Suggestion for good BA program

[Wolfy2449]

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Hello, i am looking around for a good BA psychology program in usa and the options are a little ridiculous in amount... I am using apa accredited programs list and from that i slowly try to remove programs but they are still many. Reason i took APA list is because i Assume that some of the professors in advanced topics might also teach bachelor level psychology course. Still the options are many and would like a few suggestions based on those parameters

1)Doesnt have huge classes with many students.

2)Is accredited because i do intend after getting a good GPA in bachelor program to try enter a psyd program without a masters

3)Preferably has a psyd graduate program that is APA accredited so i can continue at the same university(but that isnt so necessary)

4)It has scholarships, grants that are available to international students(Since from what i see most require you to be us citizen)

5)Preferably somewhere cold and not very hot like San Diego etc

6)Not interested so much in events or other stress relieving school activities, i am mainly looking for a good accredited school

7)Edit:Has a good amount of possible internships around, because i ve read that there is a very big problem with the number of psychology students and number of internships.


And another question. Because until i find the correct
university>apply>Wait for the beginning of the new quarter/semester/year i will have a lot of free time and i was thinking of getting a good book to read. I am already reading psychology: modules for active learning from my psychology class in my first college and will finish it soon so i was wondering if i should try something more heavy like "Treatment Companion to the Dsm-IV-TR Casebook" but i am not sure if it can be read alone or i first need to read the dsm-iv-tr casebook.
I was mainly interested in those because they seem to give nice examples(Examples=Easier to remember for me) of case studies, show behaviors linked to problems and also show treatments examples. And because currently i have very little idea of how to deal with many things and i dont like that i am thinking those books could help.

 

[Vasa Lisa]

Dear Wolfy -

Your enthusiasm shines through in your questions and I sense your eagerness to begin. As in most things in life - it doesn't really matter - even if we think it does! All that matters is starting and the rest will unfold for you.

It sounds like you might be a foreign student?

i am looking around for a good BA psychology program in usa and the options are a little ridiculous in amount...

Are there educational opportunities in your area? Going to school in state and living at home can be quite reasonable in cost. It is far better to get a solid undergraduate education (in psychology) or something else than to go a perceived "best school."

I would encourage you not to get your UG and grad degrees in the same setting.

Depending on what you want to do - this may not be relevant - but if you want to work with clients - some of the books I found inspiring are:

Yalom - The gift of therapy
Pipher - Letters to a young therapist
Kahn - Between therapist and client
Yalom - Love's Executioner

Trust your own inner guidance and know that you will change and grow and evolve as you travel through UG - so both keep an eye on your goal AND keep an eye open for other avenues that may be your calling.

HTH,

Vasa Lisa

 

[Wolfy2449]

Thanks, i ll definitely check those books out. Yes i am a foreign student from Greece and I have already wasted 1 year in a college in USA with unrelated degree until i found out there are jobs I can do outside the computer!(Had high school diploma in computer applications,networks so i wouldn't think that i would do something that wouldnt need computer 24/7)

I was always fascinated about learning about psychology mainly because i myself think a lot about behavior and illogical behavior(Like my mother paying 400$ in clothes that noneone needed or asked for)and create possible theories from observation.

Now i ll be returning back to Greece for sometime until i find a new school so i am not limited to 1-2 states, i can probably go anywhere in usa that has a good degree. The reason i wanted to go to usa are those
1)Usa has this "name" outside the world so its better of you go with usa diploma to uk than going to usa with uk diploma.

2)USA=Bigger=More job opportunities, definitely more than Greece at least xD

3)Usa is english speaking so the things i learn will be immediately remembered in english instead of having to go from meaning to greek and then to english

I dont really care so much about the name or place as long as 1)it teaches psychology well 2)Is accredited so i can apply for a school that has a psyd and then get licensed without problems like going to the wrong, non-accredited school etc.

I was thinking argosy because it has both psyd and Ba and is apa accredited but from what i heard argosy isnt a really good school for psychology, thats why i am mainly asking for suggestions since there are many possible mistakes that are waiting to be done xD.

Now i am looking at Roosevelt university but again, there are so many more options...Anyone has an opinion on Roosevelt? Cause i have seen both good and negative reviews

 

[Vasa Lisa]

APA accreditation matters for the GRAD degree - but as long as the school is not for profit and regionally accredited - I don't think it matters so much for the UG degree. This is just my opinion 🙂

I would focus on finding a part of the US that you want to live in and can afford and feels supportive as you get your degree.

I would also - based on my experience - question the need for a PsyD. Do you want to assess clients for a living? Get the PsyD! Do you want to counsel clients for a living? a MA/MEd/EdS/MS CLINICAL degree in SW or counseling will allow that path.

Take Care,

Vasa Lisa

 

[Wolfy2449]

APA accreditation matters for the GRAD degree - but as long as the school is not for profit and regionally accredited - I don't think it matters so much for the UG degree. This is just my opinion 🙂

I would focus on finding a part of the US that you want to live in and can afford and feels supportive as you get your degree.

I would also - based on my experience - question the need for a PsyD. Do you want to assess clients for a living? Get the PsyD! Do you want to counsel clients for a living? a MA/MEd/EdS/MS CLINICAL degree in SW or counseling will allow that path.

Take Care,

Vasa Lisa

Yes i know that APA accreditation is for PsyD/PhD programs but i assumed that some professors could probalby teach some of the undergraduate courses as well and more familiar teachers for more courses the better

The problem is that I am not limited to some state or area and my only needs are mainly (good teachers, be accredited and preferably cold climate in nice green environment) so my options area little ridiculous in size. Are there any ranking sites?Or something that could limit my options since checking each accredited school one by one could be a little time consuming and without getting solid opinions it could also be a waste of time?


Also i would prefer a university that doesnt have very low acceptance rates and is overly competitive because i am sure if i need to take SAT the results wont be so nice based on the fact that i wasnt able to see most mistakes in spelling test examples and you cant really reinvent every math formula like geometry ones to solve the issue and my memory isnt the best. Plus I am determent to get at least a 3.7-4.0 gpa in my bachelors and if i want something i can do it but i am not determent to start reading English/math again just so i can get a good score in SAT or some exam probably because i feel i can avoid it or there is not a big reward in it. My techincal high school diploma(in computer applications, networks etc) should be around 3.36(16.8 in a scale from 0-20) and i went to a college for around a year in an unrelated major and got 3.1 but thats mainly because i had horrible c,and c- in drawing classes that i just wanted to pass and get rid of(Plus art institutes being a private company we pay them for grades so i never really had to work hard). I was far better in general education/culture/science classes

And yes i would prefer a PsyD because like my psychology teacher told me a PsyD goes a lot more indepth in analysis and diagnosis compared to a masters degree and i dont think i would be satisfied with a masters personally

 

[wigflip]

I was always fascinated about learning about psychology mainly because i myself think a lot about behavior and illogical behavior(Like my mother paying 400$ in clothes that noneone needed or asked for)and create possible theories from observation.

I just thought it worth mentioning that for most people most of the time, there is a logic to their behavior. Usually labeling behavior "illogical" is simply a means of confessing that its meaning eludes you, at least for the time being. Often there is an alternative logic based on a different system of values and meanings. If you still have general education units to complete, you might consider taking some classes in anthropology, sociology, or sociolinguistics if you are interested in learning about how people imbue behavior and words with meaning.

 

[Wolfy2449]

I just thought it worth mentioning that for most people most of the time, there is a logic to their behavior. Usually labeling behavior "illogical" is simply a means of confessing that its meaning eludes you, at least for the time being. Often there is an alternative logic based on a different system of values and meanings. If you still have general education units to complete, you might consider taking some classes in anthropology, sociology, or sociolinguistics if you are interested in learning about how people imbue behavior and words with meaning.

I understand what you mean and i already take the sociology class in my last quarter, I just said illogical mainly because it doesnt serve any purpose in a non-psychological need view, i am sure it serves a psychological purpose for her but i am sure that the money could be used for a better and more useful purpose(No that doesnt mean i dont take psychological needs seriously). Plus I dont think there is any big cultural difference between her and me(i lived 18 years with her and she seemed quite independent personality) that i cant see unless there is a culture for all wives in marriage with a dominant intelligent husband that brings all the money home so she can buy things the family needs and control what things nobody needs but still buys... or she just wants to be cliche xD

 

[Vasa Lisa]

Yes i know that APA accreditation is for PsyD/PhD programs but i assumed that some professors could probalby teach some of the undergraduate courses as well and more familiar teachers for more courses the better

My experience is that when you go to a school for undergraduate that also offers grad degrees there is an increased frequency of TAs (graduate students) teaching undergrads.

The problem is that I am not limited to some state or area and my only needs are mainly (good teachers, be accredited and preferably cold climate in nice green environment) so my options area little ridiculous in size. Are there any ranking sites?Or something that could limit my options since checking each accredited school one by one could be a little time consuming and without getting solid opinions it could also be a waste of time?

Try US News and World Report. There are also groups online that discuss various colleges and the admissions process such as College Confidential. Use the internet and be resourceful. Practice your discernment skills through this process and it will enhance your skill set and make you more competitive in the US College market.

And yes i would prefer a PsyD because like my psychology teacher told me a PsyD goes a lot more indepth in analysis and diagnosis compared to a masters degree and i dont think i would be satisfied with a masters personally

I am a damn good diagnostician and I *only* have a MA/EdS. There is a perception that a PsyD makes you a better clinician. More clinical training makes you a better clinician IMHO.

Vasa Lisa

 

[wigflip]

My experience is that when you go to a school for undergraduate that also offers grad degrees there is an increased frequency of TAs (graduate students) teaching undergrads.

I went to a top public school for psych and we had TAs (teaching assistants), but I never had a grad student or other contingent faculty member teach. It was always ladder faculty--leaders in the field. I know this isn't the case everywhere (AAUP report linked to on doc forum indicates that across campuses, 75% of courses are taught by contingent faculty), but check around. It's possible.

A benefit to going to a research university (preferably R1) for your BA is that...they are doing research there. Having the opportunity to participate in research, even if you don't avail yourself of that opportunity, is better than going to a SLAC (small liberal arts college, for which you will pay through the nose) and discovering that all these profs who specialize in teaching don't have the big funded labs to take on undergrad RAs.

The "downside" to the big research universities is that many if not most classes will be large. Don't let this deter you. I double majored in psych and another discipline. This other discipline had small classes and lots of personal attention from profs and class discussion. Learned more in the big lecture classes in psych because profs were motivated to actually lecture, not rely on lazy pedagogical tactics like group work, endless peer discussion, and hoaky "exercises." Get to the lecture hall early, sit down front, and it will be just like a small class--your prof will be lecturing just for you. The people who aren't learning in large lecture classes are the ones who never attend, or spend the time yapping with buddies, or playing with technological gadgets. (Eschew them like the plague. Profs can see what you're up to while they're lecturing, and they will remember.)

 

[syzergy]

I'm going to second wingflip. If you're interested in trying to go to grad school for psychology, go to the big research university! Of course, an R1 school is not absolutely necessary but from personal experience, it's so easy to get research experience. There were a ton of research labs running at my university and I was able to get into 7 that were great matches for my very specific research interests.

Of course, this is all my personal opinion. Many, many students from smaller schools are well qualified and do excellent in grad school. I just feel really bad for those who weren't able to get enough research experience because they went to a smaller school that didn't have active research faculty.

Yeah, the classes are large but the faculty all have office hours that you can attend. I found that I was usually one of the only students who actually used the office hours and my professors were always eager to talk to a motivated student.

My most influential experiences were in my research labs, not in my classes so that's another strong argument for an active research university

 

[Wolfy2449]

Try US News and World Report. There are also groups online that discuss various colleges and the admissions process such as College Confidential. Use the internet and be resourceful.

Hmm I ve tried to find school based on student reviews but its kinda hard to do that with college students, some reviews are ridiculously contradictory and most of them are just angry students who seem that they couldnt deal with their own problems. And its quite hard to decide who is right or wrong. Now i am still looking based on some rankings but its hard without getting some good solid opinion from someone expirienced

I am a damn good diagnostician and I *only* have a MA/EdS. There is a perception that a PsyD makes you a better clinician. More clinical training makes you a better clinician IMHO.

I didnt mean it makes you better, well practice helps but from what i understood from my psych teacher is that PsyD focuses a little more indepth on understanding or diagnosing patients in behavior,disorders, Dmechanis etc compared to a masters. I think its similar to what you said about assessing clients and counseling clients.


Also are PsyD programs that horrible? Everyone seems to be really concerned about choosing a PsyD over a PhD?


Also I just found Alfred university and show that they have more specialized majors in psychology and a clinical/counseling major that offers both the basic research courses and clinical practicum. So could this work, instead of research experience have practicum experience? Or this type of major isnt very useful if you intend to move to a graduate school and wont count as much compared to general psychology majors?