Master's in counseling psychology program

[intotheblue]

Hi, I am planning to study counseling psychology for my masters(M.Ed).

I was wondering if the grad school ranking mean a lot.

This is the counselling psychology ranking I found in the internet.

1. University of Maryland – College Park
2. University of Florida
3. University of Minnesota – Twin Cities
4. Ohio State University – Columbus
4. University of Georgia
6. University of Wisconsin – Madison
7. University of Illinois – Urbana - Champaign
8. Indiana University – Bloomington
9. University of Missouri – Columbia
10. Penn State University – University Park
11. University of Iowa
11. University of Virginia (Curry)
13. University of North Carolina – Greensboro
14. Michigan State University
15. Arizona State University – Main Campus
16. Florida State University
17. Teachers College, Columbia University (NY)
18. University of Kansas
18. University of North Texas
20. George Washington University (DC)
20. University of Texas – Austin

Does ranking like this reflect the quality and the reputation of the grad program?

I wanted to go to Teacher's College @ Columbia University...

Although the "Ivy-Columbia" stands as #2 for the overall ranking in education grad program, the ranking for counseling psychology program is quite low here.

I have heard that the reputation and quality of grad school is much more important compare to undergrad.

Also I heard that for grad programs, many not so-prestigious schools have very good programs in specific fields.

For example, I haven't really heard about schools such as University of Maryland, University of Florida, etc. Yet, these schools are the top schools in in the counseling psychology program according to the ranking.

Anyway, I was wondering if these rankings mean a lot. If so, would it be not wise to go to Teacher's college @ Columbia instead of the schools listed on the top?

Someone in the collegeconfidential forum said that Teachers college is awful program...

he said " the masters programs at TC are very unorganized, unchallenging, and diploma factories. the phd programs are slightly better. "

and he also gave an example of Harvard
"harvard is a perfect example. while overall its ranked high for psychology, their clinical program (the most popular area for psychology) is not even accredited, and have only 2 full time professors. you really have to do your research before investing in a graduate education."

Then he refered me to this forum

Is this true? Is TC really a bad school?

Now I am unsure if it's worth the money to go the Teacher's College @ Columbia (Or other well known prestigious school such as Harvard, UPENN,etc)

I was looking for rankings since I don't really have good sources relating to counseling psychology programs in the States.

It seems like the advisor and profs don't really know in-depth information about the program in the states also.

They seem to think that the counseling program in prestigious schools are good since the schools themselves already have excellent reputation.

In fact, for places like Harvard and Teacher's College @ Columbia, they are ranked as #1 and #2 in the Educaton Graduate program.

However, when I look at the more specific ranking-the counseling program within Education Graduate program, those schools are ranked quite low...
and I have heard that not every program in Harvard or Columbia is good

Unfortunately, US news is the only source I can find about the counseling program ranking...and I think they only provide those 20 schools.
TC is ranked in 17 among 20 and Harvard didn't even make to the list.

Unlike the math programs, it seems like there isn't a list below the "top 20".
I assume it is because there aren't as many counseling program compared to other programs.

Anyway, I was thinking of applying to TC now since their deadline is April. They don't require GRE for master's counseling psychology and there is no required minimum work experience.

University of Toronto is another school I want to go, and I know they have good program in Canada, but I have to wait until Fall 2007 since I didn't apply before the deadline due to the lack of volunteering/work experience

Currently I am in my 4th year..I was expecting to stay one more yr in school while I get more volunteering experiences. In this case I was also thinking of taking GRE in this summer.

If I were assured that TC has a good counseling program, then I would like to start the master's degree there in Fall 2007 despite the cost of the money.

However, as I have mentioned, now I am not really sure if TC (or other prestigious schools such as Harvard) has good counseling psychology program that is worth the expansive tuition compared to UofT.

If TC is indeed not a good school, can you please tell me some good master's program in counseling psychology?(I would like to go to the schools that have both good overall reputation and good program if possible)

Thank you

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[Therapist4Chnge]

I don't know much about MS level programs...though I do recall some talk about Harvard awhile back in the PhD / PsyD sub-forum. You can do a search and limit it to psych, and the thread should pop up.

-t

 

[doctorpsych]

Hi, I am planning to study counseling psychology for my masters(M.Ed).

I was wondering if the grad school ranking mean a lot.

This is the counselling psychology ranking I found in the internet.

1. University of Maryland – College Park
2. University of Florida
3. University of Minnesota – Twin Cities
4. Ohio State University – Columbus
4. University of Georgia
6. University of Wisconsin – Madison
7. University of Illinois – Urbana - Champaign
8. Indiana University – Bloomington
9. University of Missouri – Columbia
10. Penn State University – University Park
11. University of Iowa
11. University of Virginia (Curry)
13. University of North Carolina – Greensboro
14. Michigan State University
15. Arizona State University – Main Campus
16. Florida State University
17. Teachers College, Columbia University (NY)
18. University of Kansas
18. University of North Texas
20. George Washington University (DC)
20. University of Texas – Austin

Does ranking like this reflect the quality and the reputation of the grad program?

I wanted to go to Teacher's College @ Columbia University...

Although the "Ivy-Columbia" stands as #2 for the overall ranking in education grad program, the ranking for counseling psychology program is quite low here.

I have heard that the reputation and quality of grad school is much more important compare to undergrad.

Also I heard that for grad programs, many not so-prestigious schools have very good programs in specific fields.

For example, I haven't really heard about schools such as University of Maryland, University of Florida, etc. Yet, these schools are the top schools in in the counseling psychology program according to the ranking.

Anyway, I was wondering if these rankings mean a lot. If so, would it be not wise to go to Teacher's college @ Columbia instead of the schools listed on the top?

Someone in the collegeconfidential forum said that Teachers college is awful program...

he said " the masters programs at TC are very unorganized, unchallenging, and diploma factories. the phd programs are slightly better. "

and he also gave an example of Harvard
"harvard is a perfect example. while overall its ranked high for psychology, their clinical program (the most popular area for psychology) is not even accredited, and have only 2 full time professors. you really have to do your research before investing in a graduate education."

Then he refered me to this forum

Is this true? Is TC really a bad school?

Now I am unsure if it's worth the money to go the Teacher's College @ Columbia (Or other well known prestigious school such as Harvard, UPENN,etc)

I was looking for rankings since I don't really have good sources relating to counseling psychology programs in the States.

It seems like the advisor and profs don't really know in-depth information about the program in the states also.

They seem to think that the counseling program in prestigious schools are good since the schools themselves already have excellent reputation.

In fact, for places like Harvard and Teacher's College @ Columbia, they are ranked as #1 and #2 in the Educaton Graduate program.

However, when I look at the more specific ranking-the counseling program within Education Graduate program, those schools are ranked quite low...
and I have heard that not every program in Harvard or Columbia is good

Unfortunately, US news is the only source I can find about the counseling program ranking...and I think they only provide those 20 schools.
TC is ranked in 17 among 20 and Harvard didn't even make to the list.

Unlike the math programs, it seems like there isn't a list below the "top 20".
I assume it is because there aren't as many counseling program compared to other programs.

Anyway, I was thinking of applying to TC now since their deadline is April. They don't require GRE for master's counseling psychology and there is no required minimum work experience.

University of Toronto is another school I want to go, and I know they have good program in Canada, but I have to wait until Fall 2007 since I didn't apply before the deadline due to the lack of volunteering/work experience

Currently I am in my 4th year..I was expecting to stay one more yr in school while I get more volunteering experiences. In this case I was also thinking of taking GRE in this summer.

If I were assured that TC has a good counseling program, then I would like to start the master's degree there in Fall 2007 despite the cost of the money.

However, as I have mentioned, now I am not really sure if TC (or other prestigious schools such as Harvard) has good counseling psychology program that is worth the expansive tuition compared to UofT.

If TC is indeed not a good school, can you please tell me some good master's program in counseling psychology?(I would like to go to the schools that have both good overall reputation and good program if possible)

Thank you

yes it's true, TC master's counseling prog. is a factory, they primarily use the ma students to fund their ph.d. students. I heard that they accept just about any student that applies, I heard that they even accept international students who barely has any command of English as long as they can pocket the astronamical tuition that they charge them...Their doctorate program in counseling has been relatively stable (their clinical program have been in trouble with the apa for a long long time now), but other counseling programs are better, and without iv affiliation... in fact, generally speaking, in psychology, Ivy affiliation seems to worth nothing... but the general public seems to be stuck on it... Univ of Maryland--college park is one of the best programs, UC santa barbara is also a very strong program (not sure if they have m.a.), Penn State is another, all these are very much research oriented (same with Univ. of Wisconsin, Minnesota--TC), pump out publications like crazy, their staff are top notch... their clinical component is also strong. I know this from my experience during my pre-grad days, while trying to decide to go the counseling or clinical route... I have some friends in the counseling route and they seem to have confirm this as well. But keep in mind that this was a while back now... good luck. At the end, your decision to go to a program should be based on your match, them with you and you with them... the rep is second to that.

 

[intotheblue]

Thank you. I have never thought that TC-Columbia was that awful.
All my friends and others are all encouraging me to apply and go there since it's "Columbia".

I was wondering what negative outcomes are there if TC's master's program is like a factory. Would it be harder to find internships and jobs later?
Do most educators in schools know the fact that TC has awful counseling program?

For the schools that seem to have good program.. many people including myself have not heard about schools like Univ. of Maryland-college park, UC santa barabar, etc.

It seems like the general population don't care how good the program is, they seem to all care about the school name such as "Columbia"

In fact, I talked to some of my friends yesterday and they are all like "What's Univ of Maryland? Even if they have good program, it doesn't matter since the general reputation is not well known. You should really go to Ivy or other prestigious schools.."

So it does seem like people care a lot about the name of the school...

I am looking for a school that has both good programs and overall school reputation. Unfortunately, I can't find any in the States so far. It seems like University of Wisconsin is the only school among the list that partially fits into both catergories. However, I don't think anyone can confidently say it has very good reputation.

It is true that my decisions to a program should be based on my match with them first..I agree in Ph.D level but I am not sure for the master's level..

 

[Therapist4Chnge]

In fact, I talked to some of my friends yesterday and they are all like "What's Univ of Maryland? Even if they have good program, it doesn't matter since the general reputation is not well known. You should really go to Ivy or other prestigious schools.."

UMD has some excellent grad programs. I have heard a bit about their MS, but know mostly about their MBA. I was going to get my MBA there, and i think they were #12-#15 at the time ('02)......and top 5 for their MBA/MIS. It doesn't really matter if the public knows them, it matters if your colleagues and potential employers know them.

-t

 

[doctorpsych]

Thank you. I have never thought that TC-Columbia was that awful.
All my friends and others are all encouraging me to apply and go there since it's "Columbia".

I was wondering what negative outcomes are there if TC's master's program is like a factory. Would it be harder to find internships and jobs later?
Do most educators in schools know the fact that TC has awful counseling program?

For the schools that seem to have good program.. many people including myself have not heard about schools like Univ. of Maryland-college park, UC santa barabar, etc.

It seems like the general population don't care how good the program is, they seem to all care about the school name such as "Columbia"

In fact, I talked to some of my friends yesterday and they are all like "What's Univ of Maryland? Even if they have good program, it doesn't matter since the general reputation is not well known. You should really go to Ivy or other prestigious schools.."

So it does seem like people care a lot about the name of the school...

I am looking for a school that has both good programs and overall school reputation. Unfortunately, I can't find any in the States so far. It seems like University of Wisconsin is the only school among the list that partially fits into both catergories. However, I don't think anyone can confidently say it has very good reputation.

It is true that my decisions to a program should be based on my match with them first..I agree in Ph.D level but I am not sure for the master's level..

I second T4C's post, you aint's gonna work for your buddies afterall... are you applying from outside of the U.S.? if so, that would explain why you and your friend's haven't heard of non ivy schools... btw, NYU is another over rated programs who is well known internationally and a fun school to go to since it's smack in the middle of NYC, but their quality of education is worst than TC (from what I hear), again they accept anybody that can afford their rediculous tuition... FYI, their clinical ph.d. program lost their apa accreditation... that should tell you something...

Not sure if most employer know about TC but my impression is that those who have a doctorate, they are familiar with the deal... if your boss is a sw, or a non-doctorate psych, they might not know... so it depends...

 

[intotheblue]

Thank you for the reply again.

I live in Canada right now. I wasn't thinking of NYU at all because the tuition is too expensive and even their overall school reputation isn't that good either.

Anyway in terms of the program, if TC has horrible master's program in counselling psychology, what would be some disadvantages WHILE I am doing my masters? Would it be harder to get internships?

What would be some advantages in schools like Maryland-college park? You have said earlier that those good schools are very research oriented and they pump out publication crazy. However would it make a big difference in Msaters (M.Ed) program in counseling psychology where you don't even have to write a thesis? In fact, the Masters program in Counseling psychology itself is NOT a reasearch oriented program. I know reasearch is extremely important in Ph.D level, but I don't think I would get Ph.D since I want to become a school/guidance counselor or an academic advisor.

After reading these posts, I am more leaning toward Canadian schools, esp University of Toronto since I am not sure if it's worth the money to go to the States.

However I wonder if it would be harder to get a job in the States with a master's degree in Canadian University. ( I am thinking of applying to UofT McGill and University of Ottawa. According to my advisor who has masters in counseling psychology, it seems like UofT>Ottawa>McGill in terms of the quality of the program)

For the schools in the states, I was going to apply to

TC(it used to be my 1st choice), Harvard(their program is called risk and prevention), UPENN(not upenn states), Wisconsin-Madison, University of Texas-Austin, Boston College, University of Minnesota, and Indiana University(maybe).

Other than Wisconsin and Minnesota, are there any other universities that have good program in the list I have just provided?

Thank you

P.S. *The reason that I haven't considered NYU but these other non ivy schools are:
1. I have heard some schools like Wisconsin and Minnesota had good programs, and it seems like their overall reputation isn't that unknown as schools such as Maryland(at least internationally)

2. I know GPA is only one of the factor but the other non-ivys seemed to have relatively low GPA average for admission...and although they are not ivy, they seemed to have some good overall reputation.(Indiana is an exception. This school was my last choice and it seemed like their average admission GPA seemed to be the lowest among these schools)

 

[doctorpsych]

Thank you for the reply again.

I live in Canada right now. I wasn't thinking of NYU at all because the tuition is too expensive and even their overall school reputation isn't that good either.

Anyway in terms of the program, if TC has horrible master's program in counselling psychology, what would be some disadvantages WHILE I am doing my masters? Would it be harder to get internships?

What would be some advantages in schools like Maryland-college park? You have said earlier that those good schools are very research oriented and they pump out publication crazy. However would it make a big difference in Msaters (M.Ed) program in counseling psychology where you don't even have to write a thesis? In fact, the Masters program in Counseling psychology itself is NOT a reasearch oriented program. I know reasearch is extremely important in Ph.D level, but I don't think I would get Ph.D since I want to become a school/guidance counselor or an academic advisor.

After reading these posts, I am more leaning toward Canadian schools, esp University of Toronto since I am not sure if it's worth the money to go to the States.

However I wonder if it would be harder to get a job in the States with a master's degree in Canadian University. ( I am thinking of applying to UofT McGill and University of Ottawa. According to my advisor who has masters in counseling psychology, it seems like UofT>Ottawa>McGill in terms of the quality of the program)

For the schools in the states, I was going to apply to

TC(it used to be my 1st choice), Harvard(their program is called risk and prevention), UPENN(not upenn states), Wisconsin-Madison, University of Texas-Austin, Boston College, University of Minnesota, and Indiana University(maybe).



Ok, if you are only interested in terminal master's programs in counseling psych and your goal is to work as a guidance counselor or an academic advisor at a college then, IMHO, I would go to a school near the geographic location that you plan to eventually work. I imagine that most programs have a list of internship sites and those sites are familiar with the programs.

Large private schools who have doctorate programs often use master's students' tuition to fund their doctorate programs. Those who are housed under large universities, (e.g. Maryland, Penn State, University of Michigan, Univ. of Minnesota or any school in the Big Ten and other large state schools, if they have terminal master's programs) generally don't have this need because they are State funded and have more resources than private universities. If you are going to work in the States, the rankings of Master's programs (if there is such thing) usually does not determine your job. Internships are usually built in the program and the school often help the students match to a site. If you go to a large city, you'll have more opportunities than a small college town. Now if you are going to stay in Canada, I have the feeling from your posts that an Ivy rep goes a long way, even if the employer is not familiar with the quality of the program.

In terms of quality, from what I hear, programs like TC and NYU accept tons of students and they don't really teach them much. There are some smaller, less well known schools who pay a lot more attention to their students. (you'll have to do some research here, not familiar with their names, one that comes in mind is Fordham university, also located in NYC).

Lastly, your question regarding going to canadian school and their impact in getting a job in the States... again, I would think that you'll have an advantage in going to a school where you eventually want to be a guidance counselor... simply because the type of experience seems to be more colloquial. This would not be true for doctorate programs though... I know that Canadian apa acc. doctorate programs are equally regarded in the U.S.

Good luck, if you have any other questions, you can PM me.

 

[Nathalia1617]

rankings really do not mean much. It depends on the program and your personal needs. I'll be attending Northeastern's Counseling Psych program in the fall and it fits exactly what I am looking for. It allows you to pick a concentration and there are some great options (I'll be doing forensics), they allow you to take classes at any school in the College (i'll be taking law classes) and you start your practicum in your first year. Lastly, upon graduation you will have 60 hours of classes and therefore be eligible, with latter experience, to get your LMHC. So for me personally, that is what I want, ratings aside, it is my best fit. Luckily, it does have one of the best forensics programs.

 

[eva10127]

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[h2oLillies]

oh yea I heard about that issue with columbia too. At first I'm like Columbia should be good...but turns out not =/ But don't they look at GPA as first priority when you apply? Sigh right now I'm worried if I can get in any grad school for masters. I have a low gpa cum. of 2.96 as of first term of sophomore. and a 3.11 for psych alone.

One note, yes NYU isn't all that good. In fact I have a friend that went to grad school there and came out jobless. She even told me that NYU doesn't have a good psych program. But she went there because her grade advisor was encouraging her and telling her to go there since it's "well known."

intotheblue, can you tell me some schools in NY state that accept a decent low gpa? (I think Ii can pull it up to a 3.2 culm and 3.3+ for psych by senior year.)

Sigh I don't know, I mean I really like psychology since a long time ago. Just the fact I'm a poor multiple choice taker (like I make the most careless mistake when torn between two choices n ended up pickin the wrong one or i go back and revise my test n end up changing right answers to wrong ones.)Even though I've been discouraged a lot that it's a "cold" career. I mean why would I want to do study something I don't like right? I'm for interest not money. I'm trying my best to get a 3.3+ in psychology to get myself in the Psi Chi program so at least it looks a little better on my application. I don't know.....I have enough with the bashing about psych not a good major cuz there's not much jobs out there (which I think isn't true).....and some say since my gpa isn't good I need to reconsider if psych is really for me. -_- Well i'm a B.A psych major and a history minor. i don't think i'm going to change that because I'm going to be a Junior status by end of spring term (yes I'm going fast track, I don't want to waste time paying to take 5 classes) My goal is to graduate by Fall 08'. Spending 3 years in undergrad to get my degree. I'm working on it. I just hope I can make it to graduate school for school psychology or counseling and get a Master's...

Does school question you if you have any medical conditions that you can explain about? I mean I do have retinal detachment and the doctor recommend me not to spend so much time in lights which is a thing I can't do because I told him I'm in college I have to read and study actively or else my grade is gonna be on deflation.

Perhaps spending that extra year in undergrad will help to boost up your gpa and help you get into a better program upon graduation? Why are you in a rush to graduate from undergrad? I say take relatively easy yet interesting courses to help that gpa and get clinical experience in addition to that; this should help you with getting into a great program.
NYU is a good school it just depends on the major. For example, law, business, and social work at NYU are looked at highly. However, this is not true for NYU's psychology program.

 

[psychobrand]

Acutally I as well have no idea of the ranking (counseling psychology in the US). I am an asian undergraduate senior student and donnot major in psychology. The experts in my country tell me it's very hard to get into the counseling department in the US. So I was afraid that whether there was little chance for me to be accepted by prestigious programs , and I only applied for 2 universities( I felt I was somewhat conventional). Accidentally I was accepted!

So, I am wondering whether I will have the chance to get into a better PHD program after finishing the Master degree in a less-known university in the US?? And what can I do to improve my chance to get into inthe near future? or what I have to prepare in my graduate study??

Anyone here can help me or please give me some advice?

Thank you all in advance.

 

[doctorpsych]

Acutally I as well have no idea of the ranking (counseling psychology in the US). I am an asian undergraduate senior student and donnot major in psychology. The experts in my country tell me it's very hard to get into the counseling department in the US. So I was afraid that whether there was little chance for me to be accepted by prestigious programs , and I only applied for 2 universities( I felt I was somewhat conventional). Accidentally I was accepted!

So, I am wondering whether I will have the chance to get into a better PHD program after finishing the Master degree in a less-known university in the US?? And what can I do to improve my chance to get into inthe near future? or what I have to prepare in my graduate study??

Anyone here can help me or please give me some advice?

Thank you all in advance.

what ever you do, I strongly recommend against applying to a master program in counseling from a prestigious (e.g. Teacher's College Columbia, NYU, Harvard), internationally well known school. Names don't count much in the world of Master's Psychology here in the US. Most likely, they WILL accept you if you apply because they just want your money, and they charge international students $$$$$$. If you have much financial support, then going into one of these programs will be somewhat beneficial since you will be an international student but, if I were you, I would study english very hard, get really good research experience, as much clinical experience as you can get and apply directly to doctorate programs, preferably onto a ph.d. program that will fund your tuition. I know of several international students who were admitted at top state schools (in the U.S., large state universities often have better psychology programs than famous private schools like Columbia, they have better funding). But it all depends on what you want to do for your career and where do you want to work.

good luck!

ps. you might want to get in touch with some professors in Asia who were educated in the U.S. for more advice.

 

[ohno1235]

When you say the doctoral clinical program has long been in trouble with APA what do you mean? I was accepted in the M.A. program in Psychology and Education: Applied Track. Does anyone know if this is worth going to (if one's ultimate goal is to get a Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology)? I was also accepted in the M.A. program in General Psychology at the New School. How good are either of these programs? Will they increase, hurt or not effect my chances of getting into a clinical psychology Ph.D. prorgram? Can I get a decent psychology-related job without getting a Ph.D. in clinical psychology? Would I be better off doing unpaid Research Assistant work or volunteering in a hospital elsewhere (I graduated in June 2006 with a double major in Mathematics and Psychology but have no research (or clinical) experience and can't seem to find any job, paid or volunteer)? If any has advice about these programs or how to get a job in NYC in a psychology related field, please let me know on this forum or send me a private message.

yes it's true, TC master's counseling prog. is a factory, they primarily use the ma students to fund their ph.d. students. I heard that they accept just about any student that applies, I heard that they even accept international students who barely has any command of English as long as they can pocket the astronamical tuition that they charge them...Their doctorate program in counseling has been relatively stable (their clinical program have been in trouble with the apa for a long long time now), but other counseling programs are better, and without iv affiliation... in fact, generally speaking, in psychology, Ivy affiliation seems to worth nothing... but the general public seems to be stuck on it... Univ of Maryland--college park is one of the best programs, UC santa barbara is also a very strong program (not sure if they have m.a.), Penn State is another, all these are very much research oriented (same with Univ. of Wisconsin, Minnesota--TC), pump out publications like crazy, their staff are top notch... their clinical component is also strong. I know this from my experience during my pre-grad days, while trying to decide to go the counseling or clinical route... I have some friends in the counseling route and they seem to have confirm this as well. But keep in mind that this was a while back now... good luck. At the end, your decision to go to a program should be based on your match, them with you and you with them... the rep is second to that.

 

[Therapist4Chnge]

When you say the doctoral clinical program has long been in trouble with APA what do you mean? I was accepted in the M.A. program in Psychology and Education: Applied Track. Does anyone know if this is worth going to (if one's ultimate goal is to get a Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology)?

If you are talking about Harvard....I'm not sure if they took people this year or if they are APA-accredited. One point of differentiation for clinical programs is APA-accreditation. As a general rule, you should avoid all non-APA-accredited programs, with the rational being that it can REALLY effect you after you graduate. Most/All internships (worth considering) req. it, many jobs require an APA-accredited training and APA-accredited internship. It can be the first way people screen out applicants. Being accredited doesn't guarantee it to be a great program, but you really need to wonder about a program that doesn't go through the process. Admittedly some people don't care, but it is something you need to understand before getting into it.

If it is accredited, I would look at it, but still tread very lightly. You want to make sure it places well for internship, has solid training, and is not in jeopardy of losing accreditation.

I was also accepted in the M.A. program in General Psychology at the New School. How good are either of these programs? ]

No idea, hopefully another member can address this.

Will they increase, hurt or not effect my chances of getting into a clinical psychology Ph.D. program?

Some programs look positively on an MA/MS, some don't care, and others don't like them (they want to be able to mold you, instead of having to re-train you if your training is diff)

I think if you are looking at Ph.D. programs, and you are looking to get an MS first....it is best to get one that is research related. If i did it all over again (and was younger), that is how I would have done it. I also would have looked at more clinical PhD programs (this was pre-SDN, so I only really know about the more research oriented programs), with the point being to really take time to look at all of the programs out there.

Can I get a decent psychology-related job without getting a Ph.D. in clinical psychology?

At the BA/BS level....no. At the MS level.....sorta, though it depends what you want to do as a career. As a therapist, the reimbursement rates are less, and your scope is more limited.....but you can carve out a nice niche for yourself. I am admittedly biased toward a doc. (because I think the extra years in training and research make a big difference)

Would I be better off doing unpaid Research Assistant work or volunteering in a hospital elsewhere (I graduated in June 2006 with a double major in Mathematics and Psychology but have no research (or clinical) experience and can't seem to find any job, paid or volunteer)?

If you have no research/lab experience, applying to PhD programs is pretty much a quixotic endeavor. You will be competing against people who ALL have RA experience, so you'll pretty much be dead in the water. I'd suggest getting RA experience anyway you can, and doing it at least for 1-2 years. People get in with less, but it is an uphill battle.

If any has advice about these programs or how to get a job in NYC in a psychology related field, please let me know on this forum or send me a private message.

Hopefully others can help you in this area.

-t

 

[Stellarbabe316]

I am posting this here only because I am thinking of applying to a Master's in Counseling program. I was just wondering if this was the best choice for someone who wants to be a Clinical Psychologist? I'm going to go to graduate school for my Ph.D. after getting my Master's, however, I want to get my Master's first, because I don't think my GPA is strong enough to get into a Ph.D. program just yet. It's only a 3.2 right now and I'm not sure how much higher it will go before I graduate in December.

Any help on this would be awesome.

 

[Therapist4Chnge]

I am posting this here only because I am thinking of applying to a Master's in Counseling program. I was just wondering if this was the best choice for someone who wants to be a Clinical Psychologist? I'm going to go to graduate school for my Ph.D. after getting my Master's, however, I want to get my Master's first, because I don't think my GPA is strong enough to get into a Ph.D. program just yet. It's only a 3.2 right now and I'm not sure how much higher it will go before I graduate in December.

Any help on this would be awesome.

If you are looking to go the PhD route, and want an MA/MS first....I'd strongly suggest a research oriented degree (possibly 1 year? I think i've heard they are out there, not just 2 years), and not a terminating masters in something like counselor, SW, etc. More research almost always helps, it will show you can do graduate work, and it will be much more applicable at the doc level.

I'd suggest posting this question over in the Clinical forum; you may get more of a response there.

-t

 

[luvpsych4ever]

what ever you do, I strongly recommend against applying to a master program in counseling from a prestigious (e.g. Teacher's College Columbia, NYU, Harvard), internationally well known school. Names don't count much in the world of Master's Psychology here in the US. Most likely, they WILL accept you if you apply because they just want your money, and they charge international students $$$$$$. If you have much financial support, then going into one of these programs will be somewhat beneficial since you will be an international student but, if I were you, I would study english very hard, get really good research experience, as much clinical experience as you can get and apply directly to doctorate programs, preferably onto a ph.d. program that will fund your tuition. I know of several international students who were admitted at top state schools (in the U.S., large state universities often have better psychology programs than famous private schools like Columbia, they have better funding).

What?!? Not going to a prestigious school? That's a mistake. I'm sorry. A degree from Columbia University looks better than a degree from University of Michigan. Hands down-all the time! And they are not easy programs to get into and "accept everyone". That is not true at all. Prestigious schools are prestigious for a reason. They provide quality education to those who can meet their standards-which are HIGH. No one with a 3.0 GPA can get into Harvard. They don't want your money if you are not smart and cannot keep up with the heavy workload they provide in their programs. Let's be honest.

 

[luvpsych4ever]

btw, NYU is another over rated programs who is well known internationally and a fun school to go to since it's smack in the middle of NYC, but their quality of education is worst than TC (from what I hear), again they accept anybody that can afford their rediculous tuition... FYI, their clinical ph.d. program lost their apa accreditation... that should tell you something...

Not sure if most employer know about TC but my impression is that those who have a doctorate, they are familiar with the deal... if your boss is a sw, or a non-doctorate psych, they might not know... so it depends...

Again-not true at all. Tell me one person that got into NYU with a low GPA and poor grades? They don't accept just anyone.

 

[pingouin]

Umm.. I'm going to chime in as a MSW rather than MA Counseling, but I have to agree with doctorpsych that prestige of your school really doesn't count for much once you're actually practicing. Neither clients nor employers ever ask me where I got mine, and if they do find out where I went, they're more surprised that I didn't go to one of the three programs in my city more than anything else. And I don't know about counseling programs, but yes- I can name at least 2 "top" MSW programs which don't seem to be all that selective in their screening of prospective students. Top rankings are often based on research $$$, not clinical training. I've long held (somewhat jokingly) that one of the top MSW programs will accept you as long as you can pay them or get the loans to pay them based on some of their graduates with whom I've had the misfortune to work.

Also, rumor has it that NYU MSW has been known to accept people with a 3.2 and give a pretty sweet financial aid package to go along with it. But that's just anecdotal so it doesn't mean much.

 

[vcascio77]

hi i have master degree in psychology, but I'm unable to do counseling with this degree. i have to go back to school and get another master. I'm trying to find an inexpensive university and since I'm doing another master i wanted to finish it as quickly as could, and get the LCP.

I live in chicago and i found a university called Chicago State University, that seems to have a good counseling program, they are cacrep accredited and it's not expensive. Does anyone know anything about this university.

my other option is that i might want to do this program in europe to spend more time with my family. does anyone know any programs offered in europe?