Hello. First, let me thank all of you for reading this question(s) and for any response that you give.
Let me start by saying that I am a 35 year old male with a bachelors in theology, a Masters degree in Human Services: Marriage and Famil,y and I am a licensed BCBA (Board Certified Behavior Analyst) with the BACB. I live in the Indianapolis area, and do not really wish to relocate due to family/work obligations.
That having been said, I am really interested in completing a psyD or Phd in either clinical psychology or Educational (school) psychology, but am having difficulty getting into nearby programs (Indiana University Purdue University of Indianapolis, and the University of Indianapolis. IUPUI said no, and UofI said no to the psy.d program, and they are considering me for the masters program in psychology, of which most of their credits would transfer into their doctorate program, providing that I’d even get into their doctorate program upon completion of the masters).
I’ve tried to comprehend the requirements in the Indiana state licensure for psychologists, but they have never responded to my emails concerning licensure, which is basically, do they want an APA accredited school and intern site, or it does not really matter with Indiana? I know each state is different, and some states are easier than others.
At any rate, I’ve looked at some online schools for both of these programs, and I just do not know if it is even worth considering some online schools like Walden, Capella, or the like. Also, I would most likely need a more flexible schedule, as I work full-time 8-5 or so M-F, and sometimes work a second job doing home based consultation. I’ve been told about executive formats (one weekend a month at a brick and mortar school), hybrid formats, online formats, but the only school that I can find that is a hybrid and APA accredited is Fielding, and they cost a small fortune, provided that I could even get in their program.
So, with all of that, is it even worth considering a school that is not APA or NASP accredited?
I am getting somewhat frustrated, because I am struggling getting into local brick and mortar schools, and am not certain about online doctoral program in psychology. The good news is that the top guy where I work is a licensed clinical psychologist, and he said that he would do all of my supervision if/when I get into a program, and he also mentioned that he, personally, didn’t see a difference between schools that were APA accredited, non-APA accredited, and online vs. campus.
Does anyone have any suggestions for me on this issue? I appreciate all of your time and answers on this issue.
Hi there, Your question hits on a very hot topic—online psychology degree accreditation. It looks like Indiana DOES NOT require an APA accredited PsyD or PhD but your chosen program must be regionally accredited and meet the following state requirements: The program must be identified as a psychology program. The degree must represent three years of study. At least one year must be done in residence. The Board defines this as 18 semester hours in residence over a nine to 18 month period. The degree should include the equivalent of at least three semester hours in each of the following… Read more »