Louisiana’s deep historical roots and diverse demographics create exceptional opportunities for applying psychological insights across various sectors, including government, research, public policy, education, and healthcare.
Pursuing an online bachelor’s degree in psychology in Louisiana offers a perfect solution if you need the convenience and flexibility of online education. These programs enable you to study at your own pace and access course materials from any location, all while benefiting from high-quality instruction provided by experienced faculty.
In this article, we will explore some of the popular options for online psychology bachelor’s degrees in Louisiana.
Online Psychology Bachelor’s Degrees in Louisiana
Listed below are some of the popular schools offering online psychology bachelor’s degrees in Louisiana:
- Louisiana State University – Alexandria
- Loyola University New Orleans
- McNeese State University
- Southern New Hampshire University
- Southern University and A&M College
- Liberty University
- Grand Canyon University
- Purdue Global
- Capella University
Louisiana State University – Alexandria
Online Bachelor of Science in Psychology
The 120-credit online Bachelor of Science in Psychology from LSU Alexandria offers you an affordable and flexible path to a fulfilling career in people-oriented fields. This program not only sets you up for immediate employment in areas like health, social services, education, business, and science, but it also lays the groundwork for pursuing graduate studies in psychology or related fields.
In this program, you have the option to choose from five distinct concentrations—each providing a thorough perspective on various psychology and behavioral management topics across different sectors. You will acquire skills in gathering, organizing, analyzing, and interpreting data, which are essential in today’s diverse industries.
As a student, you will be equipped for the modern workforce, with potential career opportunities in employee relations, marketing, counseling, social services, banking, and public relations. This degree is especially beneficial if you aim to work in fields such as social services, business, and education. It serves as a strong foundation for those considering further education in psychology, counseling, or social work.
Student learning outcomes of the program include:
- You will demonstrate familiarity with major concepts, theoretical perspectives, empirical findings, and historical trends in psychology.
- You will understand basic research methods in psychology, including research design, data analysis, and result interpretation.
- You will be acquainted with fundamental ethical and professional standards in psychology.
Concentrations offered include:
- General Psychology: This allows you to tailor your degree with various psychology courses to gain a comprehensive view across multiple sectors.
- Clinical Psychology: Prepares you for roles like counselor or social worker by providing a foundation in theoretical perspectives and historical trends in psychology.
- Family and Community Dynamics: Trains you to support individuals, families, and communities, offering potential career paths in nonprofits, healthcare, and educational settings.
- Industrial and Organizational Psychology: Focuses on business and organizational behavior, preparing you for careers in marketing, management, and human resources.
- Applied Behavior Analysis: Offers in-depth training in behavior analysis for careers in healthcare, education, mental health, and more.
This program can be completed within four years, leading to a same diploma as received by on-campus students. LSU Alexandria provides various financial aid options to help you manage your education costs effectively.
Admission requirements for first-time freshmen include:
- Complete the Core high school curriculum for college readiness.
- Not require more than one developmental course.
- Maintain at least a 2.0 high school GPA.
- Meet one of the following: ACT composite of 20 or higher, or a Core GPA of at least 2.0.
If you are a transfer student, you need to meet the followong requirements:
- Have a transferable associate degree or higher.
- Or, have completed at least 18 hours of college-level credit, including courses in English and mathematics with a grade of “C” or higher, and an overall GPA of 2.0.
- Or, have completed at least 12 hours of college-level credit from LSUE or CLTCC Bridge Program, including courses in English and mathematics with a grade of “C” or higher, and an overall GPA of 2.0.
- If these conditions are not met, you must meet the freshman admission requirements and be in good standing with your previous institution.
Loyola University New Orleans
Online Bachelor of Arts in Psychology
At Loyola University New Orleans, you can pursue a top-ranked Bachelor of Psychology in a convenient online format. This program is designed for those seeking flexibility without sacrificing prestige, offering both a liberal arts foundation and specific expertise in human behavior, including insights into how individuals think, act, and relate to others.
You will experience the same academic standard online as you would on-campus, with courses taught by faculty experts in cognitive neuroscience, behavioral neuroscience, and social and personality psychology. This program encourages you to approach psychology as a scientific discipline, enabling you to evaluate, inquire, and analyze psychological and behavioral issues critically.
Loyola’s online bachelor’s degree in psychology requires the completion of 120 credit hours, which includes:
- 18 hours of major courses
- 18 hours of psychology elective courses
- 39 hours of Loyola Core courses
- 45 hours of general elective courses
Major course of the program include:
- Introduction to Psychology
- Developmental Psychology
- Abnormal Psychology
- Social Psychology
- Research Methods
- Statistics & Methods
You can select from a variety of psychology elective courses such as Educational Psychology, Psychology of Trauma and Disaster, Cognitive Neuroscience, Psychology of Human Aging, and Theories of Personality. Availability of these courses may vary each term.
In addition to the psychology electives, you will need to complete 45 credits of general electives, choosing from courses in other departments like Criminology and Justice, Communications, Business and Management, Philosophy, and Sociology.
To graduate, you must achieve a 2.0 GPA in both your major curriculum and the cumulative Loyola curriculum. All major courses must typically be completed within the department unless an exception is granted by the department chair.
This online degree prepares you for graduate-level study to become a licensed psychologist or to enter a range of rewarding careers such as:
- Correctional Field Officer
- Human Resources Manager
- Labor Relations Manager
- Market Researcher
- Rehabilitation Specialist
- Social Services Specialist
- Social Worker
- Trial Consultant
Admission requirements vary depending on your educational background. If you have no post-secondary college credit, you will need to submit:
- Official high school transcripts or GED. Decisions may be based on unofficial transcripts, but official transcripts are required before your acceptance can be finalized.
If you have attended college previously, you must submit:
- Official transcripts from all post-secondary institutions you have attended. Like freshman applicants, decisions may initially be based on unofficial transcripts, but official documentation is necessary for final acceptance.
- If you have fewer than 12 semester credit hours, you must also provide your official high school transcript or GED.
After submitting your application, Loyola will review your previous coursework to determine how many credits may transfer. You may transfer up to 90 credits, with at least 25% of credit hours required to be earned at Loyola. Additionally, at least 50% of the credit hours in your major courses must be completed through instruction offered by Loyola.
McNeese State University
Online Bachelor of Science in Psychology
At McNeese State University, you can customize your Bachelor of Science degree in Psychology to fit your personal and professional goals. Whether you choose to study online or on campus, you will explore a broad range of coursework and develop advanced critical thinking and research skills. Additionally, you can enhance your degree by adding a minor in a related field like criminal justice or sociology.
As a psychology major, you must select a minor or complete 15 credit hours in a single academic discipline to meet the minor requirement. The specific number of required hours for the minor varies depending on the department offering it.
The program requires you to successfully complete at least nine hours of Natural Sciences within the General Education Core Curriculum. You must earn six hours in either a life or physical science, and the remaining three hours must be in a natural science different from the first.
Throughout your program, the courses you will take include:
- Introduction to Psychology: This course provides an understanding of human behavior and lays the groundwork for further study in psychology.
- Child Psychology: Focuses on the development of humans from conception through adolescence in physical, mental, emotional, and social aspects.
- Adolescent Psychology: Examines human development throughout adolescence with respect to physical, mental, emotional, and social growth.
- Abnormal Psychology: A survey of behavioral disorders emphasizing diagnosis, symptoms, and causes.
- Physiological Psychology: Explores the biological bases of behavior, relating to learning, memory, motivation, emotion, sleep, and behavior disorders.
- Research Methodology in Psychology: Teaches basics of conducting research and writing scientific reports in psychology, including ethics and descriptive and experimental designs.
- History and Theories of Psychology: Identifies various psychology schools and evaluates their contributions with a focus on historical development and trends.
- Psychology of Learning: Covers learning principles and their practical applications.
- Senior Thesis in Psychology: Involves conducting empirical research, including data collection, analysis, and presentation in APA format.
The program offers opportunities to conduct original research under faculty guidance, allowing you to design and implement your own study for a senior thesis. You will also have the chance to present your findings at the annual Undergraduate Research Symposium.
Practical experience is encouraged through internships at campus or community organizations, such as the McNeese Counseling Center or Kay Doré Counseling Clinic, where you can observe and assist in the delivery of counseling services.
The faculty at McNeese have a broad range of expertise in general psychology and specialized fields like counseling and applied behavior analysis. Many are actively involved in research and scholarship, contributing to conferences, publications, and even authoring textbooks used in the curriculum.
Choosing McNeese not only offers you a rigorous academic program but also access to financial aid and scholarships. The Department of Psychology and Counseling offers several options to help pay for college, including paid work-study positions in the McNeese Autism Program.
Admission requirements for first-time freshmen from Louisiana include:
- Completion of the TOPS/University High School Core Curriculum
- Minimum overall high school GPA of 2.35
- College-level readiness in English and math
- Additionally, one of the following: a minimum high school core GPA of 2.0 or an ACT composite score of 20 or SAT total score of 1030
Transfer students under 25 with 18 or more college-level credits must have:
- A transferable associate’s degree or higher, or
- A minimum cumulative GPA of 2.0 on all college courses, grades of C or higher in college-level English or math, and eligibility to return to the last institution attended
Transfer students with fewer than 18 credits must meet first-time freshman standards and be in good standing with their previous institution.
Southern New Hampshire University
Online Bachelor of Arts in Psychology
By earning your Bachelor’s degree in Psychology online from Southern New Hampshire University (SNHU), you will explore advanced theories, engage with case studies, and gain practical experiences that are applicable across various sectors where an understanding of human behavior is crucial.
Included in your program is a 12-credit certificate in Data Literacy in Psychology, equipping you with the ability to integrate data and theory and effectively communicate your findings to both scholarly and professional audiences.
Throughout your studies, you have the chance to apply what you learn in real-world settings even before you graduate. You can take full advantage of practical learning experiences and internship opportunities to refine your career goals and build a resume that stands out to potential employers.
The program offers you the flexibility to follow a general track or to choose from various career-specific concentrations. With 39 free electives, this program is also ideal if you need to transfer credits.
Designed to prepare you for success in a diverse, global society, the program provides insights into various career paths and emphasizes research skills, culminating in a capstone project. Each course is structured to help you prepare for this final project and is organized into weekly sections to keep you on track.
You could potentially save time and money with SNHU’s generous transfer policy, which allows you to transfer up to 90 credits toward your bachelor’s degree and 45 credits toward an associate degree from previous institutions. This could reduce your tuition costs by up to 75%. You may also earn college credit for prior work experience and benefit from military discounts and employer tuition assistance if available.
As a student at Southern New Hampshire University, you join a thriving community of over 300,000 students, alumni, and staff. This network can support you well beyond graduation. SNHU’s faculty, who bring real-world experience, will guide you through your studies and help you navigate the field. Additionally, SNHU’s extensive, nationwide alumni network can open doors to numerous internship and career opportunities.
Is It Easier to Get a BA or BS?
Choosing between a BA and a BS degree depends more on your interests and career goals than on difficulty. Each type of degree has its own focus:
- BA degrees typically include more liberal arts general education courses, focus on critical thinking, and often require a foreign language component. They are generally seen as more flexible with a broader range of topics covered, which might be appealing if you prefer more diverse learning opportunities or are interested in how various disciplines intersect.
- BS degrees usually have a stronger emphasis on mathematics and science, requiring more courses in these areas. They tend to be more specialized and focused on technical skills and knowledge pertinent to specific fields.
The perceived difficulty can vary based on your strengths and academic interests. If you have a strong inclination towards science and math, you might find a BS program easier and more engaging, whereas if you prefer humanities, social sciences, and broader explorative courses, a BA might be more aligned with your skills and interests. Ultimately, the best choice depends on what subjects you are more comfortable with and what skills you want to develop for your future career.
Do Employers Prefer BA or BS?
Whether employers prefer a BA or a BS often depends on the specific field and the nature of the job. Here are a few considerations:
- Field-Specific Preferences: In some fields, like engineering, computer science, or the natural sciences, employers typically prefer candidates with a BS because these degrees emphasize technical skills and scientific knowledge, which are crucial in these industries. Conversely, fields like education, communication, or the arts may favor a BA for its broader liberal arts focus which cultivates critical thinking, communication skills, and creativity.
- Job Requirements: Employers look at the degree type to assess whether a candidate’s educational background aligns with the job’s requirements. For positions requiring strong analytical and research skills, a BS might be preferred because of its focus on quantitative skills and technical proficiency. For roles that value interpersonal skills, cultural awareness, and adaptability, a BA might be more suitable.
- Employer Perception: Some employers might perceive BS degrees as being more rigorous in terms of technical training and analytical skills, whereas BAs might be viewed as providing a more well-rounded education that includes critical thinking and problem-solving skills applicable to a wide range of contexts.
- Individual Qualifications: Often, it’s not just the type of degree that matters but the individual’s skills, experiences, and the specific coursework they’ve completed. Many employers look beyond the degree type to consider the whole package a candidate brings to the table.
In short, there isn’t a universal preference – it really depends on the industry, the particular job, and the company’s culture and needs. When choosing your degree type, consider your career goals and the skills you want to develop to ensure they align with the expectations of potential employers in your chosen field.
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