Bias against Masters?

[CharmedDiamond]

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Hey Everyone,

Combing though the "Insider's Guide to Graduate Programs in Clinical and Counseling Psychology" I've noticed that there are some schools that rate that they have accepted 0% of students with a masters (though generally numbers are low anyway). Is it likely that there is a bias against those with an M.S. (general/experimental/research focused), or that just very few people apply with masters? What's the reasoning behind it if there is a bias?

 

[KillerDiller]

I'm pretty sure there isn't a bias against masters degrees in admissions, especially the types of degrees you mentioned. It's just that not many people with masters degrees apply compared to those who only hold a bachelor's.

 

[Psychadelic2012]

I disagree with KillerDiller, because I am aware that there is a bias. It's not blatant and not totally predictable, but it's there. I have heard that one of the reasons is because these programs want to train their students from the beginning or certain professors might prefer younger students with less baggage (for whatever reason). My take is that there is obviously less grant funding available to students with masters degrees (i.e., the coveted NSF grant) and by accepting students with graduate degrees, these programs are limiting the competitiveness of their students for these grants, which is not good for them because it brings research productivity into the university.

 

[paramour]

I have to agree with Psychadelic here in that I had some profs I interviewed with admit that I would have less of a chance due to my master's degree.

In addition to the "we want to make sure you know how to do things our way and you've not been screwed up already..." Their programs reportedly strongly discouraged them from accepting students with master's degrees due to needing to meet student quotas for classes. If students came in with "credits," then they would have less students for those classes and potentially not be able to offer those courses as needed for everyone else. I had expected to repeat most, if not all, coursework anyway (as my program was experimental and not clinical) and communicated this to these programs; they really didn't care.

On the other hand, I ran into a few profs who preferred students with master's degrees, and I suspect this is how I ultimately ended up accepted.

I probably would have been better off working as a RA somewhere rather than earning an "extra" degree. Seems to have caused me more trouble than it's worth in the long run.

 

[paramour]

I also think that if you comb previous threads, you'll find this has been discussed with both points of view being addressed in more detail than has been done here. 😉

 

[LivingOffLoans]

I know plenty of programs that prefer students with a master's degree, so I would look into these schools if they have other factors that appeal to you.

 

[Member6523]

Some hardcore research PhD clinical programs frown upon MAs. When I interviewed, at least one of my potential advisors made some comment like "Why would someone as smart as you get a Master's?" Another program never interviewed a Master's student before, so my questions about transferring class credits/prac hours were met with consternation. Needless to say, no offers from either. But I did get offers from other PhD programs where the MA wasn't an issue or where it was even factored in in terms of course waiver, thesis waiver, etc. It varies program to program..

 

[futureapppsy2]

I know of at least one very balanced PhD program that openly states a bias against applicants with Masters degrees on its admissions page (for the coursework reasons paramour mentions), so YMMV.

 

[Pragma]

Well, this obviously will vary. I know several profs who actually PREFER nontraditional students who are older, maybe have a master's or different work experiences, etc. They appreciate having different experiences and background on their team.

 

[Mianess]

When I was applying to Clinical PhD programs, I didn't feel as though my MA got in the way of anything (I got into my first choice school). In fact, the first time I applied was when I was straight out of my BA and I was wait listed. I was encouraged to get a MA by my adviser because it would help prove that I could "handle graduate work". I guess it really just depends on the program. Although, I would be a little wary of programs that would allow a graduate degree to overshadow an applicant's worth.

 

[DynamicDidactic]

this seems to differ with programs. In my program we seem to average 1 person with a masters per year.

 

[cara susanna]

I actually didn't get in somewhere because there were so many Masters applicant who had applied that year. So I had the opposite experience, haha.

 

[Dayvid]

Hello, I am new here to SDN. I am starting my freshmen year of college in 2 weeks so I don't know much about Doctoral programs, but I've always heard that it is recommended to get a Master's degree before trying to get into a Doctoral program. Is someone lying to me? lol


EDIT: WOW! I thought SDN only had the forums that are shown when you have the mouse over the "Forums" tab. I felt like I won a contest when I clicked on it. 😀 sweet!

 

[syzergy]

Hello, I am new here to SDN. I am starting my freshmen year of college in 2 weeks so I don't know much about Doctoral programs, but I've always heard that it is recommended to get a Master's degree before trying to get into a Doctoral program. Is someone lying to me? lol


EDIT: WOW! I thought SDN only had the forums that are shown when you have the mouse over the "Forums" tab. I felt like I won a contest when I clicked on it. 😀 sweet!

I'd say it depends on the student. Kick ass in undergrad, get a great GPA, participate in research, form relationships with faculty and grad students, figure out what you're interested in and what kind of job you want and I don't see any reason to get a Master's. I wasn't perfect in undergrad but I did well and got into a great school my first application round without a Master's.

I'd recommend getting a Master's if you need a GPA boost. If you need more research experience or are still figuring out what you want to do, try going for a paid postbac research position.

But hey, you are just starting college. Poke around and try to figure out what you're interested in. Join a research lab. Take some psych courses. See if this is really what you want to do. This is a really hard route. I really love my program and I'm excited for the future but if I could start all over again, I'd probably go to vet school.