BY Nicole Gull McElroyJune 01, 2022, 3:11 PM
General view of the campus of Purdue University, as seen in October 2018 in West Lafayette, Indiana. (Photo by Michael Hickey/Getty Images)
When Marjorie Ramos, a working psychologist, decided to continue her studies with a master’s degree, she knew she’d need to juggle several things successfully to reach her goal. A mother of two children, ages 6 and 8, Ramos lives in Colombia—and her family moves a lot because her husband is in the Colombian military.
Ramos’ lifestyle demands flexibility even without going back to school, so an online program seemed to make the most sense for her. Plus, she could broaden the geographic scope of her search, considering programs as far-flung as Spain and the U.S. In the end, given her budget and educational objectives, Ramos landed on the online master’s degree program in psychology at Purdue University Global.
“I was looking to take two classes per term,” says Ramos. “But then COVID hit and my children weren’t in school. I had to take care of them longer than I’d thought and could only do one course per term. But that’s what I like about the online option. People taking their master’s online are busy people.”
Many online programs are specifically designed to increase access to higher education for working adults just like Ramos, according to Robert deMayo, associate dean for the psychology division at Pepperdine University. “We find it’s particularly attractive to working adults who need the flexibility of an online environment.”
Pepperdine’s online program is a blend of synchronous and asynchronous work that draws students from across the country, and can take anywhere from 1.5 to 3 years to complete, depending on a student’s concentration and any related state-mandated licensing requirements. “For students who are good at time management and pacing, these programs are an excellent fit,” deMayo says.
Here’s what applicants need to know about managing their time in an online master’s degree program in psychology.
Online master’s degree programs require organization
Ramos enrolled in Purdue’s psychology program in 2019, and she will graduate this Spring. Having served …….