Aspiring to get into masters program, then PHD

[TheDude8D]

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Hi! I am currently a junior in college pursuing a degree in psychology, and then hopefully a masters and PHD. I am new to the whole idea of this and was wondering if anyone had any advice on what I can do as an undergrad to help my chances of getting into a masters program? I also wanted to know if undergrads participating in research is a thing or not as I would like to get started with that as soon as possible. Right now I am volunteering at a state mental hospital and overall was wondering what my other options are to help my chances/get more experience in the field.

Also if I haven't asked enough questions already, what is that state of research into psychosis like right now? I can't find much information at all online on the subject. Is psychosis just too random and hard to pin down for any meaningful research to come out of it, or am I just looking in the wrong places?

 

[Temperance]

Hi! I am currently a junior in college pursuing a degree in psychology, and then hopefully a masters and PHD. I am new to the whole idea of this and was wondering if anyone had any advice on what I can do as an undergrad to help my chances of getting into a masters program? I also wanted to know if undergrads participating in research is a thing or not as I would like to get started with that as soon as possible. Right now I am volunteering at a state mental hospital and overall was wondering what my other options are to help my chances/get more experience in the field.

What is your GPA? If you can keep it sufficiently high (3.5+), then you don't need a master's degree to apply to doctoral programs. It would be a better use of your time and money to gain as much research experience as possible, which may include one to two years of a paid full-time research position. If you have not done so already, join a research lab.

"Psychosis" is broad. What about it interests you?

 

[TheDude8D]

I have a 4.0 right now, but I actually would like to do the masters program first to allow myself to go at a slower pace than the doctoral program would pace me at. Thanks for the info on the value of research experience. In terms of psychosis I meant the term to be broad, I guess I have to specify what parts of it to find the information I need. I'm particularly interested in how a schizophrenic/schizoaffective in an active psychotic state interacts with their environment through their 5 senses. Haven't really been able to find much on that topic.

 

[psych.meout]

I have a 4.0 right now, but I actually would like to do the masters program first to allow myself to go at a slower pace than the doctoral program would pace me at. Thanks for the info on the value of research experience. In terms of psychosis I meant the term to be broad, I guess I have to specify what parts of it to find the information I need. I'm particularly interested in how a schizophrenic/schizoaffective in an active psychotic state interacts with their environment through their 5 senses. Haven't really been able to find much on that topic.

What do you mean by a "slower pace?"

 

[TheDude8D]

From what I know, going through the masters program then the PHD program will allow me to gain a couple more years experience with counseling and research before delving into the PHD world, sorry if this is incorrect. I don't have much knowledge concerning this and am just relaying what I've heard from my professors.

 

[psych.meout]

From what I know, going through the masters program then the PHD program will allow me to gain a couple more years experience with counseling and research before delving into the PHD world, sorry if this is incorrect. I don't have much knowledge concerning this and am just relaying what I've heard from my professors.

Well, you can take off as much time as you want, but it's not necessarily the best idea. I'd say time off between undergrad and grad schools is helpful to make money, get experience, mature, and various other benefits, but it's less beneficial to do a terminal master's program first if you don't actually need it (e.g., low undergrad GPA). Terminal master's programs are typically unfunded or underfunded, so you'll be unnecessarily taking on debt, especially when most PhD programs are going to require you to complete a master' thesis along the way.

If you want to get more experience with research before starting a doctoral program, a paid research assistant or coordinator position would allow you to get it while earning money and not spending any of your own. As far as clinical experience (e.g., counseling) goes, it's difficult to get this experience with just a bachelor's degree. You just don't have the education or training to licensed and do the kind of clinical work that is comparable with doctoral training. There are some positions out there that allow you to get experience at this level (e.g., psychometrist), but these can be few and far between depending on where you live.

if you still decide that you want to do a terminal master's, be warned that not every master's program is equally amenable to doing research or clinical work. Counseling master's programs involve relatively little research, because they are geared towards training mid-level providers, not researchers. Thus, while you will get to do clinical work, you'll get relatively little of the research experience that doctoral programs actually care about. Conversely, clinical psychology and experimental psychology master's programs involve substantial research experience and focus on training people to go to doctoral programs, but these programs do not generally involve counseling or other clinical work beyond potentially working with people with mental illness as research participants. These programs are generally not accredited CACREP and other organizations that would lead to licensure.

 

[TheDude8D]

Thank y'all so much for the information! This was exactly what I was looking for and I feel I can now make a more informed decision regarding what I would like to spend the next few years doing.

 

[YoungFrancis]

From what I know, going through the masters program then the PHD program will allow me to gain a couple more years experience with counseling and research before delving into the PHD world, sorry if this is incorrect. I don't have much knowledge concerning this and am just relaying what I've heard from my professors.

As others have mentioned, a masters probably wouldn't be as beneficial for you due to your GPA. If you're waffling on your interest in the field, auditing a class in a masters program may at least give you a taste of what it will be like.

A paid research position along with volunteer clinical experience on the side (e.g. suicide hotline) will pay dividends. Research experience is much more valuable than ~all clinical experience at this stage of your career.