedia Britannica, “proposed and developed the concepts of the extraverted and the introverted personality, archetypes, and the collective unconscious”.
Developmental Psychology
Psychology students can also expect a course battery explaining the various subfields of psychology. One of the courses encountered in this series is that dedicated to the all-important branch of developmental psychology. In the developmental psychology area of study, psychologists work specifically to understand and help others with developmental-related psychology issues. Life stages, environmental factors, coping tactics, and a number of other important components play a role here, and students will learn to identify and work with them.
The Psychology of Learning
The ways in which people learn can vary greatly. Subsequently, psychology has taken a keen interest in this area of effect. Students on this required stepping stone of the psychology degree will learn established psychological laws of cause and effect in learning as well as the existing, specialized theories and research efforts into the matter. Highly related to educational degree concentrations, this course is also a common favorite for educational majors seeking a linked area of minor study and/or elective coursework.
Conclusion
When it comes to individual sciences and disciplines, psychology is as complex and full of important, specialty side-branches as virtually any other academia out there today. As a result, there is a diverse body of coursework the student along its learning path can expect. The above-mentioned examples provide some additional sense of what is expected of students along the way.
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