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 Bachelor of Arts 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 BA in Psychology online, 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 students in Naropa’s Online Bachelor of Arts in Psychology program a unique perspective on addressing issues of overrepresentation in special education, racial and gender equity, child advocacy, and writing for social justice.
Naropa University offers a flexible, fully accredited psychology degree online. This four-year program includes 38 credit hours, combining core psychology requirements with concentrations tailored to your interests in both contemplative and modern psychology.
As part of the Bachelor of Arts in Psychology, 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.
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, 38 credit hours are required.
PSYB-101E Introduction to Psychology(3)
PSYB-314E Psychology of Mindfulness Meditation(3)
PSYB-301E Research Methods and Statistics(3)
Take twice for 2 credits:
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)
Capstone (9 Credits)
Explore a short, self-paced course with sample classes, teachings from faculty, and real stories from students and alumnx about their experience. Get a feel for how learning happens here through reflection, practice, and real-world application.
A culminating internship experience helps online Bachelor’s degree in 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.
Naropa University is now offering the option to start the Bachelor of Psychology online 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.
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.
Students of the BA in psychology online 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.
Contemplative education fosters genuine self-kindness and empathy toward others, fueling your commitment to compassion and service. Our Bachelor of Arts in Psychology offers practical volunteer fieldwork opportunities in a required service-learning course that will enhance your interpersonal skills, crucial for professions emphasizing sensitivity.
Your online Bachelor’s degree in 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.
Do inner work to heal yourself and find the tools to heal others.
Apply your knowledge in a hands-on internship in your field.
Build skills and confidence necessary for a psychology career.
Get prerequisites for advanced learning.
Fuse research with meditation through contemplative practice.
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:
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. 
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 Bachelor’s degree 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.
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 Bachelor’s degree in Psychology. You will experience noteworthy education tailored for remote learning as you discover cutting-edge revolutionary therapies and discoveries in mental health.
Admissions Counselor
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.
We want everyone to have the opportunity to pursue an education at Naropa. Take a look at our page on undergraduate costs & aid to learn more about tuition, scholarships, grants, and financial assistance available at Naropa. You can also use our Net Price Calculator to have an approximation of your expenses at Naropa (currently based on 2025/2026 data).
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 (residential students only), 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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Magazine
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.
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.
Support Naropa
At a time when the value of higher education is being questioned, Naropa University stands firmly rooted in its mission to create a more just and regenerative world by nurturing insight, awareness, courage, and compassion in its students. By making a gift to Naropa, you play a pivotal role in helping to create the authentic, effective & mindful leaders that the world desperately needs.
