Online Bachelor's Degree BA in Psychology Mental Health

Make a Meaningful Difference with a Mental Health Degree Online

Designed to deepen your understanding of human behavior, the Bachelor of Arts in Psychology with a Mental Health concentration at Southern New Hampshire University will prepare you to pursue graduate degrees in clinical psychology and counseling or careers that emphasize interpersonal relationship building, such as human resources management. 

As with all of our Bachelor of Arts in Psychology degrees, you'll acquire a strong foundation in concepts and principles involved with mental health therapy and assessment. The mental health degree online also gives you the opportunity to gain experience working with community-based mental health service organizations.

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The Psychology of Preparing for a Penalty Kick

The Psychology of Preparing for a Penalty Kick

A goalkeeper has 0.08 of a second to make a decision on how to stop a penalty kick, Dr. Michael Hendery, SNHU’s psychology chairman, told former MLS player Calen Carr. Years of training plus split-second information processing can help pull out a win.

See Yourself Succeed in Mental Health

Our mental health concentration focuses on applying the theory you'll learn in class to a community-based service organization as you prepare for graduate study. The mental health degree online courses for this pre-professional program help bridge the gap between theory and effective mental health intervention strategies through a combination of lectures, field experiences and research. You’ll graduate with a more comprehensive understanding of the concepts and principles involved with therapy and assessment. 

As a private, nonprofit university, SNHU has one mission – to help you see yourself succeed. The benefits of earning your bachelor's in psychology at SNHU include:

  • Affordability. Take advantage of some of the most affordable tuition rates in the nation
  • Convenience. Attend class when it’s convenient for you – online education means 24/7 access
  • Efficiency and flexibility. Complete your undergraduate degree at your own pace, over six 8-week terms per year
  • Expert instruction. Learn from instructors with relevant, real-world experience
  • Honor societies. High-achieving students are invited to join Psi Chi, the International Honor Society in Psychology
  • Networking. All students are invited to join our online SNHU Psychology Club and to tap into our nationwide network of alumni for internship and career opportunities
  • Simple application process. Just fill out an online undergraduate application, and we’ll retrieve U.S. transcripts from your previous institutions and automatically complete an official credit evaluation. Plus, there’s no application fee
  • Student support. Count on the ongoing support of dedicated academic and career advisors specialized in your area of study
  • Transfer-friendly enrollment. Transfer up to 90 credits toward an undergraduate degree

Career Outlook

With your online degree in psychology, you set yourself up for roles like market research analyst, which could see 23% growth through 2026, or human resources manager or public relations specialist, both of which could see 9% growth in the same time period.*

It will also prepare you for graduate programs, such as SNHU's MA in Clinical Mental Health Counseling.

Curriculum

Your online BA in Psychology will build a solid liberal arts foundation that provides a well-rounded education to support your study of psychology. Courses are taught by instructors with professional credentials and experience in related fields.

Courses To Prepare You For Your Career

SNHU's bachelor's in mental health program includes:

  • General education
  • Degree-specific courses

General Education Program

Our programs are designed to equip you with the skills and insights you need to move forward. In recent years, employers have stressed the need for graduates with higher order skills - the skills that go beyond technical knowledge - such as:

  • Writing
  • Communication
  • Analysis
  • Problem solving

All bachelor's students are required to take general education classes. Through foundation, exploration and integration courses, students learn to think critically, creatively and collaboratively, giving you the edge employers are looking for.

View Full Curriculum in the Catalog
BA in Psychology - Mental Health

Courses May Include
BIO 210 Introduction to Anatomy and Physiology

Discussion/comparison of the principles of mammalian form and function. Includes molecular and cellular mechanisms of major processes (such as muscle contraction, neural transmission, and signal transduction) and examines the structure and function of the 11 organ systems of the human body. Laboratory exercises (BIO-210L) to follow lecture topics.
PSY 108 Introduction to Psychology

This course provides students an introduction to the scientific study of behavior and mental processes. Students prepare for more advanced concepts in upper-level Psychology courses by learning the basics of how to evaluate research and exploring various areas of specialization within the discipline.

PSY 223 Research I: Statistics for Psychology

How do psychologists organize, summarize, and interpret information? Students in this course study applications of statistical methods in psychological research and practice. The emphasis of the course is on the conceptual understanding of statistics so that students can read and conduct psychological research; those skills will be applied to students' original projects in Research II: Scientific Investigations. Computation of tests will be conducted on the computer. Students will build upon statistical knowledge and develop an in-depth conceptual and practical understanding of hypothesis testing, tests of significance, standardization, correlation, and analysis of variance in a wide variety of psychological uses. Students will learn the theory of statistical decisions, practical application of statistical software, and how to analyze journal articles. This course typically should be completed during the first semester of the sophomore year.
PSY 224 Research II: Scientific Investigations

Students in this course will develop an understanding a variety of research methods, including experimental, survey, correlation and case-history techniques. They will become aware of the strengths and weaknesses of each method and understand when each method is best used. Writing intensive course.
PSY 444 Senior Seminar in Psychology (Capstone)

This capstone course integrates previous classroom and practical experience with a focus on current issues in psychology. This course likely will include cross-cultural aspects of psychology, ethics, recent career trends in psychology and other topics dictated by current events in psychology. Coverage may change over time, but the basic focus on integrating the past and anticipating the future for psychology seniors will be the major concern. Writing Intensive Course.
PSY 315 Counseling Process and Techniques

This course examines the history and philosophy of specific helping professions in the fields of psychology, sociology and human services. Several broad theoretical perspectives will be studied and applied in role-play situations.
PSY 335 Assessment and Testing

Students in this course will become aware of the use and abuse of psychometric techniques. Specific techniques that currently are used will be introduced and understood. While knowledge about specific tests may be somewhat limited, students will obtain knowledge and the types of tests and techniques available.

Total Credits: 120

Program Outcomes

Tuition & Fees

Tuition rates for SNHU's online degree programs are among the lowest in the nation. We offer financial aid packages to those who qualify, plus a 30% tuition discount for U.S. service members, both full and part time, and the spouses of those on active duty.

Online Undergraduate Programs Per Course* Per Credit Hour*
Degree/Certificates $960 $320
Degree/Certificates
(U.S. service members, both full and part time, and the spouses of those on active duty) 		$675 $225

*Tuition Rates are subject to change and are reviewed annually.

Additional Costs
No Application Fee, $150 Graduation Fee, Course Materials ($ varies by course)

University Accreditation

Southern New Hampshire University is a private, nonprofit institution accredited by the New England Commission of Higher Education as well as several other accrediting bodies. More...

*Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor, Occupational Outlook Handbook, on the Internet, at https://www.bls.gov/ooh/business-and-financial/market-research-analysts.htm, https://www.bls.gov/ooh/management/human-resources-managers.htm and https://www.bls.gov/ooh/media-and-communication/public-relations-specialists.htm (viewed online November 3, 2017). Cited projections may not reflect local and/or short-term economic or job conditions and do not guarantee actual job growth.