Developed interest in psych late: no research experience and unrelated major. What now?

[angelus_novus]

I am ultimately looking to get into a doctoral social psychology program. I'm about to begin my senior undergraduate year as a sociology major, and my GPA stands at 3.7 (4.0 since changing majors from biology). I anticipate good GRE scores from the practice tests I've taken (~164V, 160Q), and I know several professors I can count on for excellent recommendation letters.

The first major problem is that I'm not a psychology major (opted for sociology) and have not taken any psychology courses, nor do I have time to if I am to graduate on time. The second problem is research: the only research I have is my honors thesis, and even there my efforts to keep it somewhat psychology related are hindered by my lack of psych coursework.

I'm concerned that applying to a PhD program now, even if I did meet the admission requirements, would preclude me from attending a program I could attend if I were to accrue additional experience, take relevant courses, and boost my GPA further. I've heard program ranking is critical for those who are looking to careers in academia or research. Should I hold off applying to doctoral programs and instead try to get a funded MA (or accept a position in an unfunded one)? Try to find work as an RA? (seems unlikely with no psych experience) Maybe it would be good to do some additional undergraduate study, allowing me to do research and take psychology courses. I have heard that applying after you have your MA renders you ineligible for certain fellowships. Is this a major concern?

Any advice as to the best way to proceed would be greatly appreciated. This seemed like the most appropriate place to post, but please tell me if I am mistaken!

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[CogNeuroGuy]

Nice to see someone else who majored in sociology. Great GRE's and GPA btw; there are a variation of options to select from, a couple of which you already listed (e.g. taking on a master's, gaining relevant psychological research experience in a lab). Your move into social psychology wont be as hindered as you think, this makes more sense than a lot of other options in psychology from what I have experienced. As you may know, many sociologists emphasize social psychology, others focus at deviant behavior, demography, gender and ethnicity, economic sociology, political sociology, and the list goes on.

From personal experience and research being in a very similar situation as you, I have found that getting at least some coursework will help (I had a minor). Many local community colleges typically offer general psychology, developmental, and usually 2 more lower-level psychology courses. This could be an option, and typically less expensive, another one would be to take on a master's program, especially in an experimental program, however, you will find that most programs will expect you to comprehend the basic theories in that subject which will be discussed beyond an entry-level perspective. My first cognitive psychology class was at the doctoral level and I will tell you that it was nothing like an undergrad class, the structure, format and grading was very different (luckily I bought an undergrad book the month before starting my master's to at least teach myself a foundation in it).

It can most definitely be done, so don't worry that you are doomed to fail before even starting, take it from another fellow sociology major!

 

[chman]

It certainly couldn't hurt to get a couple basic psych courses under your belt (say psych 101, research methods, and, of course, social psych). Aside from that, as long as you have clear direction and reasoning for going in to social psych (aka an area of research interest), I don't think you will be hindered at all by being a sociology major.

I think getting a little research experience in a social psych lab would be your best bet. What's the rush? You might as well hold off applying one year and do it right. I've taken more time than I would have liked to get the proper experience.. It's just part of the game and shows dedication. Doctoral programs of any kind really want to see that you know what you are getting in to.

The good news is that social psych isn't as competitive as other areas (aka clinical), and with some moderate experience, good grades, and a decent GRE you should be golden. Good luck!

P.S. You're right that finding paid work in a social psych lab as an RA will be difficult. Your best bet is to probably volunteer in an area that really interests you and make money with a day job.. If you had a little experience I would probably encourage you to try to apply for some RA employment, but it is quite difficult to land those jobs without any prior experience.