Best place to study psychology BA online?

[Vexar]

Posting here for traffic. Would like to go to a 'good' uni if possible. Didn't get on with Open because my background is academic and I just found out too much like being spoonfed.

There's the option to do a conversion course but I'm worried it would rule me out for further study - are these highly regarded or not? Is the BA always required?

Thanks for any suggestions.

If you want an accredited degree (BPS) to move onto further study and work, it would need to be a BSc with the requisite statistics modules rather than a BA. I think Derby do an onlien version.

Are you looking to use it for GBR to potentially career change to a psychological professional or academic psychologist? If so (and you are academic) do a Master's conversion. Gets it done quicker and you'll find it more fulfilling. Think there are some blended learning offers, maybe even an online.
This forum is helpful and has a topic on courses
https://www.clinpsy.org.uk/forum/viewforum.php?f=6

Thanks both for responding. Is there something I'm not understanding - these replies seem to be advising different actions and that's the source of my confusion!

Yes I would like to have every door open on graduation for further study towards clinical practice or just for the sake of further study. I don't want to work hard and discover I don't have what I need to apply for something further.

That's because you haven't said what your aim is or where you're at educationally....

If you're aiming to be a psychologist you need to either do a BSc which is BPS accredited, or if you have a degree do a conversion Masters which is BPS accredited.

If you're just studying for fun then it doesn't really matter if it's accredited or a BA or anything else.

Do you already have a degree?

If you have a degree, a BPS accredited MSc conversion is the way to go, if not, then the BSc. But accreditation is key for moving on.

I would like the option to be a psychologist eventually, or to be accepted to do a PhD (after an MA).

Thank you for taking the time to sort this out for me, it's so helpful. I have a BA in English Literature and a related MA. I'm afraid I won't stand up against candidates with a BA in Psychology if I don't do the BA. Valid concern or just being silly? Either way I'll make sure it's accredited. I can't find anywhere that does that everyone Derby. Would really appreciate it if there's a better option.

Thank you.

Try the BPS web-site for lists of accredited courses BPS > Accredited Courses

It's a bit worrying people keep saying it's a BSc or MSc with BPS accreditation and you keep saying BA.

If have a BA already then what you are looking for is the conversion masters as PPs have said. Doesn't matter what the BA is in. Here's an example https://www.leedstrinity.ac.uk/courses/postgraduate/psychology-conversion/

You asked 'valid concern or just being silly'. The answer is just being silly - but mainly because you've not taken on board at all what advice you've been given, which is that if you already have a degree then you should be looking to do a conversion Masters. Which is an MSc not an MA.

Have a look at BPS accredited courses here:
https://portal.bps.org.uk/Accredited-Courses

It looks like they are all BSc courses now, presumably reflecting the scientific basis of the subject. (I have a BPS accredited BA Hons from the OU and went on to do professional training as a psychologist at UCL back in the 80s).

I didn’t even know you could do a BA in psychology. I’m in Scotland though so maybe different?

I have a Bsc psychology.

Also from Scotland and when I did my degree ~8 years ago, you could choose to have your degree classified as either a BA or a BSc if you were studying psychology. I don't think there was any difference in study path, just a choice of BA or BSc based on what you wanted to do afterwards.

The Derby online MSc conversion is excellent. I’m studying a funded PhD in Psychology at a different university after completing the Derby course.

It is. It shows how little I know doesn't it. Hence starting research on mumsnet because I have no idea where else after years of child rearing. However I did manage a first and then a distinction so hopefully I'll remember how to pull my socks up.

Thanks, I'll have a look.

I was checking as I didn't fully understand the two replies taken together. But thanks. I don't have psychology A Level. Do I need it?

Super, thank you.

Thank you!

The MSc conversion course is designed for those without a background in psychology. I've just been accepted on to the MMU programme for.sept

Excellent replies so far here.

Although do consider exactly what you would like to do afterwards.

The MSc is the easy bit.

Clinical training places are like gold dust (if that is the route you are aiming for).

Most Psychology graduates end up in unrelated careers due to the extremely tough number of opportunities for progression into the field.

I did a conversion masters at Derby (Online). It was academic and not spoonfed (although I wouldn't call OU always spoonfed either) I chose it because it wasn't outsourced to a separate company, so if I needed to I could turn up at Derby and see people.

It worked for me. There is no point doing a BSc if you already have a degree - you might as well do an MSc. You can do it in a year and a bit if you aren't working at the moment (that would be 40 hrs of study a week)

*by MSc I mean MSc conversion, just to be clear!

Congratulations! I hope it goes well. Thanks for your input.