All forms of counseling and psychoanalysis are licensed professions in the United States. Because of that, it is important that you verify the accreditation status of any school that you are considering attending through distance education. The federal government requires that all institutions that participate in their financial aid programs be accredited, so if the program you are interested in offers federal financial aid, it is accredited.
The types of degrees available within the field of psychoanalysis range from a bachelor's degree to a doctorate. In most locations, it is necessary to have either a master's degree of a doctorate in psychology to be licensed.
A doctorate in psychology will enable you to work in private practice or teach at the university level. A master's degree will frequently allow you to teach at the community college level.
You should expect to spend as much time working toward a degree via distance education as you would if you attended on campus classes. Distance education programs will often take life and career experience into consideration for granting college credits. This is normally only available for bachelor's degree work. Between three and four years is the norm for earning a bachelors degree in psychology via distance education.
Expect to work for at least an additional year beyond a bachelor's degree to obtain a master's degree and then an additional three to four years for the doctorate.
Distance education allows you to work at your own pace and from the comfort of your own home. You can add degree studies to your life without sacrificing work, family or even financial stability.
According to the U.S. Department of Education, distance education programs are expected to grow at an exponential rate for the next decade. The reasons cited for this are mostly practical such as cost and convenience.
Social science subjects such as psychology are well suited for distance education because they do not require the hand-on component that is found in most laboratory sciences. As a result, degree offerings from the social sciences are likely to be among the most varied available.