Getting a psychology degree in Minnesota has never been so easy. Not only does the state have a well-regarded higher education system, but many colleges and universities in the Gopher State offer online psychology degrees.
Getting a bachelor’s or master’s degree in psychology online gives you the greatest flexibility for completing your studies. Study during the day, at night, or on the weekends, and tend to your academics around your personal and work schedules.
With that in mind, we have selected some of the popular online psychology programs from Minnesota schools for you to consider.
Online Psychology Degrees in Minnesota
Listed below are some of the popular schools offering online psychology degrees in Minnesota:
- University of Minnesota
- Bemidji State University
- St. Catherine University
- St. Cloud State University
- Saint Mary’s University of Minnesota
- Concordia University, St. Paul
- Southern New Hampshire University
- Capella University
- Walden University
- Pepperdine University
- Northwestern University
University of Minnesota
Online Bachelor of Applied Science in Psychology
The Bachelor of Applied Science in Psychology from the University of Minnesota is a 120-credit program that requires four years of full-time studies to complete. If you attend school part-time, you can expect to take five or six years to finish the requirements for graduation.
Since this is a bachelor’s degree program, you must complete general education requirements in addition to major-specific courses. General education requirements are a part of all undergraduate majors, and include introductory-level courses in areas like math, science, the humanities, and English. Examples of general education courses you might take include the following:
- Biology and Biology Lab
- Oral Communications
- Logic and Quantitative Reasoning
- Global Perspectives
- College Algebra and Trigonometry
These and other general education courses have the purpose of giving you a solid foundation of understanding a wide range of topics. You will also gain skills essential for advanced studies, including improved oral and written communication skills, problem-solving skills, and better study habits.
Where general education courses usually comprise most of the first two years of an undergraduate program, the final two years are mostly focused on studies in psychology. In fact, roughly half of the 120 credits needed to graduate are within the psychology major. These courses include both required and elective classwork that helps you build a better understanding of psychology as a science.
For example, the University of Minnesota’s online program requires you to take courses like General Psychology, Statistical Methods, and Developmental Psychology. Other required courses include Experimental Design, History and Systems of Psychology, and Psychology Disciplines and Professions.
Elective coursework allows you to focus your studies on areas of psychology that interest you the most. This program offers dozens of psychology electives in areas as broad as Abnormal Psychology, Applied Behavior Analysis, and Psychology of Language. Other elective options include the following:
- Group Dynamics
- Cognition and Emotion
- Child and Adolescent Psychology
- Health Psychology
- Forensic Psychology
This online program offers electives in seven distinct psychology specializations. Take multiple courses in one specialization to prepare yourself for advanced studies in graduate school, or take a sampling of courses from each specialization to build a broader foundation of knowledge.
A unique feature of Minnesota’s online psychology degree is the recommendation that you get involved in psychology in some way outside of your coursework. For example, the university encourages its students to join PsiChi, the psychology honor society, or serve as a research or teaching assistant for a department professor. Likewise, you can apply to conduct individual research as an undergraduate psychology student.
The application deadline for this program is June 15th of each year. Students are only admitted in the fall semester. Admission is limited to around 15 students.
You can apply to the University of Minnesota online. To do so, you must submit high school transcripts, college transcripts (if applicable), and ACT or SAT scores (though this is optional). Eligibility requirements for the online psychology degree program are as follows:
- Completed Associate of Arts degree or Minnesota Transfer Curriculum, including an equivalent course to PSY 1003 General Psychology and a biology course with lab.
- Cumulative collegiate GPA of 2.0 or higher.
- ACT math score of 21 or higher, a satisfactory grade in College Algebra, or a satisfactory score on an Accuplacer math exam.
Bemidji State University
Online Bachelor of Arts or a Bachelor of Science – Psychology
Bemidji State’s online psychology degree is a 120-credit program culminating in either a Bachelor of Arts or a Bachelor of Science. As is typical of undergraduate programs, you’ll complete around 60 credits of general education courses and another 60 credits of psychology coursework and electives.
The program at Bemidji State offers numerous advantages that make getting your degree that much simpler. For example, the university is part of Minnesota’s Psychology Transfer Pathways, which makes the process of transferring credits easier. If you have earned psychology credits from another Minnesota-based college or university, Bemidji State will accept them and apply them to your degree requirements.
Additionally, this is a true online program with no on-campus visits required. You can complete all coursework online from anywhere in the world, provided you have internet and a laptop. The online nature of the program doesn’t mean you learn in a vacuum, though. Bemidji State has a robust online learning campus where you can interact with your professors, work on projects with your classmates, and engage in meaningful academic discussions in an online classroom environment.
Many other services are available to you as a Bemidji State Student, including:
- Accessibility services if you have a disability
- Academic advising from the Advising Success Center
- Virtual access to the A.C. Clark Library at Bemidji State
- Virtual assistance with drafting research papers from the Writing Resource Center
There is also an “Online Virtual Assembly” where you can learn about program updates, keep in touch with your classmates, and contact the coordinator of the online program if you have a question or concern.
An interesting feature of the Bemidji State program is its emphasis on a multicultural education. The school offers unique psychology electives that help you gain an appreciation for other people’s experiences with mental health. For example, you can take courses focusing on ableism, oppression, gender, and even human interactions with other animals.
The above are just a few electives you can take to fulfill the graduation requirements for this degree. For example, you might take electives in Research Psychology, Psychological Statistics, or Biological Psychology. Likewise, you might explore assistantship options for working with professors as a teaching or research assistant.
The core psychology courses required for this program are standard, broad-based classes that introduce you to a wide scope of the psychology field. Courses like Introductory Psychology set the stage for learning more advanced concepts like psychopathology and cognitive psychology. Other required courses may include the following:
- Abnormal Psychology
- Lifespan Development
- Multicultural Psychology
- Developmental Psychology
You can apply to Bemidji State online at any time. For guaranteed admission, you must have a 2.75 high school GPA or rank in the top half of your high school class. Alternatively, you will gain guaranteed admission if you have an ACT composite score of 21 or higher.
Moreover, you should feel comfortable using technology and accessing online course materials. It’s suggested that you be proficient in Microsoft Office, using email, and working with Brightspace, Bemidji State’s online learning platform. Other technical requirements might be necessary for individual coursework in this program.
St. Catherine University
Online Bachelor of Arts in Psychology
At St. Catherine University, you can complete a Bachelor of Arts degree in psychology in about two years, provided you’ve completed general education requirements at St. Catherine or another university. If your credits are from another institution, St. Catherine staff will conduct a free transfer credit evaluation to determine which credits count toward the psychology major.
The 40 credits needed for this major represent a holistic look at psychology as a science and practice. For example, the psychology faculty have broad expertise in areas like educational psychology, industrial-organizational (I-O) psychology, and biological psychology. Yet other faculty members specialize in clinical psychology, counseling psychology, developmental psychology, and others.
The faculty’s expertise is beneficial to you for a couple of reasons. First, their real-world knowledge of these fields helps them illustrate psychological theories and techniques in action, giving you a better sense of how your learning can be applied in a work setting. Second, you can benefit from networking opportunities with professors who have field experience in psychology. Their connections with other professionals can lead to practica or internships, research opportunities, or jobs after graduation.
This program is specifically designed for older students, such as those who started a degree in the past but were unable to finish because of family or work obligations. As such, this is a flexible program with part-time options that help you adapt your degree to your lifestyle.
Coursework is done entirely online to offer you maximum flexibility. Courses you might take include Statistical Methods in Psychology, Research Methods in Psychology, and History and Systems of Psychology. You must also take 20 psychology elective credits. Sample elective courses include the following:
- Health Psychology with Lab
- Experimental Social Psychology with Lab
- Personality Theories
- Understanding Psychological Disorders
- Introduction to Clinical and Counseling Psychology
Though not required, St. Catherine psychology students are encouraged to participate in an internship. This hands-on experience, combined with the real-world teachings of your professors, will prepare you well for pursuing jobs after graduation. St. Catherine students have participated in internships in a number of local organizations, including the following:
- Hennepin County Juvenile Detention Center
- Minnesota Department of Public Safety
- Veterans Administration Medical Center
- Minneapolis Children’s Medical Center
- The American Red Cross
Throughout your studies, you will have direct access to various student support services to help you advance through the program. This includes financial aid advice, academic advising, and career counseling.
St. Catherine’s offers this degree as a standalone bachelor’s program and as a fast-track 3+2 dual degree option. The dual degree includes three years to complete the bachelor’s degree in psychology and two additional years to complete a master’s degree in public health. Doing so saves you about a year of studies and is more cost-efficient, too.
When applying, you simply need to submit official high school transcripts or GED scores, along with official transcripts from any college or university you’ve attended. The application is free and takes about 10 minutes to complete.
St. Cloud State University
Online Bachelor of Arts in Psychology
The Bachelor of Arts in Psychology from St. Cloud State is a typical online psychology program requiring 41 credits within the psychology major to graduate. Paired with elective courses and required general education classes, you need around 120 credits to graduate. You will need about four years to finish this degree.
The program’s faculty represent various interests in the field of psychology. For example, you can take classes and participate in research in areas such as:
- Emotional development
- Learning and memory
- Cross-cultural psychology
- Organizational leadership
- Sleep quality and cognitive performance
Some members of the psychology faculty are experts in industrial-organizational psychology. This is advantageous if you are interested in an I-O career because of the faculty’s ties with major corporations like 3M, Kodak, and DuPont. Their connections may help you find fieldwork opportunities while you are in the program.
The coursework for this degree is broken into four distinct areas: core requirements, foundational courses, electives, and a senior capstone.The core requirements are entry-level classes that help you build a solid understanding of psychology as an academic discipline. For example, you will take Introduction to Psychology, Psychological Data Analysis Lab, and Experimental psychology to fulfill part of the core requirements.
The foundational courses take your education a step further by investigating applications of psychology in daily life. Social Psychology, Theories of Personality, and Psychological Disorders are just a few examples of these courses. You can round out your coursework with three elective courses of your choosing. You might take classes focusing on emotions, motivation, sensation and perception, or physiological psychology, to name a few.
A unique feature of this program is the required senior capstone. The purpose of the capstone project is to synthesize your learning throughout the program. You will demonstrate what you have learned by applying it to real-world settings, be it in a research lab, fieldwork, or examining classic psychology texts.
These courses are offered totally online in an asynchronous format. This means there are no set class meeting times, which is a much more flexible method for completing your studies. You simply log in to each course as your schedule allows, complete your work, and move on to the next task!
Upon graduation, you will have basic skills in psychology that are valuable for continuing your education in a master’s program. Likewise, you will emerge from this degree with skills that are immediately applicable to a variety of careers. St. Cloud State points out that this degree is especially applicable to entry-level jobs in human services and business.
St. Cloud State’s admissions requirements are as follows:
- Complete an application for admission
- Submit official high school transcripts
- Submit official transcripts from every college and university you have attended
- Provide ACT or SAT scores (though this is optional)
You are guaranteed admission if you have a 2.5 high school GPA or higher. Typically, applicants to the university have a 3.0 GPA or higher and rank in the top 50 percent of their high school class. It’s common for applicants to have a 21 ACT composite score or a 980 SAT composite score, too. There is no application fee to apply to St. Cloud State.
Saint Mary’s University of Minnesota
Online Master of Arts in Counseling and Psychological Services
The Master of Arts in Counseling and Psychological Services from Saint Mary’s University elevates your baccalaureate education with advanced teachings in psychology and counseling principles needed for practice as a counselor. In fact, this degree’s curriculum is specifically designed to prepare you for a career as a Licensed Professional Clinical Counselor (LPCC) or Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC) in Minnesota.
At 48 credits, this is a relatively short licensure-track program – it’s much more common for these degrees to require 60 or more credits. That said, you can complete the graduation requirements in as little as two-and-a-half years, which is a significant advantage in terms of the time output and money required to complete the program.
To gain competency as a counselor, you will complete 18 credits of core courses including the following:
- Statistical Techniques and Research Methods
- Psychopathology
- Developmental Psychology
- Counseling Theory and Technique
- Counseling Skills and Practice
- Marriage and Family Counseling
These core courses are complemented by six credits of Psychological Assessment classes that teach you the essential principles of assessing clients. You will explore numerous types of assessments and gain experience utilizing and scoring them as well.
Another focus of this program is on developing the necessary skills to conduct counseling in one-on-one, couples, family, and group settings. These courses include Career Counseling, Multicultural Counseling, and Group Counseling. You will also take a Psychophysiology course and a class on Professional Issues and Ethics in psychology.
This degree also has a significant practicum component. The practicum is 700 or more hours of hands-on experience in a real-world counseling or mental health setting. Typically, practicum hours are completed in two 350 experiences, each occurring in two different semesters. The practicum placement can be in your local community, so there are no requirements for you to finish this part of the program in Minnesota.
Lastly, you must complete a capstone course that integrates your learning from classwork and experiential activities. You are required to explain your personal approach to counseling as part of a research paper and oral presentation to a faculty committee before you will be recommended for graduation.
This program features two options that will help you achieve your academic and career goals faster. On the one hand, you can gain early entry to Saint Mary’s PsyD program in Counseling Psychology. On the other hand, you can choose a dual track Master of Arts in Counseling and Psychological Services and a Graduate Certificate in Addiction Studies. This option enables you to train as an LPC or LPCC as well as a Licensed Alcohol and Drug Counselor (LADC).
You must meet the following requirements to apply:
- Possess an undergraduate degree from a regionally accredited college or university for which you have a cumulative GPA of 2.75 or higher.
- Provide official transcripts from every college and university you have attended.
- Demonstrate English language proficiency.
- Submit a reflective essay discussing your background, training, and experience, as well as your career goals and a statement of your strengths and weaknesses.
- Submit three letters of recommendation.
- Submit a resume.
- Complete an interview with the counseling program administrator.
What Can I Do With a Psychology Degree in Minnesota?
While most clinical and specialized roles in psychology require advanced degrees, a bachelor’s degree can serve as a foundation for a variety of entry-level positions or as a stepping stone to further education.
A popular career path for undergraduate psychology majors is to work as a probation agent. You will need your understanding of human behavior and the advanced communication skills you earn in an undergraduate program to work effectively with clients who have been convicted of crimes. Other potential career paths for undergraduate psychology degree include:
- Human Resources: Positions in recruitment, training, and employee relations often value the understanding of human behavior that psychology graduates bring.
- Case Management: Working in social services or non-profit organizations, you can help clients navigate through life’s challenges.
- Sales and Marketing: Understanding consumer behavior can be a valuable asset in sales strategies, advertising, and market research.
- Administrative Support Roles: In various settings, including healthcare, education, and business, where interpersonal and organizational skills are essential.
- Youth Counselor: For organizations that work with children and adolescents, you can offer support and guidance.
- Research Assistant: You can support psychological research in academic, government, or private sector settings.
With a master’s in psychology, you can consider working as an addictions counselor. These counselors work specifically with individuals who have drug or alcohol addictions and provide the support their clients need to get clean and stay that way. A related option is to work as a case manager for an organization like the Department of Family Services. This job entails connecting people in need with resources to help them overcome difficulties like unemployment and homelessness.
Some other careers with a master’s degree in psychology might include:
- Licensed Professional Clinical Counselor (LPCC): As an LPCC, you can provide counseling services to individuals, families, and groups.
- School Counselor: Working within schools, as a school counselor in Minnesota, you can support student academic and emotional well-being.
- Industrial-Organizational Psychologist: You can apply psychological principles to workplace issues, including productivity, work-life balance, and employee satisfaction.
- Marriage and Family Therapist (MFT): You can specialize in relationship dynamics and offer therapy to couples and families.
In short, a psychology degree in Minnesota can lead to a diverse array of career paths across many sectors, including healthcare, education, business, and government.
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