Taking extra Psychology courses?

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DrMarx

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So, a little background information. I'm completely on track to achieve a B.A. In Psychology, however I find that taking the standard 15 credits a semester isn't challenging enough for me. I do have the option to take some extra psych classes however they are not needed for my B.A. Would this extra coursework benefit me in any way for graduate psych programs? Also, if the concentration of the courses matter, I'm planning on taking Human Sexuality and Substance Abuse & Addiction. Thanks!

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I'd say it's not likely to affect your application much in either direction (good or bad). Spending additional time in a current or new research lab could certainly help, though. Conversely, you could use the opportunity to take classes in topics that you might not have the opportunity to formally study after you graduate; this might not directly help your application per se, but it could at least be intellectually enjoyable.
 
I'd say it's not likely to affect your application much in either direction (good or bad). Spending additional time in a current or new research lab could certainly help, though. Conversely, you could use the opportunity to take classes in topics that you might not have the opportunity to formally study after you graduate; this might not directly help your application per se, but it could at least be intellectually enjoyable.

I agree. If you have extra time, find a research gig or volunteer in some mental health, advocacy area. As AcronymAllergy stated, additional courses could help the breadth of your understanding of the world. As an undergrad, I took Religions of the World as an elective, and it was fascinating and helped my global understanding which benefits my clinical work in subtle ways...even now (Since then, I've learned much more about how faith - either the absence or presence- influences individuals' motivations and beliefs, but the course was a good base.) Likewise, those courses you mentioned may do the same for you, but I'd opt to diversify your undergrad experiences, and I'm a big supporter of volunteer work to gain a better understanding of working with distressed clients.

On a side note, my nephew is applying to medical school, and medical school advisors are really pushing for maturity and empathy in individual applicants. These factors have always been essential in clinical psychology doctoral applicants. Seek experiences that will help you learn to self-monitor your thoughts and behaviors so when you are presented with the scenario of impotence in a male client, you'll be interested in learning what it's all about rather than giggle and turn red (not saying that you would).




Good luck! :luck:
 
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I'd say it's not likely to affect your application much in either direction (good or bad). Spending additional time in a current or new research lab could certainly help, though. Conversely, you could use the opportunity to take classes in topics that you might not have the opportunity to formally study after you graduate; this might not directly help your application per se, but it could at least be intellectually enjoyable.

I'd have to agree to this as well.
 
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