M.S. in Psychology (distance learning)
About DL
Essential Information for Palo Alto University’s Distance Learning Program
Who Are We?
Palo Alto University (PAU) is a private university founded in 1975 and located in Palo Alto, California that offers undergraduate and graduate degrees in psychology. The institution changed its name in 2009 from Pacific Graduate School of Psychology to PAU to reflect the fact that it now has undergraduate programs. The Western Association of Schools and Colleges (WASC) has accredited all PAU degrees, including the Distance Learning MS in Psychology. PAU offers a Ph.D. that has been accredited by the American Psychological Association since 1988. It also offers a Psy.D. in Clinical Psychology in a consortium with the Stanford University Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences in the School of Medicine. That program was founded in 2002 and is also accredited by the American Psychological Association. PAU also offers a Bachelor of Science degree in psychology at the undergraduate level.
APA does not accredit master’s degrees. Therefore it is not possible for PAU to obtain APA accreditation for the Distance Learning Master’s degree. The Distance Learning (DL) Master’s degree has the maximum accreditation possible.
Dr. William Froming is the director of the DL program. He has been at PAU since 1988. Before that he taught for 11 years in the psychology department at the U of Florida. The DL faculty members are, for the most part, full-time PAU faculty. They teach the same courses on campus as they do in the DL program.
How Is It Done?
The program uses a number of techniques to accomplish its educational goals. We have partnered with an educational technology company (Docutek) and they host the course materials. Many of the courses use PowerPoint slides accompanied by lecture notes. A number of classes have an audio track so you can listen to the instructor as well. Readings for the classes are from texts or articles that are available on the course website in Adobe Acrobat format. Many classes also use threaded discussion groups to provide a way for students to discuss course materials with each other. Finally, chat rooms or conference calls are used to provide a forum for students to ask questions of the professor or TA. We now use the GoToMeeting technology which allows the instructor to show his/her computer screen to all students simultaneously. This allows the class to talk in a conference call while viewing the same materials. In aggregate, we feel we are able to create the essentials of the classroom experience at a distance.
You will need access to a computer with a Web connection for this to work. It is strongly recommended that you have a fairly powerful PC computer with a DSL or cable modem connection. Students can get by with dial-up modems but it will slow you down a great deal as there is a lot of information to download over the course of the program.
Performance in class is assessed in a number of ways. Some instructors assign papers, others use tests, and some use both. Independent third parties proctor exams. Students identify individuals in their community (e.g., librarians) who can receive test materials, supervise the administration of the test, and return the materials to the instructor.
Students are required to submit written evaluations of each class and instructor each quarter. This informs us as to the strengths and weaknesses of the program as we strive to deliver the best possible program.
When Does It Happen?
Students start once a year, in September. Students cannot enter the program once classes have started. Classes end in mid-June.
The only synchronous part of the courses is the chat rooms. For those classes that use chat rooms, the individual instructors will schedule chat times that work for their classes. Scheduling chat times can be complicated when students come from around the world. Chat times will generally occur sometime between 8:00 A.M. and 7 P.M. Mondays through Thursdays and/or between 8 A.M. and 5 P. M. on Fridays. These times are all local times for San Francisco. Every reasonable effort will be made to schedule them at times that allow everyone to attend. If that is not possible, alternative arrangements will be made.
Where Does It Happen?
The program happens where you live. Because it is web based, you do not have to leave your current home or job and relocate to Palo Alto, California. You can also maintain your current work situation. Those factors represent a tremendous cost savings to you.
We currently have (or have had) students from across the US, Canada, Europe, Asia, Africa, and South America. Because much of the work is asynchronous, differences in location are not much of a problem. It only becomes an issue when we scheduled synchronous activities (e.g., chat rooms). At that point we find times that work for students wherever they live.
We have an on-line orientation for beginning students in September. This orientation is required so that students can get the basics before classes begin.
Why Do This?
There are a number of reasons students are interested in this program. The most obvious one is that if you are able to well in the DL program, you will be able to transfer those units into the Ph.D. on campus. That means you will be well on your way to the Ph.D. knowing that you can master the course material and having saved yourself the costs and uncertainty of moving to Palo Alto before starting any classes.
Some people are in a work situation where obtaining an advanced degree provides them with additional job opportunities and/or additional pay. For example, teachers may now be qualified to teach psychology and that may lead to higher pay. Whether that applies to your situation is up to you to determine.
Teaching psychology in a community college is also a possibility. We have a number of graduates who have gone on to do this.
Others have had a long-standing interest in psychology and want to investigate it further. This course work will give you a real feel for where psychology is today.
Spotlight
