BA or BS?

[Pimop89]

If you want to apply for a Phd Clinical Psychology program does it matter if you have a BA or BS?

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[CheetahGirl]

No. I would guess most have BAs, but I personally would go for a BS if you can. I had a BS, and the hard science foundation informs my clinical side daily (if you want to do clinical psych and/or research). If you want to do counseling or something less hospital-based, BA may serve your needs better (more liberally-artsy but you still need your stats and basic science classes, right?).

One professor used to say 'English majors' make the best therapists because of their eloquence with words. I suppose he has a point.

 

[Pimop89]

No. I would guess most have BAs, but I personally would go for a BS if you can. I had a BS, and the hard science foundation informs my clinical side daily (if you want to do clinical psych and/or research) If you want to do counseling or something less hospital-based, BA may serve your needs better (more liberally-artsy but you still need your stats and basic science classes, right?).

One professor used to say 'English majors' make the best therapists because of their eloquence with words. I suppose he has a point.

How so if you don't mind me asking?

 

[CheetahGirl]

How so if you don't mind me asking?

I can think of two main areas off the top of my head:

- Deciphering medical information - lab results, reports, orders (which you could also get with a medical terminology undergrad 2-credit class), and all for my own benefit (I would not explain a CT scan to a patient, I am not qualified to do so.)

- Understanding/coordinating other disciplines - I work with others who use neuroimaging and biological samples that correspond to our clinical interventions; so to grasp these concepts from multiple levels, starting at the molecular level can inspire further ideas. I certainly have to understand what I read because these folks are often co-authors in manuscripts from this research. I don't need to be an expert in their areas, but I have to know how it is related to the disorder from multiple points of view: behavior, emotions, cognition (my metrics), and all of their metrics (labs, neurocircutry, imaging).

BS helps if you want clinical psychology, and certainly clinical research. BS is not necessary, you can be self-taught along the way, but I clearly see how my chemistry and physics classes inform my understanding of medicine in practice. Biology informs my understanding of human body (nothing unique here), hormones (I work in trauma, so with cortisol), genetics (we have folks that do genomic research on first-degree relatives), and definitely social & anthropological patterns (why do people migrate to others like they do? And all the other fun stuff with human behavior, like attachment). Oh, and I love math (was a BS math major, until I switched). So multivariate statistics definitely comes in handy in our profession. And for math, it is imperative to comprehend stats to understand our evidence-based findings. Because without evidence-based methods/findings, you cannot be sure to replicating those methods that were effective, efficient, and led to positive outcomes.

Again, you can pick all this up along the way, but for me, I've been thinking about this stuff (biology, chemistry, physics, math, statistics) since I was late teen. Now, it all seems second nature when something new and daunting is tossed at me, but it's expected and what I signed up for being a clinical research psychologist at an academic medical center.

Hope this helps.

 

[Pimop89]

I can think of two main areas off the top of my head: I am actually majoring for a BA in psychology I recently got my Associates and now I'm working towards my Bachelors but I was considering switching to a BS before applying for Phd. So thank you

- Deciphering medical information - lab results, reports, orders (which you could also get with a medical terminology undergrad 2-credit class), and all for my own benefit (I would not explain a CT scan to a patient, I am not qualified to do so.)

- Understanding/coordinating other disciplines - I work with others who use neuroimaging and biological samples that correspond to our clinical interventions; so to grasp these concepts from multiple levels, starting at the molecular level can inspire further ideas. I certainly have to understand what I read because these folks are often co-authors in manuscripts from this research. I don't need to be an expert in their areas, but I have to know how it is related to the disorder from multiple points of view: behavior, emotions, cognition (my metrics), and all of their metrics (labs, neurocircutry, imaging).

BS helps if you want clinical psychology, and certainly clinical research. BS is not necessary, you can be self-taught along the way, but I clearly see how my chemistry and physics classes inform my understanding of medicine in practice. Biology informs my understanding of human body (nothing unique here), hormones (I work in trauma, so with cortisol), genetics (we have folks that do genomic research on first-degree relatives), and definitely social & anthropological patterns (why do people migrate to others like they do? And all the other fun stuff with human behavior, like attachment). Oh, and I love math (was a BS math major, until I switched). So multivariate statistics definitely comes in handy in our profession. And for math, it is imperative to comprehend stats to understand our evidence-based findings. Because without evidence-based methods/findings, you cannot be sure to replicating those methods that were effective, efficient, and led to positive outcomes.

Again, you can pick all this up along the way, but for me, I've been thinking about this stuff (biology, chemistry, physics, math, statistics) since I was late teen. Now, it all seems second nature when something new and daunting is tossed at me, but it's expected and what I signed up for being a clinical research psychologist at an academic medical center.

Hope this helps.

 

[Pimop89]

think of two main areas off the top of my head: I am actually majoring for a BA in psychology I recently got my Associates and now I'm working towards my Bachelors but I was considering switching to a BS before applying for Phd. So thank you it helps

 

[CheetahGirl]

think of two main areas off the top of my head: I am actually majoring for a BA in psychology I recently got my Associates and now I'm working towards my Bachelors but I was considering switching to a BS before applying for Phd. So thank you it helps

You're welcome.

 

[MCParent]

In admissions I've never retained the information of whether a student as a BA or BS. Whether psych is a BA or BS depends on some college administrative things much more than course content at most places.

 

[CheetahGirl]

@Pimop89,

For our field (professional psychology, and other medical/mental health fields seem similar at the doctoral level), in order to be fully-trained you have to become an "expert" one or several area(s): Your dissertation research (main thesis, concept, idea...mine is trauma - broad but I can message you my specific niche - it has become very distinct, but all roads lead to where I am, so you can influence your development by different choices - BA or BS, is def a good start).

Here's another tip: This is the wave of the future of studying mental disorders. NIMH » Research Domain Criteria (RDoC)

Look it over and start to think about what you think is interesting. And pick a general area, but know that along that matrix, there are existing links that are being explored...so what are you interested in? And it may change. Mine did! I wanted to be a die-hard forensic psychologist, testifying in court, and doing assessment behind bars. But alas, I found something else equally as passionate, but by evolution. At one point, I wanted to work in child trauma, but then after I had kids, that felt conflicted, so I found something different. As I said, my expertise now involves multiple disciplines, and the positive outcomes are rewarding (even the negative outcomes that we learn from, and do not replicate are valuable), especially on an interpersonal level for me because I'm primarily a clinical person.

I love RDoC because when the initiative follows through, science will become more defined, precise, reliable, and that's terrific for everyone!

 

[Kadhir]

In admissions I've never retained the information of whether a student as a BA or BS. Whether psych is a BA or BS depends on some college administrative things much more than course content at most places.

This. Absolutely no difference. I had a BA (BS wasn't even an option). Heck, even the biology majors got a BA. I believe BA is the older degree, so many schools follow this by default. And then in my graduate program, I got an MS when many colleagues at other institutions got an MA. Again, irrelevant.

Choose classes that will suit your graduate goals as you know them to be currently. A BS won't magically make you more competitive or appropriate for anything.

 

[Pimop89]

This. Absolutely no difference. I had a BA (BS wasn't even an option). Heck, even the biology majors got a BA. I believe BA is the older degree, so many schools follow this by default. And then in my graduate program, I got an MS when many colleagues at other institutions got an MA. Again, irrelevant.

Choose classes that will suit your graduate goals as you know them to be currently. A BS won't magically make you more competitive or appropriate for anything.

 

[MCParent]

I'll had that sometimes a college has the BA and BS as separate tracks with completely different courses, which is the only circumstance in which it might make a difference but I think that's pretty rare.

 

[CheetahGirl]

I'll had that sometimes a college has the BA and BS as separate tracks with completely different courses, which is the only circumstance in which it might make a difference but I think that's pretty rare.

Yes. My Division I large urban state undergrad university had separate tracks that were quite different...BS could be very hard science heavy (mine was by choice).

But like I said earlier...there's really no difference in terms of a BS/BA for clinical psych phd program applicants.

If you want to apply for a Phd Clinical Psychology program does it matter if you have a BA or BS?

No. I would guess most have BAs, but I personally would go for a BS if you can. I had a BS, and the hard science foundation informs my clinical side daily (if you want to do clinical psych and/or research). If you want to do counseling or something less hospital-based, BA may serve your needs better (more liberally-artsy but you still need your stats and basic science classes, right?).

One professor used to say 'English majors' make the best therapists because of their eloquence with words. I suppose he has a point.

 

[WisNeuro]

Similar to Cheetah, my large State uni undergrad had both BSc and BA. They were very different. I did the BSc, very science and math heavy. Counselors recommended the BSc for those who were planning on going on to graduate work. It was easy to see why, the BA included some of the most fluff classes that the university offered and was clearly for people who merely wanted to leave undergrad with some type of degree.

All that said, many places don't offer both, and it's more about the classes that you did take and the grades you received than those letters after your degree when you are applying to graduate school. If your psych degree is not heavy science, I'd recommend filling in some electives with some decent science classes. Also make sure you get decent math and stats in.