this just came from left field, but i was rejected from BC's counseling PhD and offered admissions to their MA in mental health counseling with a tuition remission of around $10,000 in total (scholarship, awards, etc). i was wondering is this common for post-phd rejection or is this a rare opportunity? i really want my phd and need a strong research base, but only got 1 interview this year, and am starting to think that a MA could really set me up. however, im not sure if a mental health counseling masters is exactly what i need at this point.. FWIW, my GRE is 1400, my GPA is just above a 3.5 and I have 7 months full time research experience (fulltime) and 3 semesters when i was an undergrad. no pubs yet but 2 under review and a lot of experience conducting structured interviews and neuropsychological batteries. i know there is a lot of discussion about MA as a gateway to a PhD, but was wondering specifically if this offer, or offers like this, are commonplace.
Rejected from BC, but offered admissions to MA?
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I'm in a PhD program in counseling psychology, and we also have an MA in mental health counseling. Applicants who are not interviewed for the doc program or who interview but don't make the cut are often offered admission to the master's program. For the past few years, one applicant with a master's from our program has gained admission to the doc program after graduating from the MA program.
this is what i figured
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The master's applicants who gain admission to the PhD program typically gain considerable research experience while participating in research teams. So be sure to find out if you will have opportunities to participate in research teams.
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I cannot answer about specifics as to how offer master's level admission is offered, but I think it happens regularly at places where they do have a separate master's program. I would be cautious about what kind of debt you will take on. That said, there are some counseling psychology PhD programs that require a master's degree and a number that look favorably on post-master's applicants. If you are interested in counseling psychology PhD programs, you may open up more possibilities by obtaining your master's degree. You would want to do very well in your graduate work, above a 3.8, to show your ability to handle graduate courses. Additionally, you will want to chose a master's program that will allow you to do research (and I believe there are opportunities at BC) to further strengthen your PhD candidacy. I hope that whatever you chose to do works out well for you.
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You know....if the two pubs under review get accepted (maybe a long shot, but maybe not) and you get more research experience, including the opportunity to present a poster at a national conference or get a first author publication under review, you will likely be very competitive on the job market next year.
I would weigh the pros and cons of trying to volunteer/obtain a paid research position against getting the MA in counseling.
In short, what I'm trying to say is...get more research experience- however you can.
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Like someone else said, many PhD counseling programs prefer someone with an MA. You will get through their program quicker (and thus cost less to them if they are funding you) and have 'proven' yourself a bit more. It's up to you whether you take the master's program offer or not. If it were a clinical program you were applying to, I would be more likely to say skip the offer and get more research experience. But if you really want a PhD in Counseling, getting a masters first (in addition to more research experience) can really boost your chances there. Let us know what you decide to do.
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Before jumping into this program just because it's connected with BC, I'd research other options. There are fully funded Masters programs out there that offer lots of research experience and are attractive to counseling phd programs.
BC will invite many of their Master's students for Ph.D. program. I know a friend who got in like this. In fact, your chances of admission will go up with a MA than a Bachelor's for this program. But of course, a fully funded Master's is also a good option but you would have to make sure whatever research you do is aligned with counseling psych.
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This happens often from what I understand
Be cautioned going into a master program of a school you want to eventually obtain a PhD can be a double edge sword. If you are the star student you may have a leg up, but it not you could be setting yourself up for failure. Taking a masters level spot would put you under a 2 year long microscope application process for your PhD.
With our PsyD cohort only 4 people came from our master program.
Be cautioned going into a master program of a school you want to eventually obtain a PhD can be a double edge sword. If you are the star student you may have a leg up, but it not you could be setting yourself up for failure. Taking a masters level spot would put you under a 2 year long microscope application process for your PhD.
With our PsyD cohort only 4 people came from our master program.
