post bacc undergrad courses

[bcliff]

Hi all,

I work for a university based research center and will be eligible for tuition exemption (up to 6 hours) starting in spring '15. During undergrad, I never took abnormal psych, and when I took cognitive I earned a C (I was taking 25 credit hours that term; it's a long story).

Would it be worth it for me to take these two courses this upcoming spring? I'm applying for the 2015-16 academic year, so I wouldn't have even started these classes by the time applications were due, but I could bring it up in interviews as proof that I'm serious about continuing my education and making sure I have a solid foundation before pursuing a graduate degree. What are your thoughts?

I'm also a little worried about class conflicts and interview dates. My job now has plenty of PTO and a very flexible schedule, but if I'm taking 6 credit hours next spring, then it would definitely make it harder to travel for interviews.

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[xXIDaShizIXx]

Well that depends, what kind of programs?

 

[LisaLisa86]

You could look into reputable online classes, like Harvard Extension School. It would be quite easy to handle 1-2 classes online while working FT.

 

[bcliff]

You could look into reputable online classes, like Harvard Extension School. It would be quite easy to handle 1-2 classes online while working FT.

That's a good point, but the only reason I'm considering taking these classes is because it would be free through my tuition exemption.

Does anyone think a C in cognitive and not having taken abnormal are big enough holes in my application to make it worth taking the two courses?

 

[LisaLisa86]

If you want to go clinical, I'd take abnormal. If you want to go cognitive, I'd take cognitive. If your research area has nothing to do with cognitive psych, then I wouldn't worry too much about your C as long as your overall GPA and psych GPA are high, and you ace the psych GRE and regular GRE.

But that being said, if your classes don't have grades posted by the time you apply, I'm not sure if it would be worth it. I would either take the two classes over the summer (e.g. online courses at the graduate level) to supplement your application and show that you have the skills needed for grad school, or take Abnormal if you're going clinical track and it's required for any of the programs you're applying to... although you might want to ask the programs if they need the grades in hand for their required classes when reviewing applications.

 

[CKAW]

I would definitely recommend abnormal, as it struck me as a better overview of the field than the "Intro to Clinical Psych" course I took. I also spoke with a number of people before returning to school about "required" coursework, and they generally said required isn't the right word, but they look for Intro to Psych, Research Methods, and Abnormal Psych above all else.