Hi everyone. I am glad I found this board. I have been looking for info on distance learning for over a year now but afraid to take the plunge without knowing if it's the real deal or not. I really appreciate all the great advice out there. We are an army family so we move a lot and I am trying to figure out a way to advance on my liberal arts BA degree that did not do a whole lot for me (!)...so that I can actually get a job one of these days!! I had decided to either pursue counseling or teaching certification. It seems that with all the laws for becoming a licensed counselor and our moving ever 2 years this is probably the more difficult avenue to pursue. I have enjoyed the volunteer work I've done at my daughter's school and I think gaining my teacher certification would be a better way to go. I think I have finally found a good school for this which is Rio Salado. Unfortunately all the work there is undergrad level so it won't count for a master's degree. Since I have an undergrad degree in English and Psych I thought I would use the English part to gain secondary level cert. through Rio Salado and then pursue a Masters possibly through Harvard Extension College which I see has a Masters of Liberal Arts. It is an interdisciplinary degree but they have a concentration already laid out in Literature and Creative Writing. If I was teaching English in the Public schools as far as I can tell they want a masters to get the extra bump on the pay scale but I am pretty sure the masters can be in anything fairly related and does not have to be purely education. Also I was wondering if this degree might help me to be able to teach intro English at the community college level. I know you have to have about 18 grad level hours in English lit classes to teach at community college. On all the bases we have a lot of schools like Troy State and others who do classes on the base and it would be nice if I could teach an intro level class there. Now it is pretty obvious that the admissions requirements for this degree are very different from that of Harvard University so is this "really" a degree from Harvard? I realize it would probably say Harvard Extension College on the diploma but how would this present in the future on a resume? To me I'm thinking anything from Harvard would be great especially since at least 4 of the classes are required to be taught by Harvard Instructors. These could be used hopefully for letters of reference in the event that I wanted to pursue a PhD. Any advice? I'm trying to look down the road too as what I might want to use these degrees for later on. Also unrelated...on another forum I read that many on the board have multiple degrees they've gotten through distance learning. I'd be really interested to know what they are in for some of the people who have been working hard on all that continuing ed!
As a starting point, look at this previous thread: http://www.degreeinfo.com/ubb/Forum1/HTML/002100.html (which in turn links back to an even earlier thread).
If you are in Alabama, which I assume by your reference to Troy State, I would encourage you to be very careful in pursuing either the counseling track or the education track. Alabama has some very demanding "hoops" for either of the choices you have discussed. And, in Alabama you don't get positions at Junior Colleges based upon qualifications but upon whether or not you know the right people --- and then it will probably be a part time position sans the benefits. I am a licensed professional counselor and received my degree from Liberty. I would highly recommend it. Getting in - use the junior college route to upgrade your GPA, or do a second major at Troy State and use the last 60 hours. I don't think there are any required admissions test. I don't think you will find a better college for the LPC route. Good Luck. ------------------ Howard Rodgers
Our program offers a Master of Arts in the Humanities which is earned entirely through correspondence. You may do a concentration in History, Literature, Music, Art History, or Philosophy, or choose an integrated, Interdisciplinary curriculum. If you would send us your mailing address, we'd be happy to send you a brochure to see if our program fits your needs. [email protected] ------------------ Nicole Ballard HUX Phase III Advisor Thesis/Graduation requirements California State University, Dominguez Hills
Howard, I would like to know more about how you obtained licensure. I have looked into Liberty's program in Counseling and I am also looking at Capella. Do you know anything about Capella in comparison to Liberty? Capella seems to have a zillion different tracks for psychology/human services and I have no clue which one is the best route for licensure. I have a BA in Psychology and I guess I was a bit naive at the time because I actually thought I could get a job with a BA in Psychology. I just don't want to spend time and money on another degree and then not be able to be employed with it!!! Any advice?
Psychology is one of those degrees that is a great educational background for a lot of different jobs EXCEPT in psychology! In order to work in that field you need at least a masters and most likely a doctorate. My older son will graduate with a BS in psych next year. He has always been good in sales but is more interested in teaching (hs level) and coaching, and law enforcement. What work he'll do after graduation depends on where he finds a job first He has no intention of going into any field of psychology. With a masters in psych, you have many more options. For options with a bachelors in psych, here is a college career source that lists some possibilities: http://www.uncwil.edu/stuaff/career/Majors/psychology.html Your best bet for assistance in deciding which concentration in graduate work in psychology to pursue would be to talk with a college advisor or career counselor. Also further internet research can provide additional information on career tracks in the various psych specializations. A career counselor can also provide information on licensure and various areas of counseling practice that you may wish to consider. Good luck, Sunnie *who used to want to be a psychologist instead of a teacher and quit teaching for four years to do child abuse/neglect investigating and then burned out*
Hello Holly, I just graduated from Capella with a MS in Human Services, specialization in Professional Counseling. They allowed me to tailor my coursework, substituting many of their core program requirements for courses that are required by the State of Washington for licensure as a LMHC. This January, I'm beginning their PhD program for Marriage and Family Services, and by the time I'm done with that program, I will have also satisfied state requirements for LMFT. As long as you can show you've done your homework regarding state licensure requirements, Capella works with you to design your program accordingly. I've had nothing but great experiences with them - the faculty and my mentor were second to none. I, too, investigated many different DL options before deciding on Capella. I'd suggest even looking at the course descriptions themselves (can be found on the web site with some digging or email me for the link) to see if the format and content are interesting to you. Best of luck! First step - research your state's requirements. ~Michele Boudreau [email protected]
I also have a PhD in Human Services (Professional Counseling) from Capella. I had my masters in counseling from Liberty and was already a licensed professional counselor when I enrolled. Capella did not offer the psychology degree when i began the program, if it were available I would have done a PhD in Psychology - much more marketable. But, to the Liberty issue and licensure. At the time I did my masters (1987-1988) Liberty was one of the few colleges that offered a masters leading to licensure. Capella now offers curriculums in both the psychology and human services that will lead to licensure if you plan your courses right. And, YES Capella will work with you -better than any school I have attended, and to date there are 8 of them - to make sure you have what you need. But, I found Liberty to be of more interest because they integrate psychology and religion. Liberty does have this frustrating requirment that you have a 3.0 gpa to get in to the counseling program. Capella may help you work around that. But, I know that Capella's human services program is approved in Alabama - I am one of the practicum/internship liason members for Capella. Email me if I can help further - [email protected] ------------------ Howard Rodgers
My I encourage you to look at the School of Psychology. A PhD in psychology has much more market value than one in Human Services. The voice of experience. ------------------ Howard Rodgers
Hi Holly - I don't believe that you can get the Masters degree from Harvard Extension entirely at a distance. You would need to spend a certain amount of time in the classroom in Cambridge. Also, my friend who left the counseling field for the teaching (high school) field told me that his MA in Counseling Psychology didn't mean too much in his new career. They wanted him to have a Masters in Education (MEd). Good luck with your search. Jack
May I add to Jack's reply? In Alabama the only acceptable degree that will get you into the school system is a degree in education. There is a provision where a person with a Master's in Counseling who has a LPC can work in the school system. There is the provision - but I don't know anyone who has been able to make it work. ------------------ Howard Rodgers
Thanks for all the excellent information on Capella!! I am starting to be really intrigued by this school. I had originally thought that there was no possible way I could obtain my masters in Psychology or Counseling through distance learning but maybe I was wrong!! Unfortunately I did not have my head completely screwed on straight as an undergrad 7 years ago and as a result I have a lousy GPA even under what Capella requires which is already pretty generous. So I am afraid that my chances at being admitted to the program are slim. One can always hope. I have taken 3 graduate level classes on my own in the past year for which I received A's in all 3 and I did this in the hopes that it might show my current abilities more accurately. However I am still distressed at the thought that I probably won't be admitted should I get my hopes up. I wrote 2 people off the Ambassadors list as well and found out through them that Capella has applied for APA accreditation and it looks as if they will eventually get it at some point. That is pretty exciting. I am sure once that happens the competition will be even greater to get into their programs. Capella has gotten rave reviews so far from everyone. I am going to take a shot and apply and hope for the best!
Howard, in another post you mentioned that the PhD affords more teaching opportunities than the EdD. Do you currently hold an adjunct faculty position? Did you hold the position before earning your Capella PhD or after? I guess I'm trying to determine if a distance learning doctorate from a school like Capella or Walden will really open doors for an adjunct position. That is key issue for me as I decide in the coming months on a doctoral program to pursue. Any thoughts? ------------------ David Fraser
I am wondering how most people manage the year in residency requirement with Capella's PhD in Psychology. I can see how a week here or there could be manageable but one weekend a month for an entire year would be very out of control cost wise for someone who lives no where near either of the 2 places where they do the residency. However it seems that many are getting the PhD. Are they just forking out the money for airfare every month?
