I want to teach at community college: Which degree do I get?

[Kiara15]

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Hello all!
I am (relatively) new to posting here, so I don't know if this topic has been done to death or not (if it is, don't shoot me!). I am currently applying to MFT (marriage and family therapy) M.A. programs. However, I know that my chances of finding a teaching job in such a specific area may be slim. That is why I would like to get a doctorate. I have heard that there are openings at CC for those with only MA degrees, but what about in 20 years when the majority of new graduates have Ph.Ds, and I somehow find myself job hunting in the midst of that? I won't have a chance. That's why I'm trying to figure out which program I should apply to. I don't want to get the traditional Ph.D because I hate to admit that I abhor the research side of psychology. I enjoy reading up on articles, but I worked in 2 research labs during undergrad, and (I'm sad to admit) I hated both of them. I've been doing my research, and I stumbled upon the ed.D or Psy.D in counseling psychology, or the DMFT (doctorate in marriage and family therapy. Are there any other degrees that I would be interested in, that do not have such a large focus in research? Which path do you think would be more reasonable in my search for a CC teaching position? Thanks in advance guys!

 

[futureapppsy2]

Honestly, the academic job market is so competitive these days that even CC's require strong doctorates with both solid research experience and great teaching experience, and generally, academia looks down on non-PhD/MD doctorates relative to PhDs (there are exceptions, of course, but in general, getting a non-PhD doctorate will only make your job search in academia harder, and it's already plenty hard as is).

 

[wigflip]

Honestly, the academic job market is so competitive these days that even CC's require strong doctorates with both solid research experience and great teaching experience, and generally, academia looks down on non-PhD/MD doctorates relative to PhDs (there are exceptions, of course, but in general, getting a non-PhD doctorate will only make your job search in academia harder, and it's already plenty hard as is).

I agree (re non-PhD doctorates being frowned upon for CC hires), but in some places people with MAs only may actually be more competitive for CC jobs because they can pay you less than someone with a doctorate.

I would be very, very cautious about pursuing this path if you are solely interested in teaching, or believe that teaching will be a full time job which will pay your bills. There are many, many more applicants than there are jobs, and this is unlikely to change as colleges and unis of all types shift towards hiring contingent faculty over full timers. Adjuncts (part timers) are paid very poorly and receive neither benefits nor job security. In some places (Texas, I think) tenure for CC profs is being abolished, and if this trend spreads there may be virtually no job security at the CC level even for the lucky few who get full time gigs.

I'd start researching the academic job market in your target area BEFORE applying to a doctorate. I've been tracking jobs in my area, and it's pretty bleak.

This issue has been addressed elsewhere on sdn, so the search function may yield helpful results. Here's one thread:
http://forums.studentdoctor.net/showthread.php?t=847762

 

[Kiara15]

Wow, you guys really made me rethink a couple of things. I think I'm going to get the Psy.d in counseling psychology, but aim to get a government job instead of academia. If I happen to get an academia job, well that will be icing on the cake 🙂

 

[futureapppsy2]

Wow, you guys really made me rethink a couple of things. I think I'm going to get the Psy.d in counseling psychology, but aim to get a government job instead of academia. If I happen to get an academia job, well that will be icing on the cake 🙂

Just in case you aren't aware, there are only around 3 or 4 APA accredited counseling PsyD programs (and one applying for accred), and for a government job, you definitely need an APA accredited program (and likely an APA accredited internship as well).

 

[wigflip]

Just in case you aren't aware, there are only around 3 or 4 APA accredited counseling PsyD programs (and one applying for accred), and for a government job, you definitely need an APA accredited program (and likely an APA accredited internship as well).

Helpful--as usual--thanks.

I found 3:

1. Carlow
2. Our Lady of the Lake
3. Uni of St. Thomas
http://www.apa.org/ed/accreditation/programs/accred-counseling.aspx

But who's applying for accred?

 

[futureapppsy2]

Helpful--as usual--thanks.

I found 3:

1. Carlow
2. Our Lady of the Lake
3. Uni of St. Thomas
http://www.apa.org/ed/accreditation/programs/accred-counseling.aspx

But who's applying for accred?

I thought Carlow was because I remember seeing them on the applicant list, but I see now that they've been granted accreditation as April 2011. So, there's only those three, two of which (Carlow and St. Thomas) require a Masters in Counseling or a closely related applied field (not 100% sure, but I think MFT would probably qualify). Nothern Colorado used to offer a counseling psych PsyD but changed to a PhD in 2010.


IMO, it's quite risky to limit yourself to three programs, and I'd strongly consider adding some balanced PhD programs to your list as well. Ancedotally, I'd guess that there are probably more clinically-leaning balanced programs than research-leaning or research-focused programs out there, though they may not necessarily advertise themselves as such.

 

[psychology24]

Chatham University is a new(er) program offering a counseling psy.d, but has not yet been accredited. I thought they would be applying for accreditation this year, but have not seen theme posted on APA list.

http://www.chatham.edu/academics/programs/graduate/psyd/

 

[Kiara15]

You guys are awesome, and giving me a ton of info that I wasn't even aware of. I knew that there were only 3 accredited Psy.D. programs in Counseling Psychology in the US, and I was TRYING to be optimistic 😛 I went to undergrad in Colorado and thought that it was a shame that UNC got rid of their Psy.D. Counseling program. Anyways, I'd definitely suck it up and apply to some Psy.D programs in Clinical Psychology and a couple of Ph.D. programs in Counseling Psychology that really stuck out to me; however, the Psy.D Counseling programs would definitely be a priority, and I'd be keeping my fingers crossed. Hopefully by the time I graduate from my MFT in early 2014, there will be a FEW more accredited ones.