Grad School Advice

[HawkGuy]

Alright guys and gals, I'm in need of some advice. I'm looking at finishing up my BA, then applying to a Doctor of Psychology (PsyD) program here in AZ. Right now, I'm going for a BA in Psychology through TESC, but I'm thinking about switching to Liberal Studies so I can test out of the whole thing rather than have to take psych classes. I'd need quite a few actual classes to make up for the lack of psych tests. And honestly, I'd rather not do that

I realize that having a degree in psych would be a plus for sure, in that it would look better when I apply to a psychology doctoral program. I just don't know how much of a difference it would make. I'm basically weighing the benefits of the Psych degree for admission purposes versus the faster completion time of Liberal Studies.

In your opinion, do you think I should stick with Psych and maybe have a better chance at getting accepted, or should I finish a Liberal Studies degree faster so I can apply faster?

Thanks,
Jesse

[ShotoJuku]

[COLOR="Navy"]I think it really depends on what you need your BA to do, or where you want it to go. It looks as though your long range plans (outside of attaining a PsyD or PhD) may be to enter the Psychology field. If so, then why not stay where you are and get as much Psychology based learning skills as you can; faster may seem to be "easier" but not always better.

Does your grad school plans incude a Masters program first or an extended PsyD program? Here too a stepping stone approach (BA to MA to PsyD) may turn out to be better in the long run as you have broken down your final quest into separate/reachable goals.

If I win the lottery this week that's what I would do, pick it up again and go for the PsyD but until then I look forward to the next 6 years slipping by and then retire.

GOOD LUCK!![/COLOR]

[crshore]

Tough question! I've looked into MA, PhD and PsyD programs, too. Most brick-and-mortar schools are insanely competitive and often not very open to non-traditional college degrees. The acceptance rates into psychology PhD programs are VERY, very low (Accredited PhD programs had an overall acceptance rate of 10% (see Table 12); while PsyD programs had an acceptance rate of 34%) APA Research Office: Analyses of Data from Graduate Study in Psychology: 1999-2000.

I agree with ShotoJuku about considering an MA program in psychology first. They typically have higher acceptance rates and may provide you with a better opportunity of getting into a PhD/PsyD program later.

However, a few online schools do offer PhD/PsyD programs and are much more accepting of non-traditional degrees, if that's the way you want to go.

[HawkGuy]

I thought about doing the MA route first then gaining experience is a counselor before applying for a doctorate program. The problem is that there are only two schools here in AZ that offer the PsyD. There's Midwestern, which is B&M, and Argosy, which is online. I'm leaning towards the B&M school because I've heard Argosy is kinda shady, not to mention less well regarded. Midwestern has a really good rep here in Phoenix.

I talked to the admissions guy at Midwestern, who in turn talked to the head of the Psychology Dept. He said that the dept was ok with the prereqs being fulfilled through testing. They have a MA/PsyD program, but you have to be accepted to the PsyD program in order to get the MA. Now that you mention it, I've never really thought of going the PhD route. Hmm.....

I figure I can spin the whole nontraditional degree thing in my favor during my interview. All I should have to say is something like "While I know that my education is rather unconventional, I think it speaks as a testament to my dedication. I completed my degree while serving in the Army with numerous overseas tours, including two tours in Iraq, blah, blah, blah...." You get the picture haha. I really think that if they hold it against me, F@$% them anyways, ya know?

I'd like to think that they would actually look at it in the way I'm hoping they would and be cool about it, but you never know

[ShotoJuku]

........I figure I can spin the whole nontraditional degree thing in my favor during my interview. All I should have to say is something like "While I know that my education is rather unconventional.....

On the contrary - your (our collective) educational route is now the conventional path for many-many-many people so there's nothing to spin, explain, or otherwise defend. In fact, the person sitting on the otherside of the interview table may also have traveled the same educational road themselves.

[crshore]

On the contrary - your (our collective) educational route is now the conventional path for many-many-many people so there's nothing to spin, explain, or otherwise defend. In fact, the person sitting on the otherside of the interview table may also have traveled the same educational road themselves.

I've had no problems with MA programs, but many PsyD and Phd programs have requirements that are tough to get through non-traditional degree programs (such as supervised research requirements). I live in CT, and there's only ONE PsyD program in the state..and they're very cranky about admissions!

HawkGuy, you're right on the money about contacting admissions at the schools and finding out if you have a good chance at being admitted. Just don't think about relocating to CT

Edited to add: Here's a link to a a very helpful forum about PhD/PsyD programs and admissions:
Clinical Psychology [Psy.D. / Ph.D.] - Student Doctor Network Forums

[HawkGuy]

You're right, that link was very helpful. Thank you!!

[crshore]

Glad the link was helpful! As an aside, have you taken, or are you planning on taking the psychology GRE?

[HawkGuy]

There really is a lot of info on there. Thank you again. As for the Psych GRE, I wasn't planning on taking it. As far as I know, TESC doesn't award any credits for it :mad:

Also, I noticed that a lot of the online schools ie: Capella, Walden, etc.. aren't APA Approved. Do you think that this should be a factor in choosing a school?

[crshore]

There really is a lot of info on there. Thank you again. As for the Psych GRE, I wasn't planning on taking it. As far as I know, TESC doesn't award any credits for it :mad:

Also, I noticed that a lot of the online schools ie: Capella, Walden, etc.. aren't APA Approved. Do you think that this should be a factor in choosing a school?

I didn't realize TESC doesn't award credit for the GRE. That's a bummer!

As for APA approval of the online psychology programs...it all depends on who to talk to. Some graduates of Capella and Argosy say they've become licensed without a problem and have great careers, while graduates of brick-and-mortar schools claim their employers would NEVER hire someone with an advanced degree from an online program.

It's such a tough choice! Because of my work schedule and family obligations, there's no way I can complete an advanced degree at a B&M school in a remotely timely fashion. So I am trying to decide if I should do an online program (I was looking at Master's degrees, not PsyD's because of the money involved) or if I should wait and see if my situation changes at all and I can do a program in counseling at a B&M school. Decisions...decisions!