Ashford University PsyD online

[achaparro]

Hi everyone,

I’m interested in Ashford University’s PsyD program that’s online. I ultimately want to get licensed in CA as a psychologist. Would this program meet the BOP’s criteria? It’s regionally accredited.

---

Members don't see this ad.

 

[Temperance]

What is the point of going to an online program to train in a field that is about talking to people?

 

[achaparro]

They have virtual face-face sessions also, which is pretty much like the tele therapy a lot of psychologists are doing today.

 

[futureapppsy2]

AFAIK, this program isn't APA-accredited. Don't consider it--it's definitely not worth the debt.

 

[achaparro]

It's not APA-accredited but it's regionally accredited (WASC). I was just wondering if this would suffice for the California Board of Psychology. I would need to get my own internship to accrue my 3000 hours. I just need to have an online program for the coursework.

 

[AbnormalPsych]

I don't know CA licensing criteria off the top of my head (check the board of psych online), but let's say you could some how make that work.

No one would ever hire you. You would have to work for yourself.

 

[ClinicalABA]

Ask the school directly (there's probably a "chat" button on their website)- "will completion of the psyd program meet the educational requirements for licensure as a doctoral level psychologist in California?" If the first word of there answer is not "yes", do not go here. You probably shouldn't go here anyways, as this information should be obvious and readily available on any real programs website.

 

[achaparro]

I am already a school psychologist in CA. I have a private practice clinical psychologist that is willing to help me accrue my hours. I would apply to be registered psych assistant.

 

[Doctor Koala]

Advice summary: “Don’t do it.”

 

[Justanothergrad]

I am already a school psychologist in CA. I have a private practice clinical psychologist that is willing to help me accrue my hours. I would apply to be registered psych assistant.

dont do the thing that isnt the standard for training in the field. this isnt how to approach training or competency.

would you want a med student who got trained with a subpar model? no? me either. same here.

 

[AbnormalPsych]

Hi everyone,

I’m interested in Ashford University’s PsyD program that’s online. I ultimately want to get licensed in CA as a psychologist. Would this program meet the BOP’s criteria? It’s regionally accredited.

I am already a school psychologist in CA. I have a private practice clinical psychologist that is willing to help me accrue my hours. I would apply to be registered psych assistant.

So you are a school psychologist? already licensed? But want to work as a registered psychologist to train in clinical psychology, while already licensed? And work towards another psychologist license?

CA only licenses "psychologists" and makes no distinctions on type.

I'm lost here so I could only imagine what a licensing board would think of this.

If you want to re-specialize, do it the right way. Get good training. Avoid short cuts.

And at the very least you will have to pause/suspend your current license from being active while re-training.

 

[beantownpsych]

No no no. Just no.

 

[PsychPhDone]

Email [email protected]

 

[erg923]

They have virtual face-face sessions also, which is pretty much like the tele therapy a lot of psychologists are doing today.

Students/trainees aren't patients, son. Education at this level works differently.

 

[achaparro]

So you are a school psychologist? already licensed? But want to work as a registered psychologist to train in clinical psychology, while already licensed? And work towards another psychologist license?

CA only licenses "psychologists" and makes no distinctions on type.

I'm lost here so I could only imagine what a licensing board would think of this.

If you want to re-specialize, do it the right way. Get good training. Avoid short cuts.

And at the very least you will have to pause/suspend your current license from being active while re-training.

It's not re-specializing. In CA, you can become a School Psychologist with a Master's degree. Working under a credential.

 

[AbnormalPsych]

I'm aware. There are also doctoral-level School Psychologists in CA, as I am sure you are aware.

Sounds like a tough road ahead. Best of luck.

 

[JustNoticing]

Even if it met criteria, which I don't think it does (pretty sure all federal jobs require APA accreditation) a hiring manager wouldn't hire anyone with a degree from this program, sorry.

 

[counselor2b]

It looks like this program doesn’t even lead to licensure.

 

[Temperance]

Several folks here have given you very strong words about how going to this program would be an extremely bad idea. I urge you to think about that.

Should you decide that you know better than us, though, I would suggest calling the California Board of Psychology to ask if this program meets requirements for licensure.

 

[psych.meout]

It looks like this program doesn’t even lead to licensure.
View attachment 323889

I like the triple asterisk part. Yeah, that's the reason they're not disclosing the typical debt for graduates, to protect their privacy. It couldn't be any other reason.

Or like, they could, I don't know, not disclose how many students graduated on time (it's not like they're APA accredited or abiding by CUDCP guidelines) and still report the average debt.

I guess my favorite part is them telling on themselves that most people don't graduate on time to cover up the debt level. Great self-own.

 

[ClinicalABA]

It looks like this program doesn’t even lead to licensure.
View attachment 323889

Look at the page! These guys are crooks, plain and simple.

 

[AcronymAllergy]

Look at the page! These guys are crooks, plain and simple.

There is absolutely nothing on that page that would convince me to say the program is worth attending at all, let alone paying >$75k to attend.

I would encourage you to consider why it is you want to pursue a doctorate in psychology. If online training is truly your only viable means at the moment, unfortunately, I would say a (legitimate) doctorate is not in the cards; but that doesn't mean you couldn't necessarily attain some or all of your practice-related goals, depending on what they are.

 

[mypointlesspov]

Can a sticky post be made titled: "Interested in an online program?" and the body of it can simply say, "Don't do it."

 

[PsyDr]

Hi everyone,

I’m interested in Ashford University’s PsyD program that’s online. I ultimately want to get licensed in CA as a psychologist. Would this program meet the BOP’s criteria? It’s regionally accredited.

I’m interested in buying a 1998 Ferrari F355. I ultimately want to get an exotic car for cheap. Even though it costs $30k to get new tires and service (not replace) the transmission, would this be a good idea? It’s a real Ferrari.

My idea is actually cheaper than yours. Should we both go for it?

 

[Therapist4Chnge]

Do not pursue online training bc you will accrue debt and have a very very small chance (I'm being generous) that you could even get licensed as a clinical psychologist, let alone convince someone to hire you in one of the most saturated markets in the country.

To be clear....online training is a horrible idea.

 

[WisNeuro]

I'm gonna break with the overwhelming opinion here. You definitely should go this route. Coupled with oversaturation, this "degree" will allow employers the luxury of very quickly weeding this application out of the pile when making a decision about whom to interview.

 

[AbnormalPsych]

I like the triple asterisk part. Yeah, that's the reason they're not disclosing the typical debt for graduates, to protect their privacy. It couldn't be any other reason.

Or like, they could, I don't know, not disclose how many students graduated on time (it's not like they're APA accredited or abiding by CUDCP guidelines) and still report the average debt.

I guess my favorite part is them telling on themselves that most people don't graduate on time to cover up the debt level. Great self-own.

Look at the page! These guys are crooks, plain and simple.

The *** triple asterisk notation on that page made me LOLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLL

 

[Sanman]

A challenge to the OP: go through the Ashford U website and count the number of times they state it prepares one for a career as a clinical or counseling psychologist.

Hint: This will make a terrible drinking game because you will be sober.

 

[psy.d. 2021]

So how can they say the normal time is 184 weeks (approximately 3.5 years) if less than 10 students have done it in that time? Less than 10 could be 9...or no one. Either way, it's nearly no one. They should probably come forward with what the average time to completion is so you could accurately figure out how much it would cost. Instead they more or less make up how long it will take (since nearly anyone seems to do it within that timeframe so it's an arbitrary and useless timeframe set by the school to lower the estimated cost of attendance in an attempt to make it appear less expensive than how already expensive it is). It seems like a bad idea.

 

[psych.meout]

So how can they say the normal time is 184 weeks (approximately 3.5 years) if less than 10 students have done it in that time? Less than 10 could be 9...or no one. Either way, it's nearly no one. They should probably come forward with what the average time to completion is so you could accurately figure out how much it would cost. Instead they more or less make up how long it will take (since nearly anyone seems to do it within that timeframe so it's an arbitrary and useless timeframe set by the school to lower the estimated cost of attendance in an attempt to make it appear less expensive than how already expensive it is). It seems like a bad idea.

"Normal time" might be based on how long it should take to complete all the requirements. I.e., how long it would feasibly take to take all the classes, complete any research milestones (hah), and get enough clinical hours (no clue how this works).

My program averages between 5 and 6 years to completion, including internship, so they have a rough timeline of what you should be doing and when at any given point in the program if you plan to finish in 5 vs. 6 years.

 

[AbnormalPsych]

So how can they say the normal time is 184 weeks (approximately 3.5 years) if less than 10 students have done it in that time? Less than 10 could be 9...or no one. Either way, it's nearly no one. They should probably come forward with what the average time to completion is so you could accurately figure out how much it would cost. Instead they more or less make up how long it will take (since nearly anyone seems to do it within that timeframe so it's an arbitrary and useless timeframe set by the school to lower the estimated cost of attendance in an attempt to make it appear less expensive than how already expensive it is). It seems like a bad idea.

They also probably screw around with the course and other offerings.

"Oops this crappy class isn't available until spring, next year, or something. Guess you can't take it until then....hoping we find an adjunct in time. In the mean time, give us your money to maintain status or you must leave."

 

[mypointlesspov]

Also want to add, please don't let the responses discourage you from this career in general. Rather, we want to make sure you're making an informed decision that sets you up for the best possible career path. Ashford (and any other online programs) do not do that. These expensive programs prey on people who don't know better about the (somewhat) complicated process of getting into a doctoral program, applying to internships and postdocs, and eventually getting licensed.

If you already have your EdS in school psychology, you might just be better off doing a terminal masters in counseling if you really want to do therapy.

 

[Sanman]

"Normal time" might be based on how long it should take to complete all the requirements. I.e., how long it would feasibly take to take all the classes, complete any research milestones (hah), and get enough clinical hours (no clue how this works).

My program averages between 5 and 6 years to completion, including internship, so they have a rough timeline of what you should be doing and when at any given point in the program if you plan to finish in 5 vs. 6 years.

From the quick look I took of their website, I am not seeing that they require any clinical training hours. It looks like classes and some research.

 

[msc545]

It's not APA-accredited but it's regionally accredited (WASC). I was just wondering if this would suffice for the California Board of Psychology. I would need to get my own internship to accrue my 3000 hours. I just need to have an online program for the coursework.

Don't do it. They admit that graduating from there doesn't meet the licensing requirement for California, and the Board here will not exactly make an exception for anyone for any reason.

 

[Lukewarm Counselor]

So how can they say the normal time is 184 weeks (approximately 3.5 years) if less than 10 students have done it in that time? Less than 10 could be 9...or no one.

This sounds eerily similar to the class action complaint currently lodged against Capella University.

 

[BuckeyeLove]

I don't know about you guys, but I always hope that any professional I pay money for went to an online school.

 

[Sanman]

I don't know about you guys, but I always hope that any professional I pay money for went to an online school.

As I have been catching up on my Netflix over the holiday, I will now refer to this as pulling a Saul Goodman.

 

[BuckeyeLove]

As I have been catching up on my Netflix over the holiday, I will now refer to this as pulling a Saul Goodman.

Go Land Crabs!

 

[psych.meout]

I don't know about you guys, but I always hope that any professional I pay money for went to an online school.

I don't really understand that mentality that the bare minimum should be good enough. Like, if you needed to have surgery, wouldn't you want the best surgeon possible, not just someone who barely met the requirements to legally perform surgery and who prioritized other things (e.g., geography) over getting the best possible training in surgery?

 

[Sanman]

I don't really understand that mentality that the bare minimum should be good enough. Like, if you needed to have surgery, wouldn't you want the best surgeon possible, not just someone who barely met the requirements to legally perform surgery and who prioritized other things (e.g., geography) over getting the best possible training in surgery?

Even if you don't care about that, meeting training standards is in your best interest. Imagine sitting in the defendant's chair during civil litigation when the plaintiff's attorney mentions you attended an online school that does not meet the professional standard of training. I imagine that will go well for you...

 

[Therapist4Chnge]

As someone who does quite a bit of legal work, those are slamdunk cases....for the other side. The online grad will get crushed and probably embarrassed in the deposition and/or court; likely they'll never get offers to do legal work again.

You don't want to start off a career with multiple doors already shut. VA, state, federal, & academic jobs are all closed to online grads bc they will lack APA-acred and likely even regional acred. Legal work offers some of the best rates you'll find...and it'll be near impossible to get work.

Most hospitals won't even consider an online grad app bc they'd never make it through hospital credentialing. Hospitals don't want to take the risk on someone from an online program bc there are plenty of alternative candidates; similar thinking is seen in group practices.

Whenever I advertise for a counseling position, I get a ton of apps in-state & out of state. The first cut is usually anyone from an online program, and the next cut is anyone w/o the standard training (APA-acred for psychologists, ACA for counselors, etc).

Any prospective online students....please don't waste your time or money. You will not be the outlier bc these aren't optional requirements.

 

[WisNeuro]

I don't really understand that mentality that the bare minimum should be good enough. Like, if you needed to have surgery, wouldn't you want the best surgeon possible, not just someone who barely met the requirements to legally perform surgery and who prioritized other things (e.g., geography) over getting the best possible training in surgery?

Bare minimum is good enough is kind of the American Motto...

 

[chicandtoughness]

You can't even specialize in clinical psychology in this program.... their options are Justice Studies, Educational Leadership, Health/Wellness Psychology (not to be confused with actual Health Psychology), I/O Psychology, Mediation and Conflict Resolution, and Sport Psychology.

Why go to a program with the end goal of being a clinical psychologist, if you can't even study clinical psychology there?!?!?! I looked through the curriculum, there's not a single course that actually teaches the techniques and theories of psychotherapy?! This ain't even the bare minimum, chief!

 

[foreverbull]

Hi everyone,

I’m interested in Ashford University’s PsyD program that’s online. I ultimately want to get licensed in CA as a psychologist. Would this program meet the BOP’s criteria? It’s regionally accredited.

“This is not a licensure program.”

No program “licenses” students, but is this their way of vaguely saying that it doesn’t prepare students for licensure at all?

Either way, there are so many red flags with this program that I’m not sure where to start.

CA has other options. I’d strongly encourage you to reconsider why you think online is your best path.

What are your career goals in practice? What appealed to you about this online program vs. a brick and mortar school for your doctorate?

 

[Lukewarm Counselor]

If you already have your EdS in school psychology, you might just be better off doing a terminal masters in counseling if you really want to do therapy.

This is an excellent point. I did the MS in counseling route myself. During my time in school, we had a guest (non-degree-seeking) student that already held her Ed.S. in school psychology. In my state, she only needed to take a couple of additional courses to meet the licensing requirements for the LPC credential. She still had to negotiate a clinical internship of course to accrue her supervised hours. But rather than pursuing an entire degree program, she simply built on her existing education. I thought this was brilliant of her!

I have no clue what CA licensing requirements look like. But it definitely seems worthy of some quick exploration. It mostly depends on the OP's career goals. If he just wants to serve as a therapist, this could be the fastest, most affordable pathway.

Just my $0.02...