Help on a Doctorate in Psychology

[Exfactor]

While there are states that don't require APA accreditation for licensure, you really limit yourself by not having an APA accredited degree, as almost everyone requires it. Most individuals I see in non-APA programs are individuals who already have a masters in psychology, and are professors who want their Ph.D where APA accreditation may not matter, and those who are uninformed about what APA accreditation is all together. Theres so many options out their that limiting yourself to a non-APA degree is just not logical. Most internship sites require APA accreditation, as well as post-docs, and many jobs. The only online school thats APA accredited is Fielding Graduate University. A friend of mine received his Ph.D from there, and started making $100.00 an hour right after graduation, but it's a totally expensive program.

[johnjaxs]

While there are states that don't require APA accreditation for licensure, you really limit yourself by not having an APA accredited degree, as almost everyone requires it. Most individuals I see in non-APA programs are individuals who already have a masters in psychology, and are professors who want their Ph.D where APA accreditation may not matter, and those who are uninformed about what APA accreditation is all together. Theres so many options out their that limiting yourself to a non-APA degree is just not logical. Most internship sites require APA accreditation, as well as post-docs, and many jobs. The only online school thats APA accredited is Fielding Graduate University. A friend of mine received his Ph.D from there, and started making $100.00 an hour right after graduation, but it's a totally expensive program.

Seems like FGU is my only option, can you tell me how long it took your friend to go from the Bachelor level to Doctorate level?

[Slobodon]

I never said that I didn't have to be licensed and I stated that I would be pursuing a license. Plus the surgeon general would require a license to be practicing in the army. My comment above is to show that Sanantone is most likely correct in assuming that the program would most likely also have to be APA accredited.

Seems APA or CPA would be a must, guessing that leaves me with FGU as the only option anyway I want to thank all you who took their time to help me.

I am guessing that, were there another option - such as Psy D, rather than the PhD in clinical psychology that Fielding offers (I just did their webinar - intro to the whole program- last night and will attend their post-bach cert in clinical psych webinar on Dec 7) for distance learning, you'd already have found and mentioned it, here, but, just fishing around, in case there's ANY other APA-accredited program that, perhaps, ends up in conferring the Psy D,. rather than the PhD. the might be, at least, in part, online, AND a lot cheaper than Fielding Graduate University.

[johnjaxs]

From what I have gathered, being APA certified and licensed to practice for the army would be a must. If you know of a PsyD that would allow you to become APA certified and licensed then that is probably enough. However this is something I plan on working on in the future, probably about a year from now, I just love to plan ahead and their are some knowledgeable people on the forum who may not be here in a year or things may change in a year, better to plan now and adjust accordingly in the future.

[Slobodon]

From what I have gathered, being APA certified and licensed to practice for the army would be a must. If you know of a PsyD that would allow you to become APA certified and licensed then that is probably enough. However this is something I plan on working on in the future, probably about a year from now, I just love to plan ahead and their are some knowledgeable people on the forum who may not be here in a year or things may change in a year, better to plan now and adjust accordingly in the future.

tnx, John. I, too, an a yr or so from actually starting any grad program (I'm just completing undergrad work). If you would like to compare notes, going forward, perhaps we'll both learn about the best options.

[johnjaxs]

tnx, John. I, too, an a yr or so from actually starting any grad program (I'm just completing undergrad work). If you would like to compare notes, going forward, perhaps we'll both learn about the best options.

Don't really have any thing to compare right now, just wanting to finish my MBA first before I go back to start on my Psychology Degree.

[Slobodon]

tnx, John. I, too, an a yr or so from actually starting any grad program (I'm just completing undergrad work). If you would like to compare  notes, going forward, perhaps we'll both learn about the best options.

Don't really have any thing to compare right now, just wanting to finish my MBA first before I go back to start on my Psychology Degree.

sounds good.

hope you made goodly progress, in the intervening years.

I just finished 1L of the four-year (part-time) program for a JD at Northwestern California University School of Law (non-ABA "correspondence" law school), after which I'll address officially finishing up my u/g degree; I'd done most of the work in banking, but, find that I wish to finish out in Psych, towards which, transfer-credit-wise, regional-accreditation-wise, and in terms of lowest cost per tuition hour and tremendous variety of options, within the major, will likely be The University of The Cumberlands (online, though),w which is bricks-and-mortar-located in Kentucky.

[Sacricolist]

A few weeks ago someone posted about a doctoral program in Counseling that was 3 years in length. I know it is not APA and psychology but it’s a doctoral-level program which leads to licensure. Does anyone remember the program? Would this program work for the military ?

[sanantone]

A few weeks ago someone posted about a doctoral program in Counseling that was 3 years in length.  I know it is not APA and psychology but it’s a doctoral-level program which leads to licensure.  Does anyone remember the program?  Would this program work for the military ?

You'll receive the same license whether you complete a master's or doctoral program. The federal government has been getting picky about counseling programs being CACREP-accredited. You can search for online programs at the CACREP website. 

https://www.cacrep.org/directory/

A few months ago, I posted about an online sports psychology program that doesn't have a dissertation if you elect to complete a practicum instead. It's not CACREP-accredited because it's not a counseling program, but it should meet the licensing requirements for LPCs and LMHCs in most states. One might be able to become a licensed psychologist with the degree even though the practicum is designed for people who want to become counselors. 

That same school, University of Western States, also has an online EdD in counseling that doesn't require a dissertation. It is also not CACREP-accredited.