Are you a military spouse seeking to build a career, but aren’t sure how to fit your education into the rest of your family’s needs? If so, you’re not alone. Fortunately, there are several paths that military spouses can pursue with a maximum of convenience, allowing them to take meaningful strides toward serious and rewarding careers.
If you’re a military spouse looking for a meaningful career path that you can fit into the rest of your life, the field of psychology may be just right for you.
As a counselor or therapist, you will be equipped to help others dealing with mental health or emotional challenges – including (but not limited to) others in military families who can benefit from your empathy and understanding. This is a wonderful way to put your experiences toward supporting those in need, doing work that is both engaging and lucrative in the long-term.
So how is it that military spouses can become psychologists even while tending to the rest of their family responsibilities? In recent years, a new answer to this question has risen to the fore, one that comes as a golden arrow for military spouses: online learning, which students are now able to attend for the entirety of their path through higher education.
Online Psychology Programs Offer Game-Changing Opportunities for Military Spouses
The lives of military spouses are unique, involving a host of concerns and practicalities that can be difficult and confusing to navigate. Just like their partners who are serving in the armed forces, they are making major sacrifices, upending their lives in accordance with the military’s needs. In some cases, this can mean relocating to be near your spouse’s military base; in some others, it can mean doing so repeatedly. If you are in this position, this does not need to mean putting your own pursuits on hold.
Those seeking Psychology degrees can find a wealth of remote opportunities in California, making it easy to further your education no matter where you are.
Becoming a licensed psychologist in the state of California requires a Master of Psychology degree. This means that those who don’t yet have undergraduate degrees must first obtain a bachelor’s in any subject before taking on their master’s degrees. For those who are eager to take the first steps toward careers as therapists, there are numerous online programs offering a BA Psychology online in California, allowing undergrads to begin their psychology education programs before starting graduate school.
Military Spouses and Unemployment: The Untold Story
It’s happened to many military spouses: being forced to leave your job due to their service member spouse’s permanent change of station (PCS). Indeed, a 2023 executive order by Joe Biden reported a 21% unemployment rate for active-duty military spouses, going on to explain that nearly one in five military families cited spousal employment issues as one of their top reasons for leaving the service. Though there is no official state-issued report on the matter, California unemployment for military spouses is estimated to be even higher at 24%.
For military spouses, the inability to sustain a career can be demoralizing in the short-term and deeply challenging in the long-term, causing financial setbacks that can have lasting ramifications.
This is one reason why online education can be such a lifesaver for military families, allowing people who have relocated (or even relocated multiple times) to build skills and expertise that can be put toward careers that are sustainable no matter where they are. This is another reason why careers in psychology can be an excellent choice: just as educational platforms are moving to remote contexts more and more each year, so too are many forms of therapy and counseling, making it a job that can continue uninterrupted no matter where you move.
For military spouses, pursuing a degree can be an empowering way to take your career into your own hands in the face of the logistical burdens of military life. In fact, many military spouses who choose to become therapists often choose to work with patients who are also military spouses, as they are uniquely able to provide empathy and compassion in these situations, offering the hard-won wisdom that few others possess.
Military Benefits May Help You Pursue Your Education
It’s no secret that pursuing higher education can be costly – so much so that it deters some applicants from attending school altogether. However, as a military spouse, you may be able to bypass these expenditures by making use of federal or state military benefits that can greatly lower or even eliminate the cost of attending a psychology degree program.
Determining which military benefits can work for you can be tricky, as your specific circumstances will dictate which programs you are eligible for. These can include:
The Department of Defense also offers the Spouse Education Career Opportunities (SECO) program, which can help you navigate the application and admissions processes while applying to psychology programs to help you find the best resources to support your education.
An Index of California’s Top Psychology Programs for Military Families
The following programs have been selected as some of the best online schools for military spouses, offering a stellar education that can build the foundations of a lasting and remunerative career as a counselor or therapist. Some of these programs include occasional on-campus intensives, while others are 100% online (please take a look at notations to see each school’s program format). If you’re looking to get an online psychology degree in California, this guide will help you find the program that’s right for you.
This list includes schools offering both online Bachelor of Psychology degrees in California and online Master of Psychology (MA or MS) degrees.
Note: The listings in this index have been determined based on their availability online as well as their proximity to California military bases. This is because many of these programs involve sporadic on-campus intensives.
Alliant University
BA in Psychology
MA in Clinical Counseling
MS in Clinical Psychopharmacology
MA in Marital and Family Therapy
MA in Organizational Psychology
Program format(s): On-campus, online
Estimated cost of tuition (per year, in-state): $18,704
Location: Fresno, Irvine, Los Angeles, Sacramento, San Diego, San Francisco
Nearby military bases: Vary by program – include Joint Forces Training Base Los Alamitos, Naval Weapons Station Seal Beach (Irvine campus); Los Angeles Air Force Base (Los Angeles campus; Imperial Beach, Marine Corps Air Station Miramar, Naval Base Coronado, Naval Base Point Loma, Naval Base San Diego, Silver Strand Training Complex (San Diego Campus)
Concordia University Irvine
Websites: Clinical Mental Health | School Counseling
BA in Psychology
MA in Counseling – Clinical Mental Health
MA in Education – School Counseling
MA in Education – School Psychology
Program format(s): On-campus, online
Estimated cost of tuition (per year, in-state): $8,630
Location: Irvine
Nearby military bases: Joint Forces Training Base Los Alamitos, Naval Weapons Station Seal Beach
National University
BA in Psychology
MA in Counseling Psychology
MA in Human Behavior
MA in Marriage and Family Therapy
MA in Sports and Performance Psychology
MA in Psychology, Consciousness, and Transformation
MS in Applied Behavioral Analysis
MS in Child and Adolescent Psychology
MS in Clinical Mental Health Counseling
MS in Educational Counseling – Community College Counseling
MS in Forensic Psychology
MS in Health Psychology
MS in Industrial-Organizational Psychology
MS in School Psychology with PPS Certification
Program format(s): Hybrid, online
Estimated cost of tuition (per year, in-state): $21,632
Location: San Diego
Nearby military bases: Imperial Beach, Marine Corps Air Station Miramar, Naval Base Point Loma, Naval Base San Diego, Silver Strand Training Complex
Pepperdine University
BA in Psychology
MA in Psychology (On-campus option; online option)
MA in Clinical Psychology – MFT Emphasis (On-campus option; online option)
MA in Clinical Psychology – MFT Emphasis – LatinX Communities (On-campus)
MS in Applied Behavior Analysis (On-campus option; online option)
Program format(s): Vary by program (see below)
Estimated cost of tuition (per year, in-state): $41,400
Location: Malibu, West Los Angeles, Irvine, Calabasas
Nearby military bases: Naval Base Ventura County, Point Mugu
Point Loma Nazarene University
BA in Psychology
MA in Clinical Counseling (In-person)
MA in School Counseling (Online)
MS in School Counseling (Online)
Program format(s): Vary by program
Estimated cost of tuition (per year, in-state): $11,880
Location: San Diego
Nearby military bases: Imperial Beach, Marine Corps Air Station Miramar, Naval Base Coronado, Naval Base Point Loma, Naval Base San Diego, Silver Strand Training Complex
Santa Clara University
BA in Psychology
MA in Applied Psychology (In person or online)
MA in Counseling (In person or online)
MA in Counseling Psychology (MFT/LPCC) (In person or hybrid)
Program format(s): Vary by program (see below)
Estimated cost of tuition (per year, in-state): $25,873
Location: Santa Clara
Nearby military bases: Moffett Federal Air Field, Defense Innovation Unit
UC Irvine
BA in Psychology
MA in Legal and Forensic Psychology
Program format(s): Online with on-campus in-residence course
Estimated cost of tuition (per year, in-state): $12,264
Location: Irvine
Nearby military bases: Joint Forces Training Base Los Alamitos, Naval Weapons Station Seal Beach
UC Riverside
BA in Psychology
MA in Educational Psychology
Program format(s): Online with on-campus in-residence course
Estimated cost of tuition (per year, in-state): $12,264
Location: Riverside
Nearby military bases: March Air Reserve Base
UMass Global
BA in Psychology
MA in Counseling, PPS with CWA Certification
MA in Marriage and Family Therapy
MA in Professional Clinical Counseling
MA in Marriage and Family Therapy and Professional Clinical Counseling
Program format(s): Online
Estimated cost of tuition (per year, in-state): $12,762
Location: Aliso Viejo
Nearby military bases: Fully online program
Vanguard University
Websites: Clinical Psychology | I-O Psychology
BA in Psychology
MS in Clinical Psychology
MS in Industrial & Organizational Psychology
Program format(s): On-campus, online
Estimated cost of tuition (per year, in-state): $12,618
Location: Costa Mesa
Nearby military bases: Camp Pendleton
William Jessup University
BA in Psychology
MA in Counseling Psychology
Program format(s): On-campus, online
Estimated cost of tuition (per year, in-state): $12,618
Location: Rocklin
Nearby military bases: Beale Air Force Base
FAQs
Can I use military benefits to support my psychology education?
Oftentimes, yes! Military benefits can apply for military spouses under a range of conditions and circumstances. These can vary by individual, so it’s recommended you do your research and seek support from career resources services to maximize your financial aid as a military spouse. See the above section on military benefits to find links to several of the major aid programs that can support military families.
If my Master of Psychology degree program is online, why does it need to be from a California-based institution?
If you intend to become a counselor or therapist in California, it is strongly recommended you attend a California-based institution, even if your degree program is entirely online. This is because these schools are designed to prepare students to qualify for licensing exams, which therapists and counselors are required by law to possess in order to practice in the state.
How long does it take to earn an online Bachelor of Psychology degree in California?
The average duration for an online psychology bachelor’s degree in California is generally no different from an in-person program – four years, though some accelerated programs are available.
How long does it take to earn an online Master of Psychology degree in California?
Master of Psychology programs typically take two to three years to complete, depending on your area of specialization, though some accelerated programs are available as well.