Thread: PhD in Psychology from Grand Canyon University (GCU)

Thanks for the replies so far. Steve King asked how I intend to use the PhD in I/O psychology , should I be fortunate enough to attain one. It would mostly be a personal achievement. It may also provide some type of post-retirement opportunity in training research/management (more likely) or HR /business consulting (much less likely), but that's not my main motivation for seeking a PhD. I am not looking to provide therapy or counseling to individual clients.

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To clarify, for Tom and Bruce, anyone who wishes to "engage in the practice of...psychology " must be licensed in Viginia. This includes applied psychologists who don't see patients, like industrial/organizational psychologists . The exceptions, which I mentioned previously, are very limited.

DoctorPhD mentioned "personal achievement," which I can relate to because I considered an online psychology degree several years ago. It is very important to look at your state's regulations regarding the profession. Otherwise, you might not take enough of the right courses to meet your state's licensing requirements. Without licensure, you might not be able to even use the title "psychologist " in any professional setting (depending on your state's regulations). I can't imagine the frustration of successfully completing a PhD in psychology and then being barred from calling yourself a psychologist in any professional settings.

	Psychology Degrees Psychology Degrees Psychologists study mental processes and human behavior by observing, interpreting, and recording how people and animals relate to one another and the environment. To do this, psychologists often look for patterns that will help them understand and predict behavior using scientific methods, principles, or procedures to test their ideas. Through such research studies, psychologists have learned much that can help increase understanding between individuals, groups, organizations, institutions, nations, and cultures. •Job opportunities are naturally best for individuals with higher degrees. Individuals with a doctoral degree are highly sought after, especially ones who holds degrees in a particularly in-demand subfield, such as health; those with a master’s degree will have good prospects in the corporate environment; bachelor’s degree holders will have limited prospects due to steep competition. •Employment growth will vary by specialty; for example, clinical, counseling, and school psychologists will have 11% growth; industrial-organizational psychologists will have 26% growth; and 14% growth is expected for all other fields of psychology. Click Here to find FREE information on schools offering this course of study.

Originally Posted by DoctorPhD

Thanks for the replies so far. Steve King asked how I intend to use the PhD in I/O psychology, should I be fortunate enough to attain one. It would mostly be a personal achievement. It may also provide some type of post-retirement opportunity in training research/management (more likely) or HR/business consulting (much less likely), but that's not my main motivation for seeking a PhD. I am not looking to provide therapy or counseling to individual clients.

I would like to suggest that you look into options outside the U.S. For example, University of South Africa (UNISA) offers a number of masters and doctoral programs in I/O psychology and Consulting Psychology . Tuition is extremely inexpensive.

Best of luck,

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Originally Posted by japhy4529

I would like to suggest that you look into options outside the U.S. For example, University of South Africa (UNISA) offers a number of masters and doctoral programs in I/O psychology and Consulting Psychology. Tuition is extremely inexpensive.

Great suggestion! UNISA is a terrific option to consider. It's a reputable school and the tuition can't be beat when compared to other accredited universities. DoctorPhD won't have to take a lot of classes prior to beginning the dissertation, which is both good and bad. I learned a lot about how to conduct and evaluate research from my doctoral coursework (in addition to our discipline-specific classes in information systems ). I can't imagine successfully completing a doctoral dissertation without those courses.

The admissions requirements for UNISA's PhD in psychology program require applicants to have a master's degree in psychology or a closely related field. I'm not sure of DoctorPhD's educational background, so I don't know if this requirement will pose a problem.

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	Psychology Degrees Psychology Degrees Psychologists study mental processes and human behavior by observing, interpreting, and recording how people and animals relate to one another and the environment. To do this, psychologists often look for patterns that will help them understand and predict behavior using scientific methods, principles, or procedures to test their ideas. Through such research studies, psychologists have learned much that can help increase understanding between individuals, groups, organizations, institutions, nations, and cultures. •Job opportunities are naturally best for individuals with higher degrees. Individuals with a doctoral degree are highly sought after, especially ones who holds degrees in a particularly in-demand subfield, such as health; those with a master’s degree will have good prospects in the corporate environment; bachelor’s degree holders will have limited prospects due to steep competition. •Employment growth will vary by specialty; for example, clinical, counseling, and school psychologists will have 11% growth; industrial-organizational psychologists will have 26% growth; and 14% growth is expected for all other fields of psychology. Click Here to find FREE information on schools offering this course of study.

Thanks for the info on UNISA. Unfortunately, it doesn't look like I meet the requirements because my master's is in a field unrelated to psychology .

	Psychology Degrees Psychology Degrees Psychologists study mental processes and human behavior by observing, interpreting, and recording how people and animals relate to one another and the environment. To do this, psychologists often look for patterns that will help them understand and predict behavior using scientific methods, principles, or procedures to test their ideas. Through such research studies, psychologists have learned much that can help increase understanding between individuals, groups, organizations, institutions, nations, and cultures. •Job opportunities are naturally best for individuals with higher degrees. Individuals with a doctoral degree are highly sought after, especially ones who holds degrees in a particularly in-demand subfield, such as health; those with a master’s degree will have good prospects in the corporate environment; bachelor’s degree holders will have limited prospects due to steep competition. •Employment growth will vary by specialty; for example, clinical, counseling, and school psychologists will have 11% growth; industrial-organizational psychologists will have 26% growth; and 14% growth is expected for all other fields of psychology. Click Here to find FREE information on schools offering this course of study.

I read you comment about graduation rates and wanted to throw something out there to consider:
In 2008 GCU had a 6-year graduation rate of 49% but fell to 41% in 2009. However, their online growth may be responsible for most of this.

I compared GCU to Arizona State University using the 4-year graduation rates since they are both in Phoenix, AZ. I did this because in the online (part-time) environment, it is very difficult to finish a degree in four years, and so the 4-year rate would focus on the ground component of GCU .

GCU 's 4-year grad rate is 34%, compared with ASU 's 29%. I used College Results Online to make this comparison since I trust their numbers more than the government's incomplete collection methods. I checked GCU against the other Arizona schools and found the same stats. GCU outperformed the Arizona state schools. I presume this means they have a more effective ground program. Since they are not a research university, teaching must be their focus.

This small bit of data will be incorporated into my dissertation as I seek ways to positively impact college graduation rates for low SES and minority students (who are drawn to for-profits due to open enrollment).

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Here is the data that I referenced in my reply. Please set the search parameters to 4-year graduation rates and see what I mentioned: College Results Online

Dont think my last post submitted, Ill try again. I understand they dont have a graduating class yet for the I/O PhD so they arent up for APA accreditation.

Im still a little confused, If I get the PhD from here, will I be able to take a bridge class to eventually get a license if I decide to go that route in the future? Just want to make sure Im not limiting my options.

Originally Posted by sinistersix

Dont think my last post submitted, Ill try again. I understand they dont have a graduating class yet for the I/O PhD so they arent up for APA accreditation.

Im still a little confused, If I get the PhD from here, will I be able to take a bridge class to eventually get a license if I decide to go that route in the future? Just want to make sure Im not limiting my options.

Fielding has this option - Clinical Psychology Certificate, Psychology Program for Psychologists

OK perfect, so there ARE programs out there to where if I did want to get licensed, I could eventually do that. Just wanted to make sure my options arent limited if I go this I/O route.

I love how they say accredited (on probation) hahah

correct, they don't but I think there is another accrediting body--forgot though.

Back to the original topic, I am going to go for this degree. Everyone I have talked to that is in the program enjoys it and I even reached out to the president to learn the 5-10year plan for the university, and she responded the same day. Everyone else I have reached out to via LinkedIn, from alumni committees to other professors who work there all seem legitimately vested in the future of GCU .

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