AcademicsUndergraduate AcademicsBA Psychology Online

Bachelor of Psychology Online

BA of Arts in Psychology

Prepare for a transformative career with Naropa’s Bachelor of Psychology Online, merging contemplative teachings and modern psychology.

Program Overview

Naropa’s BA in Psychology Online integrates contemplative and mindfulness teachings from diverse wisdom traditions with modern psychology and neuroscience. This program equips you with essential skills and compassion to confidently serve others. Choose from concentrations in contemplative neuroscience, psychological science, psychology of health and healing, somatic psychology, or transpersonal and humanistic psychology.

Naropa’s online degree in psychology features tracks in mindfulness and science.
The Mindfulness Track embodies deep listening, presence, compassionate inquiry, and meditation, engaging in Western and contemplative approaches. The Science Track is a combination of traditional psychological research, cognitive neuroscience, and mindfulness.

Through the online BA in Psychology, you will explore yourself, your path, and your appeal to serve. Naropa creates a brave space for students to do deep inner work and explore their own complex identity and inner wisdom. This is an essential step in learning how to guide others.

As an online psychology bachelor’s student, you will study with accomplished and insightful faculty like Jordan Quaglia, PhD, and Jennifer Bacon, PhD.
Dr. Quaglia conducts groundbreaking research on mindfulness, compassion, and lucidity. Dr. Bacon offers Naropa bachelor of psychology students a unique perspective on addressing issues of overrepresentation in special education, racial and gender equity, child advocacy, and writing for social justice.

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Quick Facts

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Program Format

Naropa University offers a flexible, fully accredited psychology degree online. This four-year program includes 41 credit hours, blending psychology core requirements with concentrations tailored to your interests in contemplative and modern psychology.
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Course Spotlight

Awakening Compassion: Working with Others

This course delves into compassionate action through Mahayana Buddhism’s bodhisattva path and Contemplative Psychology. Students acquire skills like embodied presence, deep listening, and empathic attendance. Practices such as metta and tonglen meditation are emphasized. Practical application is essential, requiring students to engage in attending relationships. The curriculum also delves into compassion’s nuances across various cultural contexts.

Degree
Requirements

A Bachelor of Arts degree (120 credits), consists of a Core Curriculum (24 credits) and at least one major, as well as minors and/or elective courses of the student’s choosing.

For the Online Psychology Major, 41 credit hours are required. 

Online Psychology Major Requirements

Required Courses

Set A (9 Credits)

  • PSYB-101E Introduction to Psychology(3)

  • PSYB-314E Psychology of Mindfulness Meditation(3)

  • PSYB-301E Research Methods and Statistics(3)

Set B (2 Credits)

Take twice for 2 credits:

  • COL-299E Special Topics: Workshop(1)

Mindfulness Track

  • PSYB-325E Awakening Compassion: Working with Others(3)

Science Track

  • PSYB368e Psychology and Neuroscience of Emotion (3)

 

Both Tracks:

Choose at least one course from Set A:

  • PSYB304e Somatic Intelligence (3)

  • PSYB329e Approaches to Healing (3)

  • PSYB354e Transpersonal Psychology (3)

  • PSYB359e Learning from Trauma (3)

Choose at least one course from each Set B:

  • PSYB345e Developmental Psychology (3)

  • PSYB357e Cognitive Science (3)

  • PSYB373e Social Psychology (3)

  • PSYB420e Abnormal Psychology (3)

 
Electives
Choose three additional Psychology courses (9 credits)

Mindfulness Track:

  • PSYB415e Maitri: Working with Emotions (3)

Science Track:

  • PSYB462e Contemplative
    Neuroscience (3)

Both Tracks:

  • COL450e Internship (3)
  • COR340e Capstone I(3)
  • COR440e Capstone II(3)

Total: 41 credits

Why Choose Naropa?

Internship Insights

A culminating internship experience helps online bachelor of psychology students find compelling work in both clinical and research settings. Whether you want to work in leadership, social work, psychology, therapy, education, or alternative health care, your in-depth studies at Naropa will prepare you for a fulfilling career.

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Flexible Start Dates

Naropa University is now offering the option to start the Online BA in Psychology in spring, summer, or fall. This enables students to extend their coursework over more semesters and/or shorten the length of time it takes to complete their degree, providing greater flexibility for academic success.

Faculty & Institutional Mentorship

Receive a quality online education, with faculty mentorship to guide you through this transformative experience. Our Career & Life Development will also help you make the most of your studies, guiding your professional development.

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How this Program Prepares You

Sharpening Intellect

The Online BA in Psychology students will find a broad spectrum of courses, including Western psychology and Eastern approaches to healing mind and body. Some of the curriculum’s diverse course offerings include Perception, Abnormal Psychology, Cognitive Science, Dream Psychology, Hakomi, Nutrition, Psychology of the Five Elements, Expressive Arts, and many others.

Nourishing Compassion

Contemplative education fosters genuine self-kindness and empathy toward others, fueling your commitment to compassion and service. Practical volunteer fieldwork opportunities in a required service-learning course will enhance your interpersonal skills, crucial for professions emphasizing sensitivity.

Career Readiness

Your online bachelor of psychology journey culminates with an enriching internship experience, guiding students to secure meaningful roles in clinical and research environments. Be it leadership, social work, psychology, therapy, education, or alternative health care, Naropa’s comprehensive studies equip you for a rewarding career.

What You'll Learn

Mindfulness

Do inner work to heal yourself and find the tools to heal others.

Hands-on Experience

Apply your knowledge in a hands-on internship in your field.

Career Readiness

Build skills and confidence necessary for a psychology career.

Graduate School Readiness

Get prerequisites for advanced learning.

Research Skills

Fuse research with meditation through contemplative practice.

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Career Opportunities with a BA Psychology Online

Graduates of the BA in psychology online have acquired attributes that form a crucial foundation for success in their field. Their sharp intellect, deep intuition, confidence, and compassion lead graduates to a wide path of possibilities in multiple career paths. Graduates of the online psychology degree can pursue further education in the following careers:

Hear from a Graduate

 

This program has been life-changing for me and I couldn’t be more thrilled with what I have learned in such a short time.   

Meredith Dada

Online Bachelor of Arts in Psychology Student

FAQs About the
BA Psychology Online

The difference between online and on-campus psychology programs centers on format-oriented considerations. However, both programs are a 41-credit major. Whether pursuing an on-campus or online BA in Psychology, graduates will earn an identical degree. Naropa extends the chance for students who cannot relocate to our Colorado campus to access high-quality education from everywhere on the planet.
Naropa University’s undergraduate program is a four-year, fully accredited Bachelor of Arts degree program; this includes the Online Bachelor of Arts in Psychology, as well as the on-campus BA in Psychology. Graduates can then pursue a master’s degree, which takes around two years to complete. The duration of your degree pursuit depends on various factors, including program requirements, and specialization options.
Students attending psychology studies on our campus can immerse themselves in the rich tapestry of our diverse community. If you can’t travel across the country for an in-person education, you will still be part of Naropa’s community and benefit from its unique curriculum approach and opportunities. Either way, students will have a transformative experience.
In addition to exploring contemplative teachings and modern psychology, neuroscience, and your own lived experience, you will also have the opportunity to apply the knowledge from your online psychology degree in a hands-on, immersive internship with Naropa’s Online BA in Psychology. You will experience noteworthy education tailored for remote learning as you discover cutting-edge revolutionary therapies and discoveries in mental health.

Learn More About the Program

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Connect
with your counselor

Jenna Priest

Admissions Counselor

Ready to Apply?

Admission Requirements

Academic excellence and the willingness to carry out introspective work are highly valued at Naropa University. 

Learn more about admission requirements and the application process for prospective students.

  • Admission Requirements for Students with a 3.0 GPA or Higher

First-time applicants with a solid academic track record are encouraged to apply, with minimal eligibility criteria.

  • Admission Requirements for Students with Less than 3.0 GPA

First-time applicants whose academic performance has not been as outstanding, we encourage you to apply if you are eager to experience a Naropa education and contribute to our expanding community.

  • Apply as a Transfer Student

If you have prior credit hours from another accredited institution, you can present an official college transcript together with your application and transfer 60 or more transferable credits.

To find out more about applying, visit our undergraduate students’ application page.

Diversity and inclusion are core values of Naropa University. We look forward to welcoming other cultures and their future contributions to our dynamic community.

Learn more about applying to college and becoming an international student at Naropa University.

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Costs and Financial Aid

We offer financial aid opportunities to help you afford Naropa’s contemplative education, as well as scholarships and grants. 74% of undergraduate Naropa students receive some form of financial aid. Use our Cost Calculator to get an estimated cost of your potential expenses at our university.

Undergraduate Scholarship Opportunities

Scholarships are a great way to help with the costs of going to school. Naropa University offers an array of scholarship opportunities to undergraduate students. Students may be eligible to receive scholarships through their admissions application, by applying for scholarships, or by being nominated for a scholarship. For more detailed information about the different scholarships available and how to receive them, please review our undergraduate scholarship page.

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Interested in Psychology Online?

Read our blog & magazine or listen to our podcast!

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Naropa’s Recent Contributions to Contemplative Science

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Naropa Alumna Emily Elrod-Black Helps Others Achieve Academic Success

By Odra William We recently got to sit down and video chat with one of our amazing alumnae, Emily Elrod-Black (BA Contemplative Psychology, ’15). We talked about the experiences that...

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Episode 89. Jordan Quaglia: The Science of Mindfulness Training

What is mindfulness really doing to your mind? Jordan Quaglia, PhD, Director of Naropa’s Cognitive and Affective Science Lab, joins us to answer this and more on the science of...

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Episode 27. Chris Cole: Bipolar Order

This week’s episode features Naropa graduate Chris Cole (BA Contemplative Psychology '10), who currently works as a Life Coach specializing in bipolar disorder and spiritual emergence....

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Compassionate Service to Others

As a young monk, Naropa founder Chögyam Trungpa followed a monastic path of studying the mind through rigorous training in Buddhist philosophy, but more importantly, through contemplative practice within a...

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This is where experiential learning meets academic rigor. Where you challenge your intellect and uncover your potential. Where you discover the work you’re moved to do—then use it to transform our world.

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Academics

Contemplative education brings together the best of Western scholarship and Eastern world wisdom traditions. Therefore, your pursuit of wisdom at Naropa means learning both about academic subjects and about your own place in the world. This innovative approach places Naropa on the cutting edge of the newest and most effective methods of teaching and learning.  

Admissions & Aid

If you’re seeking an education that resonates with both personal fulfillment and global impact, Naropa could be your top choice. At Naropa, you will experience a comprehensive curriculum that integrates the best of Eastern and Western educational approaches. Explore how Naropa can fuel your journey of intellectual and spiritual development.

Life at Naropa

Through its incredibly vibrant and welcoming community,  “Naropa offers a home for those who aren’t willing to conform to convention—the mystic, the healer, the prophet, the rebel, the artist, the revolutionary, the oddball—those who are incredible contributors to the evolution of society and of our planet.”—Core Associate Professor Zvi Ish-Shalom

The Naropa Difference

How is Naropa different from other universities? At Naropa, a liberal arts education balances rigorous academics with powerful interpersonal skills and self-awareness to educate the whole person. Naropa’s contemplative approach is inspired by Buddhist philosophy and the conviction that we can build a diverse, contemplative, enlightened society when we have transformed education to affirm the basic goodness of every person. 

About Naropa

Located in Boulder, Colorado, Naropa University is a Buddhist-inspired, nonsectarian liberal arts university that is recognized as the birthplace of the mindfulness movement. Naropa offers undergraduate and graduate degree programs that emphasize professional and personal growth, intellectual development, and cultivating compassion. 

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Naropa Campuses Closed on Friday, March 15, 2024

Due to adverse weather conditions, all Naropa campuses will be closed Friday, March 15, 2024.  All classes that require a physical presence on campus will be canceled. All online and low-residency programs are to meet as scheduled.

Based on the current weather forecast, the Healing with the Ancestors Talk & Breeze of Simplicity program scheduled for Friday evening, Saturday, and Sunday will be held as planned.

Staff that do not work remotely or are scheduled to work on campus, can work remotely. Staff that routinely work remotely are expected to continue to do so.

As a reminder, notifications will be sent by e-mail and the LiveSafe app.  

Regardless of Naropa University’s decision, if you ever believe the weather conditions are unsafe, please contact your supervisor and professors.  Naropa University trusts you to make thoughtful and wise decisions based on the conditions and situation in which you find yourself in.