Columbia University Teachers College - MA Psychology in Education

[karrotte]

Hi everyone!

I am new to this forum so would really appreciate any help! I'm posting this in the PsyD/PhD thread cuz I really need your opinions about the following issue since you guys probably know more about this than I do.

I got accepted into the MA Psychology in Education: Personality and Psychopathology track at Teachers College for this fall, and am currently waiting to hear back from U of Toronto's MA School and Clinical Child Psychology program. I don't have high hopes of getting into U of T so my biggest dilemma right now is whether to accept the offer from TC.

I would eventually like to go into practice as an ed psych, but I've been told that the masters from TC would not qualify me to practice upon graduation. In addition, the program at TC doesn't require a thesis to be written, but a "special project" which could either be a lit review or an empirical research study, between 20-40 pages. Since this masters program is not a terminal masters, I would most definitely need to continue on to do a PsyD/PhD in order to practice. Do you guys think this program at TC would help to make my application to future doctorate programs more competitive, or would I just be wasting a huge amount of money?

I would definitely need to do a masters of some sort before applying to any doctorate programs, because I did not do an honours year in my undergrad and thus do not have much formal research experience. However, I'm worried about whether TC is the right choice cuz I'd probably end up with heavy debt by the end of the course...

Any opinions?

Thanks in advance for anyone's advice, it is very much appreciated!

---

Members don't see this ad.

 

[JustNoticing]

Sure the TC program will make you a more competitive applicant, but you don't need to drop that much money on a non-terminal masters to be competitive. What exactly is your career goal?

You can get quality research experience somewhere (including Columbia), get a terminal MA, or even a research focused MA for a lot cheaper or leaving yourself with more career options at the end of the day.

 

[Doctor Eliza]

Just to clarify, you said you want "to practice as an ed psych." Educational psychology is typically a non-licensable research degree. School psychology can be a more applied degree. Which are you interested in?

Dr. E

 

[karrotte]

Just to clarify, you said you want "to practice as an ed psych." Educational psychology is typically a non-licensable research degree. School psychology can be a more applied degree. Which are you interested in?

Dr. E

Thanks for highlighting that.. I meant that I want to eventually go into practice as a school psych.

 

[karrotte]

Sure the TC program will make you a more competitive applicant, but you don't need to drop that much money on a non-terminal masters to be competitive. What exactly is your career goal?

You can get quality research experience somewhere (including Columbia), get a terminal MA, or even a research focused MA for a lot cheaper or leaving yourself with more career options at the end of the day.

Hi FreudianSlipper, I'm really interested in applied developmental psychology and eventually want to become a licensed school or clinical psychologist and work in either school boards, hospitals, or in private practice. I ultimately will want to pursue a Doctorate in either school or clinical psychology sometime in the future.

Do you think that TC is not such a good idea? Thanks so much for your input by the way

 

[MBellows]

Hi FreudianSlipper, I'm really interested in applied developmental psychology and eventually want to become a licensed school or clinical psychologist and work in either school boards, hospitals, or in private practice. I ultimately will want to pursue a Doctorate in either school or clinical psychology sometime in the future.

Do you think that TC is not such a good idea? Thanks so much for your input by the way

A Specialist Degree in School Psychology would be so much better, considering you can even practice with it in schools. They're a bit longer than a standard Master's though.

 

[PsyDHokie]

A Specialist Degree in School Psychology would be so much better, considering you can even practice with it in schools. They're a bit longer than a standard Master's though.

Not sure about TC's and how it will prepare you for a future as a school psychologist, but here is a list of NASP Approved/Nationally Recognized programs (Master's/Doctorates) in School Psychology:

http://www.nasponline.org/certification/documents/NASP-Approved-Programs.pdf

I just believe pursuing a specialist degree will allow you to work as a school psychologist after you graduate, in the off chance you decide not to pursue a doctorate. Also, you would probably save a whole lot of money.

 

[JustNoticing]

A Specialist Degree in School Psychology would be so much better, considering you can even practice with it in schools. They're a bit longer than a standard Master's though.

Yea, I second this. You can find research opportunities while you do this and apply for doctoral programs after if you so choose.

I realize I have commented on multiple threads about people considering non-terminal MAs from TC. I have nothing against the school, but have worked alongside many of their graduates, and hopeful applicants who are attracted to the name. and I simply don't always see the purpose of shelling out that kind of cash when there are better options for an individual.

 

[snowcherries]

I'm in agreement with everyone here that you'll be much better off attending a NASP-approved masters or specialist program in school psychology. In addition, I'd try and find one where masters/specialist students can get heavily involved in research. I'm at a PhD program in school psych, and our masters students have the opportunity to do some really extensive research and get their names on things if they're interested.

 

[karrotte]

Thanks so much for your advice, everyone! I wish I had asked around for your opinions before applying to the program.

I have done some research and found out that this program includes opportunities to get teaching/research assistant positions, fieldwork, and chances to get involved in research labs. I don't know if I am being silly, but I feel like since I already got accepted into this program, I should take up this opportunity rather than to wait another year for the next round of applications.

Furthermore, as I did not do an honours year in my undergrad, I feel that this program would be a step forward to get me closer to my end goal of doctorate studies. Am I being unwise? Should I wait another year and apply again to School Psych programs for next fall? Do you think I would be able to get into School Psychology programs even without an honours bachelors degree?

Sorry about all the questions... I honestly feel so uncertain about what to do.

 

[VeryHopeful2010]

I went to a NY-area clinical program, and the general feeling there was that TC for a Masters was sort of a waste of time and money if you want to ultimately pursue a doctorate. It is a huge program without much individual attention and you have to fight for any research opportunities. If you ultimately want a doctorate, cut your losses now (what a $75 application fee?) and go get a paid research position. I do not think honors matters all that much in terms of getting into a School Psych program - research experience seems much more important (but I'm not from a school-psych program).

 

[PsyDHokie]

Thanks so much for your advice, everyone! I wish I had asked around for your opinions before applying to the program.

I have done some research and found out that this program includes opportunities to get teaching/research assistant positions, fieldwork, and chances to get involved in research labs. I don't know if I am being silly, but I feel like since I already got accepted into this program, I should take up this opportunity rather than to wait another year for the next round of applications.

Furthermore, as I did not do an honours year in my undergrad, I feel that this program would be a step forward to get me closer to my end goal of doctorate studies. Am I being unwise? Should I wait another year and apply again to School Psych programs for next fall? Do you think I would be able to get into School Psychology programs even without an honours bachelors degree?

Sorry about all the questions... I honestly feel so uncertain about what to do.

I am curious why you did not apply to the Ed.M. degree at Teachers College in School Psychology? Maybe its not too late to apply for that program, or transfer into that program now that you are already accepted into a TC program. Looks like the Ed.M. program prepares you to be a school psychologist, and might help you get into the Ph.D. program at TC's or elsewhere. It is also NASP approved.

 

[karrotte]

I am curious why you did not apply to the Ed.M. degree at Teachers College in School Psychology? Maybe its not too late to apply for that program, or transfer into that program now that you are already accepted into a TC program. Looks like the Ed.M. program prepares you to be a school psychologist, and might help you get into the Ph.D. program at TC's or elsewhere. It is also NASP approved.

PsyDHokie, honestly, I didn't apply to the School Psychology program because I hadn't taken the GRE's by the time it came to apply, while the School Psych program needed me to submit GRE scores.. Terrible reason, I know. So anyways, I was really restricted in the programs I could apply to. I was drawn to the Psychology in Education program because of the course content. It seemed to have a clinical child psychology focus which really interested me. At that time when I applied, I never thought of checking whether the program was accredited or not. I wish I had been more wise...

 

[karrotte]

I went to a NY-area clinical program, and the general feeling there was that TC for a Masters was sort of a waste of time and money if you want to ultimately pursue a doctorate. It is a huge program without much individual attention and you have to fight for any research opportunities. If you ultimately want a doctorate, cut your losses now (what a $75 application fee?) and go get a paid research position. I do not think honors matters all that much in terms of getting into a School Psych program - research experience seems much more important (but I'm not from a school-psych program).

Thanks for your advice! Paid research experience is something I have to seriously think about.. Hey, do you think the honors would also not matter much if I applied to a clinical psych doctorate? I'm interested in both clinical and school psychology and would like to keep my options open!

 

[psychstudents]

I went to a NY-area clinical program, and the general feeling there was that TC for a Masters was sort of a waste of time and money if you want to ultimately pursue a doctorate. It is a huge program without much individual attention and you have to fight for any research opportunities. If you ultimately want a doctorate, cut your losses now (what a $75 application fee?) and go get a paid research position. I do not think honors matters all that much in terms of getting into a School Psych program - research experience seems much more important (but I'm not from a school-psych program).

While I agree with this post, I attended TCs MA program, and I would actually recommend it. While the above is true...you do have to fight for research positions, you do have to make yourself stand out, etc., if you are willing to put the efforts in, you will reap the benefits. I did not do Psych as an undergrad, got a position in a lab at TC, and have gotten into three PhD Clinical programs this year, one of which I'll be attending next year. On every interview I went on, they complimented my choice to attend TC. It's a bit repetitive if you've done Psych undergrad, but if you haven't, the classes and the opportunities were worth the money, at least for me. Like anything in life, the opportunities are not handed to you...you have to work the system and get in with the powerhouse professors, but if you do, it'll be great prep for PhD applications. Lots of people also go into different types of psych after the MA (ie- social, school psych, counseling psych, all PhD).
Good luck!