Is it worth it?

[PsyWannabe]

Hey all,
Sorry if this is the wrong place to put this, but I was wondering what everyone thought about something. I've applied twice in a row for Clinical PhD programs, because they are really what I want, but both times have been rejected. My BA is in liberal art stuff, though my GPA is good. It's been suggested that I try for an MA in Psychology and then go from there into a PhD Program. So I have questions:

Is it worth getting the MA in Psych? I know there's a number of other, much more useful, MAs (such as MPH or MSW) that might also boost my chances to get in.
Is getting an MA about the same as getting a postbac certificate in psych? Both seem to take equal amounts of time.
Do a lot of programs allow you to skip certain requirements if you've taken the courses for your master's?

If anyone could answer or give me some advice, I'd really appreciate it.

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[deleted176373]

What is being in this profession "worth" to you? Only then can you answer the second question, which is "will a master's degree be worth it?"

Mark

 

[Student4Life0]

I found myself in a similar boat as you. I wanted desperately to go straight from bachelors to a doctorate program..but I made some silly mistakes. First off..I only applied to ONE program..BIG mistake. It was a PsyD program, and I was pretty certain that I'd get in. I majored in psychology, had a high GPA, and had research experience. I didn't get into the program, so I opted for a masters in clinical first. I just finished my first year, and I feel that it is a good foundation. I just started my practicum, and got an ideal placement. Although I am not exactly where I want to be, I am working towards it and gaining more experience. More education is never a bad thing. With a MA in clinical, you can earn your LPC (or whatever the license is called where you live) and work as a mental health counselor. If this is what you want to do, then a masters will be enough. I personally want to go onto more schooling because I think the training is valueable, I love school, and also have other interests such as research and writing. So it's really up to you, but I don't regret the choice that I made.

 

[Student4Life0]

Oh and as far as skipping requirements, I am not too sure about this. From what I have heard, not many credits will transfer. And I believe it depends on the program. If I go from my masters to psyd within the same school, I believe a total of 9 credits transfer..something like that. It won't be much. But you will still have a really great foundation, and perhaps can get a job in the field while you work on your doctorate.

 

[TenaciousGirl]

Hey all,
Sorry if this is the wrong place to put this, but I was wondering what everyone thought about something. I've applied twice in a row for Clinical PhD programs, because they are really what I want, but both times have been rejected. My BA is in liberal art stuff, though my GPA is good. It's been suggested that I try for an MA in Psychology and then go from there into a PhD Program. So I have questions:

Is it worth getting the MA in Psych? I know there's a number of other, much more useful, MAs (such as MPH or MSW) that might also boost my chances to get in.
Is getting an MA about the same as getting a postbac certificate in psych? Both seem to take equal amounts of time.
Do a lot of programs allow you to skip certain requirements if you've taken the courses for your master's?

If anyone could answer or give me some advice, I'd really appreciate it.

Sorry it's been a rough road so far. The question is, what do you want to do? Are there several things you're interested in doing that an M.A. would be applicable? I don't think the M.A. is on the same level as a postbac certificate. A certificate is not a degree. Plus, depending on the job, you can get paid more for an advanced degree ... this is usually not the case with a certificate. I know of several students who got their M.A. on the road to the PhD. Obtaining the M.A. showed the schools they applied to that they could be successful grad students. A lot of PsyD/PhD programs offer the M.A. on the way, anyway. It's just that if you're ultimately getting a doctorate, then it doesn't really matter that you got the M.A. Just really explore your options. Think about the things you want to do and what the educational options are to get there.

 

[Therapist4Chnge]

I typically recommend people work backwards, so name your goals and evaluate which is a better fit.

 

[stw2010]

Hello,

I was in a similar situation. I did my undergrad in biology and my GPA was so,so..but I decided I really wanted to go into clinical psychology and tried to apply straight from undergrad but was rejected.

This is what I did and I hope it helps:
I decided to get an M.A. in psychology, it took about two years (I just finished ) and during that time I worked full time for a clinical research trial. So, I got my foundation in psychology that I needed and I was able to get really solid clinical psych research experience. Plus, I was able to have a great GPA compared to undergrad and get even better letters of rec.

I applied for this coming year (starting this august) and got into a great school!

So answer: I think its a good option for you if clinical psychology is really what you wanted. From a bio undergrad, getting an M.A. really helped me understand the field and the time pushing back my Ph.D. was well worth it. But i warn you, its a lot of work going to school full time and working full time, but worth it.

This is the path i took but Im sure there are lots of options. I hoped that helped

 

[PsyWannabe]

Thanks for all the advice. My goal is to get into a clinical PhD program with the intention of becoming a professor and doing research with clinical psych. As far as an MA pushes me towards that goal, I'm up for it. But if it's a whole lot of work/money without any payoff (especially since general psych MAs seem to be the equivalent of a BA in Psychology) I don't want to bother.

 

[Student4Life0]

Thanks for all the advice. My goal is to get into a clinical PhD program with the intention of becoming a professor and doing research with clinical psych. As far as an MA pushes me towards that goal, I'm up for it. But if it's a whole lot of work/money without any payoff (especially since general psych MAs seem to be the equivalent of a BA in Psychology) I don't want to bother.

I would recommend getting your MA in clinical...NOT general. An MA in general psych is a bit useless, from what I've seen. At least with just a MA in clinical, you can get licensed in (most, if not all) states and be a counselor.

 

[KillerDiller]

I would recommend getting your MA in clinical...NOT general. An MA in general psych is a bit useless, from what I've seen. At least with just a MA in clinical, you can get licensed in (most, if not all) states and be a counselor.

This decision gets sticky because although an MA in general psych may be "useless" in gaining a clinical job, it makes you a more competitive applicant for research heavy and balanced PhD programs than an MA in clinical psychology.

 

[Student4Life0]

This decision gets sticky because although an MA in general psych may be "useless" in gaining a clinical job, it makes you a more competitive applicant for research heavy and balanced PhD programs than an MA in clinical psychology.

actually yes..i take back my comment about it being "useless." I was thinking in terms of getting a job. It will certainly make you more competitive to get into a doctorate program.

 

[stw2010]

This decision gets sticky because although an MA in general psych may be "useless" in gaining a clinical job, it makes you a more competitive applicant for research heavy and balanced PhD programs than an MA in clinical psychology.

I agree. I got a M.A. in general. And yes, although it did not help me with a job. I was able to do a thesis and it made me a much stronger applicant when applying to research heavy PhD programs.

 

[Therapist4Chnge]

It is often a fork in the road for many folks.

1. Pursue a licensable MA/MS, meant for practice afterwards...and most likely forego applying to Ph.D./Psy.D. program. I'm not saying people don't do this first and then later go onto a doctoral program, though a more clinically-focused degree doesn't help much in regard to increasing an applicants competitiveness.

2. Pursue a non-licensable MA/MS that has a focus on research.....with the goal of becoming more competitive for a Ph.D./Psy.D. program. This is a good option for those who want to strengthen their research training, secure solid LORs, and gain experience working in the field conducting research. This is not a great path to conduct therapy, as many will not be elligible to apply for licensure to practice in most states.

3. Scrap psychology and try something else.

 

[Student4Life0]

It is often a fork in the road for many folks.

1. Pursue a licensable MA/MS, meant for practice afterwards...and most likely forego applying to Ph.D./Psy.D. program. I'm not saying people don't do this first and then later go onto a doctoral program, though a more clinically-focused degree doesn't help much in regard to increasing an applicants competitiveness.

2. Pursue a non-licensable MA/MS that has a focus on research.....with the goal of becoming more competitive for a Ph.D./Psy.D. program. This is a good option for those who want to strengthen their research training, secure solid LORs, and gain experience working in the field conducting research. This is not a great path to conduct therapy, as many will not be elligible to apply for licensure to practice in most states.

3. Scrap psychology and try something else.

T4C..I wonder what your opinion is of somebody pursueing a licensable MA and also obtaining research experience while doing it. This should surely make the person more competitive for programs. Also, since the PsyD has more of a clinical focus than the PhD, wouldn't having an MA in clinical psychology also be valueable? My goal is to get entrance into a good PsyD program, and I am currently in a clinical MA program. However, I am also a research assistant for one of my professors, and will be gaining research and clinical experience through my practicum. So even though my MA is a clinical one, shouldn't this all be enough?