Best way to remedy low GPA for doctoral programs?

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My goal is to be accepted into a PhD or PsyD doctoral program in Clinical Psychology. I know all the parts of my application I CAN work on...GRE's (have yet to take), LOR (strong), etc. However, my UGPA isn't going anywhere!

I graduated from a large, well-respected public university with an overall UGPA of 2.84, BA Psychology. My major GPA is 3.2. Although I could give applying straight to doctoral programs a shot, based on what I read and statistics I believe I would be better off raising my GPA...which leads me to my question!

What is the best way to remedy a low GPA in order to get into doctoral programs eventually?

My ideas thus far, based on what I've read:

• MA/MS General Psych or Experimental
• Post-baccalaureate Psychology program
• Post-bac Graduate Certificate in a specific topic within psychology
• Taking classes locally as a non-degree status student

In your experiences, what is the most efficient and most effective way to prove your academic abilities and raise your GPA for doctoral programs?

If you know of any programs that are particularly stellar, please share 😀

 

[Engali]

Those are all good ideas. Which one to choose will depend on your circumstances. I would recommend taking the Psych GRE to counterbalance your UGPA.

 

[Doctor Eliza]

What about the additional option of a master's that would make you license-eligible? You mentioned PsyD, so I assume you are looking primarily at applied work. A licensable master's would give you the option of continuing to a doctorate after completion or just working in the field. If you spend a few years on a non-clinical master's and decide not to go on or can't get in, your degree would be pretty useless.

Good luck,
Dr. E

 

[paramour]

I actually had job offers with my non-clinical master's. 👍

 

[mixolyd]

Are you sure this is what you want to do? I hate to sound hostile, but it will be very difficult for you to get into any program with such a low GPA. And your psych GPA is low too. It's one thing to have a low cum GPA, but a low psych GPA is not a good sign.

If you already have a degree in psych, it wouldn't make much sense to go the post-bac route. Masters is one idea, but honestly I'm not sure if a high Masters GPA will make up for such a low UGPA. And (again sorry for sounding hostile), are you sure you can even handle a Masters program if you did so bad in undergrad?

This will be a very uphill battle for you, and it's up to you whether or not it's worth it. You can always go to nursing school and become a psychiatric nurse practitioner.. You'll probably make way more money than you would as a psychologist 😉 And the path to get there is much easier.

 

[PHD12]

Once you get into a doctoral program, you are in for a 7-9 year long haul from start to finish. Why add two more years on top of this? It really depends if you are willing to be in training for up to 11 years after earning a college degree.

One thing I should mention, the college GPA continues to be looked at once people get into good doctoral programs. Undergraduate transcripts were required for several internship sites I applied to. They are also looked at when you apply for competitive clinical placements. I do not think this is a deal breaker, but its something to think about. Part of the problem is that everyone knows that graduate GPA's are overinflated like crazy. Most people graduate with 3.8-4.0 from MA and Doctoral programs in psychology from my experience.

 

[PHD12]

This will be a very uphill battle for you, and it's up to you whether or not it's worth it. You can always go to nursing school and become a psychiatric nurse practitioner.. You'll probably make way more money than you would as a psychologist 😉 And the path to get there is much easier.

Totally agree. I'd like to add that in the real world everyone and their mother is able to do what a psychologists is trained to do. I've seen NP, Psychiatrists, RNs, Addiction Counselors, nutritionists, etc. all providing psychotherapy and running groups in various psychiatric settings.

 

[psychRA]

Horribly depressing. Isn't this really on the long end though?? (Cough.... 9 years??? Who takes that long?)

5 years of grad school + 1 year internship + 2 years postdoc/licensing requirements = 8 years to become a licensed psychologist.

Some people get finished faster (finish school in 4 years, take a 1-year postdoc, get licensed in one of the few states that doesn't require postdoc hours, etc.), but some take longer. Nine years is on the longer side, but not unheard of.

 

[AcronymAllergy]

Totally agree. I'd like to add that in the real world everyone and their mother is able to do what a psychologists is trained to do. I've seen NP, Psychiatrists, RNs, Addiction Counselors, nutritionists, etc. all providing psychotherapy and running groups in various psychiatric settings.

One thing I'd personally point out is that psychologists are trained to do much more than psychotherapy (individual and group). However, I certainly agree that if therapy is what you're mainly interested in, either the masters (LCSW, counseling psych, etc.) or psychiatric NP route could be better options.

One other thing to point out is that just because someone is allowed to do something doesn't necessarily mean they're doing it correctly or well. Not that everyone notices this distinction though, of course.

As for the timeline: 7-9 years isn't unheard of at all, nope. As PHD12 pointed out, once you factor in grad school, internship, and postdoc, you brush up against the better part of a decade very easily. In general, the absolute fastest you're going to finish and be licensed would be five to six years (four years grad school + 1 year internship + getting licensed in a state that doesn't require postdoc hours).

 

[Doctor Eliza]

5 years of grad school + 1 year internship + 2 years postdoc/licensing requirements = 8 years to become a licensed psychologist.

Some people get finished faster (finish school in 4 years, take a 1-year postdoc, get licensed in one of the few states that doesn't require postdoc hours, etc.), but some take longer. Nine years is on the longer side, but not unheard of.

For sure. Entering grad school, everyone thinks that they will be done in 5 years. But there are things that slow you down in grad school that aren't in the picture undergrad. For example, you might run into a hitch with your dissertation or master's project (some friends ended up adding an extra year due to the data collection phase). You might have advisor issues or switch labs. Or if you leave campus before your dissertation is done (e.g., going to internship before your dissertation is nearly done) that seems to really slow things down. Also life happens. You or a family member might get sick. My personal experience is that personal crises are much harder to deal with and get your work done in grad school than undergrad.

If you want to go this path, get comfortable with signing over the next decade of your life.

Best,
Dr. E