Psych MA = qualified for what jobs??

[Beena9]

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I have a Masters degree in General Psychology from NYU (2005) but have been out of the workplace (except for 3 years as a teacher) for ten years raising my children. I'm desperate to get a career going back in the Psych field again and would work in a school, hospital, or even for the state (I live in CT) but I don't know what I'm qualified for without a doctorate or a license.

Please advise!! Thank you.

 

[futureapppsy2]

Honestly, you probably aren't qualified for anything that you wouldn't already be qualified for with a BA in psych. A General Psychology masters is generally used as a stepping stone to a PhD program and not a whole lot more. What kind of work do you want to do (research, clinical , teaching, or some combination thereof)? Are you willing/able to go back to school?

 

[DrMikeP]

I have a Masters degree in General Psychology from NYU (2005) but have been out of the workplace (except for 3 years as a teacher) for ten years raising my children. I'm desperate to get a career going back in the Psych field again and would work in a school, hospital, or even for the state (I live in CT) but I don't know what I'm qualified for without a doctorate or a license.

Please advise!! Thank you.

I know of a couple of psych MA's working in hospital HR and Social Work... It's sort of psych related, but makes $32K/yr so that isn't great. Some states with a few more courses and exam will let you get licensed as a masters level counselor (expect to make pretty low pay tho). A community college might let you teach an intro to psych class or get a licensed as a high school teacher for psych. It really is difficult doing anything in clinical psych with a masters. They should almost do away with psych terminal master's degrees imo.

 

[Ollie123]

Honestly, you probably aren't qualified for anything that you wouldn't already be qualified for with a BA in psych. A General Psychology masters is generally used as a stepping stone to a PhD program and not a whole lot more. What kind of work do you want to do (research, clinical , teaching, or some combination thereof)? Are you willing/able to go back to school?

This. I obviously don't know the specifics of your background or program, but the degree generally positions people better for research positions or administrative positions (e.g. DCF, etc.). To my knowledge, you won't be able to do anything clinical in CT - at least not involving direct patient care. In CT, research generally means U Conn or Yale though I guess it all depends where in the state you are located and what kind of commute you are willing to tolerate (i.e. if NY or Boston are within reach you obviously have many more options). Depending on your interests and skillset there are obviously a wealth of other options (e.g. data analyst for X, administrator for Y, etc.). Its going to be tough to break back in after that long of a break though, so you may want to think about volunteering first or finding some other way to segue into it and get a foot in the door somewhere.

 

[Harry3990]

Agree with future that more info regarding what you'd like to be doing would be helpful. I think you mentioned in that other thread that you are not willing/able to go back to school for a PhD. Without that (and a license) in the cards, practicing clinical psychology independently (assessment or therapy) really isn't an option. With that that in mind, the following ideas might be worth considering or looking into:

- psychometrist or psychological assistant (usually do mostly administering psychological tests under supervision of a licensed psychologist)
- guidance counselor at a school (some schools may prefer a licensed professional, but I believe some schools hire people with just teaching experience and an educational background in counseling/psychology)***this may be misinformed, if someone knows otherwise please let me know
- college counselor at a school (advising high school students about getting into colleges)
- academic counselor or student support counselor at a university (not mental health, but nevertheless both serve an important role in universities related to supporting students)
- case management positions (mental health related but usually supervised by licensed clinicians and not direct services, usually more supportive and coordination-oriented... search things like Case Manager, Mental Health Professional/Specialist)

I'll add if anything else comes to mind

 

[DrMikeP]

Agree with future that more info regarding what you'd like to be doing would be helpful. I think you mentioned in that other thread that you are not willing/able to go back to school for a PhD. Without that (and a license) in the cards, practicing clinical psychology independently (assessment or therapy) really isn't an option. With that that in mind, the following ideas might be worth considering or looking into:

- psychometrist or psychological assistant (usually do mostly administering psychological tests under supervision of a licensed psychologist)
- guidance counselor at a school (some schools may prefer a licensed professional, but I believe some schools higher people with just teaching experience and an educational background in counseling/psychology)***this may be misinformed, if someone knows otherwise please let me know
- college counselor at a school (advising high school students about getting into colleges)
- academic counselor or student support counselor at a university (not mental health, but nevertheless both serve an important role in universities related to supporting students)
- case management positions (mental health related but usually supervised by licensed clinicians and not direct services, usually more supportive and coordination-oriented... search things like Case Manager, Mental Health Professional/Specialist)

I'll add if anything else comes to mind

Guidance counselor varies a lot by state. Some require a degree in such specifically and others require a bachelors in ed and then a masters and then others require a masters in related field plus extra courses/practicum exp. I looked at that as a teacher and decided for the pay it wasn't worth it as many these days sadly spend more time doing test prep and paperwork than actual counseling.

 

[PsychMajorUndergrad18]

Either do a PhD or try to get a HR or Adjucting gig