I have a BA in Psychology and am currently studying for the GRE to apply to grad school. I love the clinical aspect of psych and do want to be able to assess/perform testings/counsel clients/patients. I would love to get my Psy.D. but the amount of debt I would be in from that program is a bit too much for me to fathom (I am also 31 and planning on starting a family soon). I thought the MS in School Psych may enable me to perform the things I wish to within the career but I am concerned that it is more of an administrative position than hands on, based on my research online. MSW I am unsure of due to common belief that it is very hard to make a decent income working as a social worker, or is that just for
non clinical MSWs? Also, I recently moved to Charlotte from Chicago and they have a MA (or it may be M.Ed.) in counseling with a clinical mental health track? In Chicago I was set on the MA in Clinical Psych but none of those exist here. Can someone please give some advice/guidance please? Also, what are realistic salaries starting out and capping off in the fields mentioned?
THANK YOU !!!!!!
Wow. I am also in my early 30s, planning on starting a family soon, and a Chicago-area transplant living in NC! I was also questioning the three degrees above, and it really comes down to what you want to do (with a few caveats).
If you want to work in schools, helping students and analyzing educational plans and assessments then school counseling might be your thing. Doing an M.Ed. vs. an MA in school psychology might not vary much job-wise, but the schooling will be different. An M.Ed. will focus more on education and learning theory. You may get more assessment experience, and your practicum sites will be in schools. Depending on the state, you might also be required to have some teaching experience before or by the end of your degree.
An M.A. in counseling (which is what I think you meant, as an MA in Clinical Psychology is mostly a terminal research degree meant for future PhDs) will prepare you for entry-level jobs mostly with state agencies, private practices, and some health care facilities. This avenue is more therapy-heavy. Many M.A. programs have specific tracks for either clinical or school counseling, and if you're not sure which one you want yet, you might want to apply to one where you can try both for a little while and declare later.
An MSW is maybe the most versatile of the three, as you can use it for both counseling and policy/advocacy areas. MSWs are, in general, more employable in governmental (jails, courts) and independent sites (adoption agencies, etc.) than MAs. Insurance reimbursements tend to be better for MSWs, which is why they are favored in hospitals (though that is changing).
Of course, this is just a quick and dirty summary. You can find more specific descriptions on school websites & job postings.
Things to keep in mind: On average, none of these degrees promise more than a 40-50K starting (and sometimes ending!) salary. People don't enter these fields for the money. There are ways to make more, but it completely depends on factors like location and type of practice. Schooling is not cheap either given the cost of the degree, investment of time, and expected future income.
Be sure to check licensing requirements for any state where you might want to practice before committing to a program. NC programs prepare you for NC practice--not Texas, California, or our own dear Illinois. Each state has their own unique (and sometimes picky) requirements, and you don't want to get caught courses or hours short of practice.
I don't know how 'stuck' in Charlotte you are or how much you would be willing to commute, but both Wake Forest University and UNC-Greensboro have excellent counseling programs. Wake even has an online one (but that won't fly in Illinois just yet).
Also, if you want to forego further schooling and just do assessment, you can with your BA as a psychometrician/neuropsychology technician. I did that for years before I thought I would go insane if I gave another WMS or CMS!
