What Can I Do With Masters In Psychology?

[camcrazy]

I have a BS in Behavioral Science with a minor in Criminal justice. I've been out of college a while. Now i'm trying to decide which path to take.... MA in psychology, or MS in forensics, Teaching cred., find a job that only requires a BS in BS???? any input would be helpful!!!! where do i go from here?

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[Thavisionary]

I am not sure if you are speaking of getting an MA specifically in Psychology or an MA in School Psychology. Because it looks like you have to have a School Psych. Degree in most states to get in. Or did you get a MA in general Psych and then do an intern in a school setting which qualifies you. I too want to practice on my own one day but would not mind at all starting out in a school setting of some sort. I also would not want to be stuck not able to work anywhere else if a school psych position is not available. It appears you have insight in this matter. Can you help me out?

Ok, Im a school psychologist, with a Masters in School Counseling with specialization in School Psychology. I make about 85,000 in California. However, I made a mistake and should have worked it another way. What you need to do is, get a MA in Psychology, with emphasis in MFT, take an internship and get the credential in School Psychology that way you will have two avenues to go and one, make money and two, start your private practice. Also, with the MA in Psychology you are elgible to take the LPC test, which in California it has not passed fully, but it will. This licence is better than the MFT, and it is recipical with other states in the union. Hope this helped some folks, if you need some more breakdowns, let me know. School Psy

 

[trickynicky]

hey everyone.

so i graduated from columbia university teacher's college with a MA in clinical psychology. it was 36 credit hours, i went part time from fall 2007-spring 2009 while i worked a variety of jobs. the degree was supposed to be a stepping stone to a PhD program. i applied for a PhD in 2010 and didn't get in anywhere. plus, i got disillusioned with the whole thing. i've been working in academic research since undergrad and decided it was a bad idea to commit to several more years in academia when all i wanted was a private practice anyway.

i left nyc and moved to chicago. i'm trying to see what else i need to take the licensure exam in IL, and i'm a bit confused.

as far as i see it, it looks like i need at least 48 semester hours in a CACREP or CORE accredited program, that includes at least 3 semester hours in the following:

A. Human Growth and Development
B. Counseling Theory
C. Counseling Techniques
D. Group Dynamics, Processing and Counseling
E. Appraisal of Individuals
F. Research and Evaluation
G. Professional, Legal and Ethical Responsibilities relating to professional counseling, especially as
related to Illinois law
H. Social and Cultural Foundations
I. Lifestyle and Career Development
J. Practicum/Internship
K. Psychopathology and Maladaptive Behavior
L. Substance Abuse
M. Family Dynamics

in my program, i only did about 3 of these. i also saw this:

"To academically qualify you must earn a 48 semester hour clinical degree.
You can not take additional classes post master’s degree completion to obtain the 48 hours required. Changes to the licensure rules became effective 1/1/08. See section g (4). There are no exceptions or “grandfathering.” You may elect to obtain a different masters degree or a doctoral degree. "

so does this mean that my MA is pretty much completely useless now that i don't want to pursue a PhD? and to just QUALIFY to take the license examination, i need to get another 2 year MA degree? someone please tell me this isn't so... also, i don't need to stay in chicago. if anyone knows another place where my degree will go further, please let me know. thanks!

 

[IHrtHealthPsych]

"To academically qualify you must earn a 48 semester hour clinical degree.
You can not take additional classes post master's degree completion to obtain the 48 hours required. Changes to the licensure rules became effective 1/1/08. See section g (4). There are no exceptions or "grandfathering." You may elect to obtain a different masters degree or a doctoral degree. "

so does this mean that my MA is pretty much completely useless now that i don't want to pursue a PhD? and to just QUALIFY to take the license examination, i need to get another 2 year MA degree? someone please tell me this isn't so... also, i don't need to stay in chicago. if anyone knows another place where my degree will go further, please let me know. thanks!

Sorry to tell you, but yes that is true--you need a degree that contains all of those classes. I know this because my master's program is in Chicago and has two options (non-terminal or terminal/license-eligible) and I was originally going to do the non-terminal option with a thesis, but I have since added the practicum so I can get a license. It was clear to me, by every faculty member I ever encountered, that by completing the non-terminal degree, one could never be licensed unless they pursued another degree.

This will be the case everywhere, as far as I know.

You will also need to enroll in a practicum/internship that is at least 750 hours, in addition to the necessary classes. No school will let you do that until you've met their requirements for an internship, which is another reason why you won't be able to just take the extra classes and get a license.

I would encourage you to look into local 48-hour master's programs in counseling (NEIU, for example, is very reasonably priced) and see what classes you can transfer from your previous master's degree. You may be able to transfer the 3 classes you mentioned taking. Good luck!

 

[jbrisaco]

I am not sure if you are speaking of getting an MA specifically in Psychology or an MA in School Psychology. Because it looks like you have to have a School Psych. Degree in most states to get in. Or did you get a MA in general Psych and then do an intern in a school setting which qualifies you. I too want to practice on my own one day but would not mind at all starting out in a school setting of some sort. I also would not want to be stuck not able to work anywhere else if a school psych position is not available. It appears you have insight in this matter. Can you help me out?

I'm wondering myself if that is really the right route to go. I have a BA in psychology and am trying to figure out what is the best masters program to get into...mental health counseling , psychology or school psychology... suggestions??

 

[roubs]

I'm wondering myself if that is really the right route to go. I have a BA in psychology and am trying to figure out what is the best masters program to get into...mental health counseling , psychology or school psychology... suggestions??

What is your end goal? What is the highest degree you want, and what kind of job do you want to have?

 

[jbrisaco]

i'm kind of open to anything... ideally i would like something that i can make a decent pay wether it be counseling, clinical work, testing whatever i enjoy all of it...there are just soo many options i need some guidance...

 

[Neuropsych2be]

I don't know about your state, but in Colorado you absolutely can open a private practice, call yourself a "psychotherapist", and conduct psychotherapy WITHOUT ANY TRAINING WHATSOEVER. Is it ethical? Of course not. Yet it is totally legal.

I believe that this is true in Minnesota where Michelle Bachman's creepy spouse does not have a license.

 

[blueyelie2]

I am currently stuck with a Masters in Psychology but with no intership/clinical hours. If anyone can help me even understand what I need to do to get these hour it would be much appreciated!

I live in Florida and so far for LMHC and other type licesned posistion it says I need a minimum of a Masters with specific cousework and hours. So do I basically just go around asking for internships or should I go for a paid job? It seems like everywhere I try I get the same thing: "We would love to give you the hours but your not licensed"... but I need the hours to get licesned!

I don't know, maybe I'm just missing the forest for the trees type thing but I feel so stuck. Any help/suggestions?

 

[IHrtHealthPsych]

I am currently stuck with a Masters in Psychology but with no intership/clinical hours. If anyone can help me even understand what I need to do to get these hour it would be much appreciated!

I live in Florida and so far for LMHC and other type licesned posistion it says I need a minimum of a Masters with specific cousework and hours. So do I basically just go around asking for internships or should I go for a paid job? It seems like everywhere I try I get the same thing: "We would love to give you the hours but your not licensed"... but I need the hours to get licesned!

I don't know, maybe I'm just missing the forest for the trees type thing but I feel so stuck. Any help/suggestions?

Your master's degree doesn't have any internship/practicum credit? It is my understanding that most states require that credit as part of the degree to gain licensure. It needs to be part of your degree. I know this because my school has both a non-terminal degree and a terminal/licensable degree. I was originally going to do without the internship, but I was warned all over the place that I could never (ever!) get a license if I had a degree without an internship...there was no going back...unless I got another master's degree.

So you could always get another master's degree.

 

[blueyelie2]

Your master's degree doesn't have any internship/practicum credit? It is my understanding that most states require that credit as part of the degree to gain licensure. It needs to be part of your degree. I know this because my school has both a non-terminal degree and a terminal/licensable degree. I was originally going to do without the internship, but I was warned all over the place that I could never (ever!) get a license if I had a degree without an internship...there was no going back...unless I got another master's degree.

So you could always get another master's degree.

Oh man don't tell me that... unless I could cheat it and carry credits over and just get a supplement MA from another University?? That could work right.. haha

No my degree was just coursework and at the time I didn't really think anything of it. I mean I did stuff like TA and RA but no internships for my MA in Psychology. Now you do mention the idea of a terminal degree and I don't really remember what this one was - I asssume terminal because I am not in a PhD/PsyD program.

Thank you for your input though. Really helped me clear out somethings. I guess I will just beg places for an internship and see what happens.

 

[IHrtHealthPsych]

unless I could cheat it and carry credits over and just get a supplement MA from another University?? That could work right.. haha

I doubt it, but you could ask. You'll have to ask both the potential school ("Will you take all of my credits from my previous degree, let me add on an internship/practicum, and give me an MA?"). Not likely. Otherwise, ask your state licensing board. The boards I've investigated (including my home state and others I am considering moving to) clearly state that you need to have internship/practicum credits in the master's degree. When I was considering graduating with the type of degree you have, it became clear that I would have to get another master's degree in order to practice--at least 48 credit hours plus an internship (with perhaps 9 or so credits that would likely transfer from the first master's). I was lucky that my school had the option for a licensable degree, so I took an extra year to do a practicum.

If you do the additional master's you could do counseling or MFT, which would make you potentially more marketable with both psychology and the additional training.

No my degree was just coursework and at the time I didn't really think anything of it. I mean I did stuff like TA and RA but no internships for my MA in Psychology. Now you do mention the idea of a terminal degree and I don't really remember what this one was - I asssume terminal because I am not in a PhD/PsyD program.

A 'terminal' degree is a licensable degree, even if it's a master's. It really sucks that your school didn't make that clear to you, if that is the case. An MA in psychology is often seen as an intermediate degree to a doctorate, meaning that its only purpose is to prepare one for doctoral admissions/study. You can also find other kinds of work with an academic MA, but not clinical work. So, it's not terminal because it doesn't prepare you for independent practice. However, some (like mine) operate like a master's degree in counseling, where they send the graduate right to the NCC Exam and off for licensure as a master's level clinican, which then allows them to accrue hours for clinical licensure for private practice.

Thank you for your input though. Really helped me clear out somethings. I guess I will just beg places for an internship and see what happens.

Good luck, but the internship probably won't mean anything for licensure unless it's part of a graduate program. The whole point is that the state licensing board wants your internship to be under the supervision of an approved academic program, not just freelance. If you find an internship that's willing to take you, you need to be sure that they're not just accepting you as free labor. Will it gain you licensure? Don't ask the site!! Ask your state licensing board.

 

[Treatments]

Hi,
I think, A research-based, experimental psychology degree: These degrees, which can be general experimental or more focused on a subdiscipline are highly research-focused and would prepare you for a career as a lab manager or research assistant, among other things.

 

[myerrh]

Alright, so currently I am working towards my BS in Psychology, and I know what I want to be doing with my life in (relatively) a few years. I live in Virginia, if that helps.

I'm soooo glad I found this forum because I have been so confused.

I want to counsel adolescents in group/individual therapies who have depression and/or substance abuse problems.

So, what should I get as far as graduate studies go (Masters or Doctorate?)?
How would I go about getting my my LPC and CSAC?

What would be the best route for me to take?!

Thanks!

 

[intnalI]

Hi all,

I am an International student from India with a MA in Counseling Psychology and 6 months work experience in a private clinic and 2 years experience as an educator of Psychology in a high school in India.
I recently move to Oregon for MS in School Counseling with an F1 Visa and I am confused. I am not sure whether I want to do my Masters again. If anyone can suggest from an international student's perspective what kind of academic route would work for me so that I can work in US.

Thanks.