Didn't get into PhD Programs but got into a MA program - What Should I do?

[Sykotic1]

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Hi all,

Disclaimer: This turned out to be significantly longer than I anticipated, so, I am very appreciative in advance of anyone who actually takes the time to read this and respond.

Unfortunately, this time around, I was ultimately not accepted at any of the Counseling Psychology PhD programs I had applied to. However, along the way I was accepted into a MA program, which I am strongly considering pursuing. I was wondering if anybody had any advice as to whether or not to pursue this degree: Here is my story:

I did actually interview at a few of the doc programs I'd applied to, and as I waited to hear from them, even before getting any rejection letters (and I thought the interviews actually went well, so we can rule out cognitive dissonance factors), I started questioning whether a PhD was the degree I really want. I've always had a surefire interest in therapy; however, my interest in research has been wavering. Sometimes I think I might need the academic end of things in my life, always, and other times I fear waking up one morning and spontaneously coming to terms with the fact that I hate what I'm doing - that maybe my interest is not so intrinsic, but comes because I've been fairly competent at thinking up and synthesizing research ideas and it's actually the feeling of competency rather than the research itself that I'm chasing.

I've been out of school for two years now, and I am feeling incredibly anxious to "get going" with my career. In fact, I almost can't stand the thought of just working in a lab for another year. So, I'm considering pursuing this MA degree in Mental Health Counseling, possibly terminally, but possibly to lead to a PhD. At this juncture I have very little idea where I might end up. Here are the drawbacks, however:

I pretty much have no money. Hopefully, I'll get an assistantship/small stipend that will cover about 7 - 8 of the 10 courses for the first year. (If I don't, the MA will be out of the question for this year). However, cost of living (rent/utilities/food/etc) still remains. My parents are able/willing to partially help out, which means that ultimately, the loans I accrue won't be too high, but I will be needing to take out loans (~30K) nonetheless.

My question here is, should I take yet another year off, move home, make money, follow through with my first couple publications, and reapply for cheaper MA (and possibly a few PhD programs) next year, avoiding loans, etc. I don't WANT to do this (I, so badly, would like to move on), but I don't want to financially screw myself over. I'm trying to look at this as an investment of sorts, where if I decide along the way that I do in fact want my MA to be terminal, perhaps being in the "work force" a year earlier is a better choice.

What do you all think? Thanks again, if anyone actually takes the time to read this and respond to it. You're the best. 🙂

 

[KillerDiller]

That's a tough one. How much have you looked into other MA programs? If you haven't looked into too many, I would start to do that now just to get the sense of how the program you were admitted to compares to other potential programs you could attend next year. If your current program compares favorably to these other schools, I would probably go ahead and accept the admissions offer.

Also, look into whether the program requires an empirical thesis. I would highly recommend attending a masters program with this requirement if you have any intention of pursuing the PhD down the road. Additionally, it will help you decide whether you like research enough to pursue a PhD.

 

[Zebra F701]

The empirical thesis aspect would be a good step, but it is not completely necessary. My experience with this process (and I was in almost the exact same position as the OP) taught me: volunteer for some research labs as soon as possible after you start the program, get good grades, and try to have a practicum that would be equivalent to a PhD practicum experience (i.e. college counseling center, hospital... something with good supervision).

 

[PhDToBe]

I would move back home, and get both research and clinical experience, to try to determine if you a) like research and b) if you do, to help make you more attractive for PhD programs in 1-2 years. This will help you save money. You can get research experience by working or volunteering in labs at a local university or perhaps a paid position at a hospital. You can obtain clinical experience by working/volunteering at a psychiatric hospital, crisis line, shelters, etc. However, if you have a low GPA, you likely should do a Master's program to prove you can handle graduate-level work. I would purse only an Experimental or Clinical Master's, not one in Mental Health Counseling (those types are usually through Education departments and most Psychology PhD programs obviously prefer Master degrees in Psychology).

 

[Sykotic1]

Hi all,

Thanks your responses. I'm still sitting on this decision.

PhDToBe - I've actually been working in a paid position as a research coordinator for the two years I have been out of college, and still feel relatively unsure about whether I want it to be a part of my future. My GPA is a 3.88 from a college that is ranked fairly high, so no need to pursue a MA in order to prove myself in that capacity. If I were to take another year or two off I would likely attempt to get a job that differs significantly than the job I am working in now - something more clinically based, although I'm not sure how much clinical experience actually adds to a resume targeted at PhD acceptance. (thoughts?) However, I've begun working on two of three manuscripts which I intend to submit for publication, and I would retake my GRE, which I scored a 1280 on this time around.

The question still remains, however, whether I should go into the masters program this year and make decisions about the PhD program as I go. I'd be working on those pubs whether or not I attend a masters program, so if I do decide to pursue a PhD afterwards, I feel like I'd be a more attractive candidate post MA than I am now.

Thanks again to everyone who took the time to respond to me. 🙂