Counseling and Psychology Degrees Offered at Eastern Kentucky University
Eastern Kentucky University appears in our ranking of the 50 Top Online Bachelor of Psychology Degree Programs.
Eastern Kentucky University is a public research university that offers a wide range of counseling and psychology degrees in traditional and online formats. From substance abuse counseling and human services to industrial-organizational psychology, the degree focuses for psychology majors at EKU are available to undergraduates, master’s students and Ph.D. candidates of the residential and online colleges.
Psychology majors at EKU have access to state-of-the-art learning resources and technology designed to help them produce outstanding research and innovative ideas. The faculty and administration of the psychology department at EKU are always available to offer support and assistance to students enrolled in lecture courses and doctoral research programs. EKU offers two online psychology degree options with many choices of specializations. Graduate students can choose from several non-degree certificates in counseling and psychology, and undergraduates can minor in one of several disciplines related to counseling and psychology.
Whether psychology majors are enrolled in a traditional or online degree program, they can choose from a selection of over 200 courses that are offered entirely online outside of a degree program. This option gives students at EKU the flexibility to complete their studies on time without sacrificing their professional lives or family responsibilities.
Online courses at EKU last eight weeks and have a faculty-to-student ratio of 1:20. The distance education program at EKU is designed to be accessible and supportive for all undergraduate and graduate students. Online students who prefer to work independently will appreciate the convenience of Web-based lectures, labs, research projects, and exams. Students who prefer cohort learning will have all the support and resources they need to master their chosen subject and achieve a high grade point average.
Featured Programs
The online bachelor’s degree program can be completed in four years of full-time enrollment or less while the online master’s degree can be obtained in two years of full-time enrollment. The online bachelor’s degree in psychology has seven options of degree focus. Psychology majors can choose to specialize in autism spectrum disorders, forensic psychology, child and family psychology, workplace psychology, psychiatric rehabilitation, brain and cognitive science, or substance abuse. The workplace psychology focus is recommended for students who plan to pursue a master’s degree in organizational psychology although any specialization is allowed.
EKU offers a doctor of psychology (Psy.D.) program for residential students. The program has several special requirements for admission. Students do not need to have a degree in psychology to be admitted to the program although admissions are competitive and reserved for the best applicants for the program. A minimum of five undergraduate courses is required for admission to the Psy.D. program, including experimental psychology and statistics. Applicants who did not major in psychology as undergraduates should take the psychology subsection of the GRE test before applying to the program.
The Psy.D. degree is designed for students who are interested in practicing clinical psychology and treating patients in private practice. It is also a good choice for students who are interested in teaching and conducting research. The program takes four to six years to complete, depending on the student’s education level and experience. Some students may benefit from completing the master of psychology program before enrolling in the doctoral program. The Master of Science in General Psychology is a residential program offered at EKU. It provides the foundation for a doctoral research program in any psychological discipline, or it can lead to a senior position in a clinic or organization that provides counseling, psychological treatment or human services.
About Eastern Kentucky University
Eastern Kentucky State Normal School and Teachers College began enrolling students in 1922, and it awarded its first degrees in 1925. It became accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Secondary Schools for the first time in 1928, and in 1930, it was renamed Eastern Kentucky State Teachers College. In 1935, the college began offering a Master of Arts in Education, and in 1948, the word “teacher” was removed from its name and it began offering non-professional degrees in subjects outside of education. In 1966, Eastern Kentucky State College became Eastern Kentucky University, and it was accredited to award professional degrees in a wide range of academic disciplines. Today, EKU is a regional institution that awards liberal arts and pre-professional degrees at the bachelor’s, master’s and doctoral levels.
Eastern Kentucky University Accreditation Details
Eastern Kentucky University is institutionally accredited to grant undergraduate and graduate degrees by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCC). The SACSCC performs a thorough audit of the learning resources, tools, facilities, and campus amenities at EKU every 10 years to ensure a consistent quality that meets the federal standard for accreditation in the United States. The SACSCC is the regional accrediting body for universities throughout the southern states. It has accredited EKU to offer undergraduate and graduate degree programs on its campus as well as online. The institutional accreditation of the SACSCC covers all degree programs offered in all academic departments at the university.
Eastern Kentucky University Application Requirements
The acceptance rate at Eastern Kentucky University is high, and most undergraduate students can expect to be admitted to the university. Freshmen applicants with a high school GPA below 2.0 must either enroll in the Success First initiative or score above 490 on the math and writing sections of the SAT to be accepted. Alternatively, a score above 19 on the math and writing sections of the ACT may be accepted. A non-refundable application fee of $35 is required for all applicants. Transfer students and graduate students must include an official college transcript with their applications, and graduate students must provide proof of an accredited bachelor’s or master’s degree.
Tuition and Financial Aid
Tuition costs at Eastern Kentucky University are about $8,868 per year for in-state residents and $18,180 for out-of-state residents. When the cost of food, room, board, and personal expenses are included, the cost of an education at EKU can increase by $12,000 to $20,000 per year. Financial aid is available through the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) website as well as the financial aid office at EKU. Through the FAFSA website, students can apply for federal Pell Grants and low-cost subsidized and unsubsidized loans. Through the financial aid office at Eastern Kentucky University, students can apply for scholarships, grants and work-study programs to help pay for their education.