Grand Canyon University Fined Over Doctoral Program Costs

[DynamicDidactic]

While they don't currently have a license-eligible doctoral program in psychology, I thought this was a worthwhile link to post:

LINK

The U.S. Education Department is fining Grand Canyon University $37.7 million, saying the for-profit Christian school misrepresented the costs of its doctoral programs.

The agency says Grand Canyon University told students that enrolling in the doctoral program would cost $40,000 to $49,000. That was supposed to cover tuition and 60 credit hours. However, the department says, 98% of doctoral students needed more than 60 credit hours to graduate.


From 2017 to 2022, the Education Department said, 78% of Grand Canyon students who graduated with doctorates needed five or six three-credit courses. That cost another $10,000 to $12,000, and sometimes more.

"Almost no students are able to complete their doctoral program within the represented number of credits," the department said.

The GCU Psychology webpage is filled with misinformation that is carefully crafted to skirt any potential legal consequences:

Psychology AOI Page

Explore in-person and online psychology degrees at the bachelor’s, master’s and doctoral levels. Apply for one of GCU's psychology majors today!

www.gcu.edu

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Members don't see this ad.

 

[MiniLop]

A for-profit, Christian university engaged in shady dealings? Well I never!

 

[medium rare]

GCU is a joke.

 

[ClinicalABA]

From their grad psychology program website description:

"With a doctorate degree from GCU, you will also become equipped to activate the skills you learn to serve others well."

That is just a horrible sentence- not just grammatically and stylistically, but conceptually. Gibberish. Does anybody edit these things?⁰

ETA- and another one:

"Grad certificates or a post-master’s degree might give you the needed edge to compete effectively in the job market as a qualified candidate"

The program "might" (!) give you what you need? "Qualified candidate"? What does that even mean? Oh man that's bad- like they're not even trying to sound like a real program.

 

[quickpsych]

I like how it's framed as "prepare for an exciting career in a human services field!" Which usually does include some non-license jobs. But then they plaster "$82k is average salary of psychologists" which wouldn't be a job you could get with their doctoral degree since it's non licensable. So they imply you can become a psychologist with their degree when you can't , then cover it by saying it prepares you "for human service field" since you can technically get a job without a license anywhere.

Come give us money for a doctoral degree where we mention psychologists and also human services but you can't use our degree to be a psychologist; but psychologists makes this much and you could maybe activate the skills needed to earn this, but COVID might make the data we have wrong!"

How is this not a bait and switch?

 

[Sanman]

I like how it's framed as "prepare for an exciting career in a human services field!" Which usually does include some non-license jobs. But then they plaster "$82k is average salary of psychologists" which wouldn't be a job you could get with their doctoral degree since it's non licensable. So they imply you can become a psychologist with their degree when you can't , then cover it by saying it prepares you "for human service field" since you can technically get a job without a license anywhere.

Come give us money for a doctoral degree where we mention psychologists and also human services but you can't use our degree to be a psychologist; but psychologists makes this much and you could maybe activate the skills needed to earn this, but COVID might make the data we have wrong!"

How is this not a bait and switch?

Their degree does make a psychologist. It just doesn't make you a licensed health service provider/ clinical psychologist. My friends with experimental PhDs are still psychologists. Fine print.

 

[ClinicalABA]

Their degree does make a psychologist. It just doesn't make you a licensed health service provider/ clinical psychologist. My friends with experimental PhDs are still psychologists. Fine print.

This can vary based on where you are located. In my state (MA), the term "psychologist" is legally protected and refers specifically to those who are licensed as psychologists by the state. If you are not licensed as a psychologist, you can not present yourself to the public using the term "psychologist," even if you have a Ph.D. in a non-clinical/counseling area of psychology. There are a few exceptions (or at least used to be ETA: is just checked the regs, and there are no exceptions, including state employees or those working in academic settings), but those were mainly for clinicians working in state organizations (e.g., Developmental Services) in positions that have historically been titled "psychologist" but don't require licensure. If you are, say, someone with a Ph.D. in cognitive or social psych, and you present yourself to the public in any manor using the term "psychologist," you are considered to be practicing psychology without a license, and thus subject to sanctions.

There is still licensure designation of Health Services Provider (e.g., degree in clinical/counseling with appropriate clinical training experience and able to provide therapy/diagnosis). Technically you could be licensed as psychologist without an HSP designation and call yourself a psychologist, but I don't know if that's still a option for new licensees, and don't really see any advantage of such a license. There is no license designation of "clinical," "counseling," etc. My own legal designation is "Licensed Psychologist- Health Services Provider." I can ethically/legally refer myself as a "clinical psychologist" because (a) my doctorate is clinical psychology (the ethical part); and (b) I am licensed by the state as a psychologist (the legal part).

In the case of Grand Canyon, the degree DOES NOT make you a "psychologist" in my jurisdiction. If you don't have psychology licensure, you are legally not a psychologist and can't call yourself one. It certainly wouldn't qualify you for the HSP designation (which you need to do therapy, testing, etc.).

TLDR- Don't call yourself a psychologist if you are not licensed as a psychologist in the state in which you are located, even if you have a doctoral degree in an area of psychology. Doing so may be a violation of state law. Also- don't get a grad degree in psychology from Grand Canyon U.

 

[Spydra]

*sigh* How long before all these terrible schools are shut down?