Psychology AA | Online
The Associates of Arts degree in Psychology prepares you for future careers in a variety of psychology-related or social service support positions or for pursuit of a bachelor鈥檚 degree in psychology or a related field. This degree opens the door for significant, lasting, and meaningful service to Christ through service to humanity.
Why Psychology?
The A.A. in Psychology program has been designed with input from our expert faculty in the School of Liberal Arts and Sciences, ensuring you graduate with the in-demand skills and knowledge that employers are looking for. The program requires 61 credits. for a snapshot of the courses you will complete.
Associate's Degree in Psychology from Cairn
Biblical Integration
91吃瓜 is committed to the centrality of Christ and the Word of God which is reflected in the curriculum and instruction. At Cairn, faith and truth do matter. We teach our students accordingly, challenge you to think deeply on these things, and strive to make you ready to serve Christ in the church, society, and the world as biblically minded men and women who not only give assent to truth but think and live in light of it.
Experienced Faculty
Our online courses are taught by faculty who are committed to your professional and spiritual growth. In addition to the carefully crafted learning activities, our faculty are substantively engaged throughout the course delivery. You don鈥檛 just have professors, you have mentors who invest in you throughout the program and often remain connected long after graduation.
Campus Community
Community is about more than simply taking classes together. It's more than having a similar experience. Community is powerful, instructive, encouraging, and biblical. And at Cairn, community is intentional. It's attended to closely as an outworking of the University鈥檚 biblical commitment and understanding that in Christ, we are one.
Undergraduate Preparation
If you choose to remain at Cairn for further study, this program integrates seamlessly into the B.A. in Psychology and most other online bachelor鈥檚 degree programs.
Affordability
There's quite a bit of talk these days about the cost of higher education and the question of value. Many assume that you can't have both value and affordability, so they settle for lesser options or assume that the costliest options must have the most value. But when Cairn talks about walking a different path, value is no exception. It's possible to get a college education that is both affordable and valuable.
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Get an inside look at our Psychology Program
There are over 70 unique programs at Cairn to choose from! Not sure if this is the best program for you? Here are some more details to help you decide.
Required Credits:听61
Curriculum Highlights:听
- PSY 121 Psych as Profession/Pract
- PSY 321 Human Development
- PSY 221 Social Psychology
- PSY 231 Research Methods
Behavioral & Mental Health fields
Social Services
Business (e.g. Human Resources)
Administration
Research
Education
Private Practice
Cairn Online has been approved to participate in the National Council for State Authorization Reciprocity Agreements (NC-SARA), which regionally oversees postsecondary online education.
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An Affordable Education
91吃瓜 strives to keep tuition costs affordable despite providing a rigorous education. Courses are taught by Cairn faculty and not TAs. Cairn Online programs rank amongst the most affordable online bachelor鈥檚 and master鈥檚 programs.听
The tuition rate for the 2026-2027 academic year is听$4,900 block rate for 12-18 credits per semester resulting in $272/credit (with 18 credit load) Additional details on fees and part-time status are available on this page.听
91吃瓜 also partners with many organizations and offers tuition discounts. Tuition discounts are also available for those working in Christian schools.听Please contact us to find out if your organization has a partnership with 91吃瓜.听
Additional information on scholarships, grants, and loans is available from听this page.听
Meet Our Faculty
Ruth Kuchinsky-Smith
Co-Chair, Sciences Department; Professor, School of Liberal Arts and Sciences
Dr. Kuchinsky-Smith teaches on a variety of topics across psychology and research, including probability and statistics. Dr. Kuchinsky-Smith has taught at the university level for more than 30 years across the disciplines of education, special education, music, and psychology. In addition, her professional experience has taken her from the Pennsylvania Department of Education in Harrisburg to the Philadelphia Prison Systems to the School District of Philadelphia to the Milton Hershey School to freelance writing at Patch.com to Lehman Memorial United Methodist Church in Hatboro, PA, where she currently serves as music director.
In addition to significant work in the field of school psychology, Dr. Kuchinsky-Smith published 鈥淓ffectiveness of the MMPI-A to Differentiate between Counseled and Non-Counseled Students鈥� at Temple University under the supervision of Leslie Skinner, PhD She also worked in child advocacy and psychological abuse in children at Temple University under the supervision of Irwin Hyman, EdD Before her academic work in psychology, she worked on deaf history and advocacy in education at Albert Einstein College of Medicine with Oliver Sacks, MD and infant development and vocalization at Child Development Research Center, Sands Point, New York with Judith S. Kestenberg, MD.
Bryan Maier
Faculty, School of Liberal Arts and Sciences
Dr. Bryan Maier has been working in the mental health field for 30 years and teaching counseling at the graduate level for 19 years. He is a licensed professional counselor in Pennsylvania and teaches graduate-level counseling courses at Cairn. Dr. Maier鈥檚 mental health counseling experience includes but is not limited to marital issues, addiction, trauma, and pastoral counseling.
Cairn Online Frequently Asked Questions鈥�
Our program is intentionally grounded in God鈥檚 Word. Courses are thoughtfully designed by Cairn faculty to promote deep learning and active engagement through instructor-led instruction, research-driven activities, active learning, and meaningful interactions with peers and faculty.听At Cairn, the students鈥� education and experience is designed to shape听Christian character, cultivate wisdom, and prepare them to think, live, and serve biblically in an ever-changing world.
All courses, except the research courses, are structured in seven units and delivered in accelerated 7-week terms.
Each unit contains 5鈥�7 modular activities, including:
- Assigned readings and reading reflections
- Instructional videos from Cairn faculty
- Active learning activities
- Weekly application projects
- A component of the ongoing course research project
Faculty also schedule a few optional Zoom sessions throughout the term to connect with students and address questions.
Faculty are actively involved throughout the week鈥攇uiding learning activities, leading asynchronous discussions, grading work, and delivering personalized feedback. Online students also receive priority technical support and have access to valuable resources from the Masland Library and the Writing Lab.
Except for the Hebrew and Greek language courses for the B.S. in Biblical Studies program, typically there are no required meeting times for the completing the course activities.听听
The course transfer depends on where you are transferring from, and what program you are transferring to. If you are coming to Cairn Online from another institution, it is very likely you will have some credits that will transfer. Because there are so many options, we encourage you to talk to an enrollment counselor. If you are transferring out, Cairn is a regionally accredited听school and some credits should transfer with relative ease. Each college sets their own transfer criteria, so be sure to check their policies for specifics.
Cairn is approved to offer financial aid because of its regional accreditation. There are many options available and typically students qualify for at least one type of federal aid. Many students receive scholarships and grants that make earning their degree even more affordable. Cairn offers a variety of scholarships and discounts in addition to options for loans and grants. Please refer to this page for details.听