Double Major

[trevskellyd]

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[Ollie123]

Depends what path you are going down. Family/Development might be appropriate if you are applying to child tracks. Neuroscience might be good if you are thinking of research in that area. Philosophy might be good for additional writing experience and for training in "thinking" (which sadly, is often under-emphasized in undergrad psychology). Statistics/Math might be good across all subfields if you are planning on a research career. Computer Science/Engineering might be good if you do technical research. I'm biased but I'd argue the latter two would likely help an application stand out more, particularly if you happen to be going into an area where such experiences are highly relevant/valuable. Things that are "closer" to a traditional psychology major are fine if they are of interest to you, but probably won't make huge difference in an application. I'm not convinced the latter will either, but they are perhaps more suggestive of you possessing "unique" skills that certain labs may be able to capitalize on.

None of the above is necessary and its probably tough to predict what direction your research will go at this stage. I'd just follow your interests. Working in more labs (or getting more in-depth experience in one lab) will likely be of greater benefit unless you already have in mind a very particular subfield you want to pursue.

 

[thewesternsky]

No, the second major won't help much. You'll be better off getting more research experience and doing a supervised project (like a Honours Thesis) if possible.

The only exception MIGHT be if the double major were in the biological sciences or statistics, you got excellent grades in those classes, and what you learned could be made directly relevant to your future advisor's research interests. Even if that were the case, though, more research experience would likely be favoured just as much.

 

[mcvcm92]

I don't think that a double major is necessary, but it might be a good ideas to at least take some classes in your potential field of interest (ex. FHD courses if applying to clinical/child psych programs). A minor is also good too!

 

[LETSGONYR]

Depends what path you are going down. Family/Development might be appropriate if you are applying to child tracks. Neuroscience might be good if you are thinking of research in that area. Philosophy might be good for additional writing experience and for training in "thinking" (which sadly, is often under-emphasized in undergrad psychology). Statistics/Math might be good across all subfields if you are planning on a research career. Computer Science/Engineering might be good if you do technical research. I'm biased but I'd argue the latter two would likely help an application stand out more, particularly if you happen to be going into an area where such experiences are highly relevant/valuable. Things that are "closer" to a traditional psychology major are fine if they are of interest to you, but probably won't make huge difference in an application. I'm not convinced the latter will either, but they are perhaps more suggestive of you possessing "unique" skills that certain labs may be able to capitalize on.

None of the above is necessary and its probably tough to predict what direction your research will go at this stage. I'd just follow your interests. Working in more labs (or getting more in-depth experience in one lab) will likely be of greater benefit unless you already have in mind a very particular subfield you want to pursue.

I think all of the above are good ideas; I just wanted to add that double majoring in a second language can also be beneficial. Of course, if you are already an advanced student, gaining fluency (or enough proficiency to conduct therapy/assessment in that language) is likely not going to happen, but I think knowing a second language or at least being exposed to multicultural populations (as often happens through language courses) can be extremely beneficial, both in terms of applications as well as in your career.

 

[HomeworkHelper]

I would second those who mention either taking statistics classes or using the time to accrue additional research experience, especially if you want to make yourself competitive for PhD programs. I didn't focus on statistics as an undergrad, but as a PhD clinical doctoral student applying for postdocs, interviewers were quite interested in my statistical background (as evidenced in my CV by the advanced methods used in my research projects and a quant minor I received in graduate school). I think because there is a wide range of folks in psychology who range from fearing/detesting statistics to being quite advanced in their knowledge, knowing that someone has a jump on being competent in that area would look good, I imagine.

 

[HomeworkHelper]

By the way, OP, I applaud your initiative to have your eye on making yourself competitive a few years in advance. A number of folks make the decision to apply to graduate school too late (late junior/senior year), and it becomes difficult for them to accrue all the necessary experiences to make themselves competitive before they apply/graduate. If you haven't already, I would get a book like "Getting In: A Step-By-Step Plan for Gaining Admission to Graduate School in Psychology" or the "Insider's Guide to Graduate Programs in Clinical and Counseling Psychology." They can help you make decisions about how you want to spend your time in the next few years, such as by gaining relevant volunteer and research experiences, when to study/take the GRE, etc.

 

[somedaypsych]

i have a COMPLETELY unrelated undergrad degree. went back to complete psych pre-reqs in 2011. during the interview process, they were much more interested in my research experience than any previous courses. use the time to work on a thesis, study for the GRE in my opinion. (i do agree, however, that the more STATS the better!)

 

[Doctor Eliza]

You might also want to use your electives to keep your options open. That way you aren't forced to go to psych grad school when you graduate because you have so few options with a psych BA. If you have any interest in business, you might take a few of those classes (also would be good if you become interested in I/O rather than clinical psych). If there is any possibility that you would want to apply to med school instead, I'd take those requirements. (There aren't as many as you think and it doesn't require a full out premed or bio or chem major).

Good luck,
Dr. E

 

[PHD12]

Hi everyone,

EDIT: I forgot to mention that my current career plan (at least for now, anyway) is to start my own practice in clinical psychology. I'm not really interested in careers in teaching or research. Thank you for the advice so far!

PhD or PsyD may not be a best fit then if you are not interested at all in a career in teaching or research and are aiming for private practice.

Private practice is very risky and does not pay well in most circumstances. I think you will be disappointed if you go through 8 years of training in order to be a private practitioner since most MA level folks do the same thing (and even those without college degrees are calling themselves coaches and doing "therapy"). You are young now, but trust me when I say that as you get older you will want a job with benefits, sick leave, etc. and will want to live comfortably.

 

[Doctor Eliza]

PhD or PsyD may not be a best fit then if you are not interested at all in a career in teaching or research and are aiming for private practice.

Private practice is very risky and does not pay well in most circumstances. I think you will be disappointed if you go through 8 years of training in order to be a private practitioner since most MA level folks do the same thing (and even those without college degrees are calling themselves coaches and doing "therapy"). You are young now, but trust me when I say that as you get older you will want a job with benefits, sick leave, etc. and will want to live comfortably.

+1

It is like the phrase about using a bazooka to kill a housefly. Many years of preparation and suffering to end up somewhere you could have ended up with fewer years and likely less suffering. You will have to obtain an extensive research background to even get in to a PhD program. If that doesn't interest you, there are better ways to become a therapist.

Dr. E