MA vs. 5th Year??

[August2008]

Hello everyone, I'm posting here because you have all been so wonderful in helping me with my previous question. I have a very difficult dilemma. I graduated this year from an honors bachelor of science program in psychology and I applied to a few psych grad schools, got interviews, but was ultimately rejected due to not having enough research experience. My GPA in psychology is 3.86, but overall its a 3.6. Anyways, I also applied to a one year MA program in Early Childhood Studies at Ryerson University in Toronto (my research interests are primarily clinical child development). Students can apply to this MA program not just with degrees from psych, but also sociology, social work, political science, etc...so it's not really psychology-based. Anyways, I applied just to see what response I'd get and I got accepted along with a full scholarship.
Now, I have a major dilemma. Because my ultimate goal is to get into a psychology graduate program, I can't decide what would be best.. To go back for a 5th year to my undergraduate school (UofT) and get more research experience by doing an independent research project and working in labs...or do this MA? The MA program has a thesis (which counts as research, doesn't it??) and I'll most likely be working as a T.A as well, but is that beneficial?? I don't want to make the wrong decision and my psych adviser at my undergraduate school basically gave me an "I don't know" answer, which really didn't help. Also, I'm leaving to Europe in 9 days to visit my family for 3 weeks and I need to make this decision before I leave so that I can give one of my profs a final answer as to whether I'll be coming back for the 5th year to work in his lab... I'm so confused.. Which road do you think is the better one? Do psych grad schools like students who already have an MA (even though it's in something else)? Please, any thoughts would be greatly appreciated.

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[JockNerd]

Hi August! Here are my thoughts....

MAs don't effect your chances of getting in one way or the other, to my knowledge (although it will, of course, if you apply to a school that only accepts people who already have an MA). I would consider, however, whether that MA in the program you're considering is at all transferrable. You may have to do an MA in Psych anyway when you do finally get admitted to a psych grad program. I don't know if that would effect your decision at all. The admin for the childhood studies program might be able to tell you if anything is transferrable.

If that MA thesis is research based, I think you're in great shape if you do that program. My suggestion would be to find out if that's the case or not. If you can RA in some lab at that childhood studies program on top of the TA work, I think that would be awesome. Since you have funding I assume *someone* is doing research there.

Is the MA two years? I recall from your previous post that you had very little independant research experience. If you can work on research in addition to your thesis for both years in the MA program, that would be bonus points for the MA program.

I'd say the MA would definitely make your app stand out in your next round of applications, especially if the thesis is research-based and even (especially? Some programs like people with interesting educational background) if the MA is multidisciplinary.

TAing looks good on an application, but not nearly as good as research experience.

 

[perfektspace]

Beyond your GPA (which is more than adequate) its difficult to say which path is better. Were your GRE's good? Do you have any research experience? Did you get strong req. letters or letters from prof's that only know you from class? Depending on your answer to these questions it may or may not be beneficial to get an MA. I have never heard of the school you mentioned (I am also not Canadian) but attending would not hurt your chances. If the point of going is only to gain research experience it sounds like you are spending a lot of money and an extra year to do what you could do independently while getting paid for it as an research assistant. Which makes more sense? Follow your gut.

 

[August2008]

Hey, thanks for the replies!! The MA is 1 year, and yes I realize that I'll have to do an MA in psych again, but this MA is not psych-related. I'm just having trouble deciding how the admissions process will look at a student who did 5 years of undergrad but with lots of research experience vs. a student who has an MA (not in psychology) but with little research experience.

 

[thewesternsky]

Hey August. At this point in your application, I think you should strive for whatever option would get you the most research experience and ignore everything else. Your grades are great, so more class work won't make or break your application. I've looked into the Ryerson program... A master's thesis does count as research, and this could potentially be a great research experience for you. However, professors in psychology will probably look most favourably on research involving an experiment of some kind (not necessarily a true experiment; a correlational study would be great too, but they'll want you to ask a research question, engage in data collection and analysis, and interpret statistics.) Since the Master's Research paper allows you to "address an early childhood topic from any disciplinary perspective", if you go this route you will want to make sure you're doing the things I mentioned above.

Also, if you feel that doing a fifth year of undergrad would allow you to get more research experience (because you wouldn't have to take seven classes in various topics that may or may not help you later...) then you should take that route.

Congrats on the master's program, and good luck on whatever you decide.

 

[August2008]

Hey August. At this point in your application, I think you should strive for whatever option would get you the most research experience and ignore everything else. Your grades are great, so more class work won't make or break your application. I've looked into the Ryerson program... A master's thesis does count as research, and this could potentially be a great research experience for you. However, professors in psychology will probably look most favourably on research involving an experiment of some kind (not necessarily a true experiment; a correlational study would be great too, but they'll want you to ask a research question, engage in data collection and analysis, and interpret statistics.) Since the Master's Research paper allows you to "address an early childhood topic from any disciplinary perspective", if you go this route you will want to make sure you're doing the things I mentioned above.

Also, if you feel that doing a fifth year of undergrad would allow you to get more research experience (because you wouldn't have to take seven classes in various topics that may or may not help you later...) then you should take that route.

Congrats on the master's program, and good luck on whatever you decide.

Thank you, I sincerely appreciate your reply. Going back for a 5th year I would be taking a lab course along with volunteering in various labs and an independent research project course (with a supervisor). So, instead of taking more courses I would be focusing on gaining as much research experience as I can by taking these courses, volunteering or working anywhere I can.... But then again having an MA may be impressive on my application, but maybe a lot of research experience is MORE impressive?
It's quite a difficult choice and I don't want to make a wrong one.. thanks so much for your reply, it really did help.

 

[JockNerd]

Going back for a 5th year I would be taking a lab course along with volunteering in various labs and an independent research project course (with a supervisor). So, instead of taking more courses I would be focusing on gaining as much research experience as I can by taking these courses, volunteering or working anywhere I can.... But then again having an MA may be impressive on my application, but maybe a lot of research experience is MORE impressive?

I was seeing the advantages of the MA program because I thought it would be two years long--time to do your thesis plus get involved in one or two other research projects in the area you want to go into. If it's only a year, however, I can see coursework getting in the way of your obtaining more research experience outside your thesis.

Research experience is what your app lacks, and it doesn't seem like the MA will really give you anything beyond your thesis in that regard. If the RA position lets you do your own independent research project plus get some lab work done, in my opinion it's the stronger option.

 

[amy203]

Going back for a 5th year I would be taking a lab course along with volunteering in various labs and an independent research project course (with a supervisor). So, instead of taking more courses I would be focusing on gaining as much research experience as I can by taking these courses, volunteering or working anywhere I can....

This would get my vote. There are a lot of students with masters degrees, and having one really one shows that you A) got in to the program and B) finished the course work + thesis. It won't make you stand out nearly as much as a unique research position. Staying the extra year also makes you look very proactive and committed to research - it will be a nice experience to bring up in your personal statement.

 

[August2008]

This would get my vote. There are a lot of students with masters degrees, and having one really one shows that you A) got in to the program and B) finished the course work + thesis. It won't make you stand out nearly as much as a unique research position. Staying the extra year also makes you look very proactive and committed to research - it will be a nice experience to bring up in your personal statement.

Thanks! I think that's just what I'll do

 

[Therapist4Chnge]

There are some research oriented MS's that are funded. IIRC, someone (or more than one person) on here got a fully funded position at Wake Forest to do research for a 1 yr MS. There may be other programs out there like that.

-t