MA counseling to PHd counseling psychology

[Neuronerd028]

Hi all!I'm interested in knowing who gets accepted into counseling psych PHd programs. I graduated college last year with a degree in neuroscience with a goal of becoming a psychiatrist. For a number of reasons I have decided that med school is not right for me and over the past few months have felt a strong pull towards counseling. I would like to pursue a doctorate but don't know where to start. Based on my research/volunteer experience I believe I would be a good candidate for a MA/MS in counseling. Do people with masters degrees typically go on to get their PHd? Is this something these programs look for or does it hurt one's chances on being admitted? I want to make sure I choose a program that sets me up for applying to PHd programs so any advice would be greatly appreciated.

---

Members don't see this ad.

 

[smalltownpsych]

A PhD program in either counseling psychology or clinical psychology requires solid research experience, high GPA, and good GRE scores. They don't require an MA degree. The only reason to get an MA degree if your goal is to be a psychologist is to ameliorate any problems with those three basic requirements especially if the problem is low undergrad GPA. If you have a high GPA and good research experience then go straight for the PhD. If you need more research experience, then you typically won't need an MA program to get that.

 

[webcrest]

A PhD program in either counseling psychology or clinical psychology requires solid research experience, high GPA, and good GRE scores. They don't require an MA degree. The only reason to get an MA degree if your goal is to be a psychologist is to ameliorate any problems with those three basic requirements especially if the problem is low undergrad GPA. If you have a high GPA and good research experience then go straight for the PhD. If you need more research experience, then you typically won't need an MA program to get that.

Can you give more details?

 

[gene_halpert]

So from the research I've done, and talking to a few friends, there are a few differences between PhD Clinical Psych and PhD Counseling Psych programs. Graduation from either (granted it is APA approved) allows you to become a Licensed psychologist.

It seems in general Counseling Psych programs have slightly different research goals and are often housed in schools of education. And it also seems that some (but not all) PhD Counseling Psych programs want you to have a master's degree in counseling beforehand, and preferably some professional experience. Most PhD Clinical Psych programs, however, do not. The Psychology forum here might be helpful to you as well.

 

[smalltownpsych]

Can you give more details?

Two years in a research lab is typical from what I have heard. Hopefully the applicant has presented some posters and maybe even a publication. Over 3.0 gpa is a must and the higher the better. Schools post the GRE scores that they will consider so a little googling will give you the answer on that. Again, the higher the better. Here is a page that has the stats for one school to give you an idea http://dornsife.usc.edu/psyc/student-admissions-outcomes/ Every APA accredited school posts this data to help students know if they have a chance and what sort of outcomes to expect.