For you Psychology people...

[LearnedHand]

I need help!

It's my goal to become a Clinical Psychologist. I'd much prefer a PhD program to PsyD. My undergrad degree (about 3.0 GPA, ugh) was in History of Architecture. I plan on getting good GRE and MAT scores, and maybe taking the Psych GRE if I think I can ace it.

Anyhow, I took 3 psych classes during undergrad, Abnormal (B+), Personality (A) and Intro (A). My Big Question is THIS:

To be a competitive applicant for most PhD programs, should I go back and get a second BA in Psychology (difficult, expensive) or just take the major classes a la carte, such as Stats for Psych, Testing Methods, Psych lab, etc (easier, cheaper)? I've asked a few different people in the academic world and have gotten different answers. Do you have any opinions on what I should do?

THANK YOU!

:)

[LearnedHand]

I once had a lady in my college's career center tell me that, if I was to get a degree in Journalism before applying for the Psych PhD, I would look unfocused and not very dedicated to psychology. However, I would like to WRITE about psych as well as practice it.

Do you think she's right? Also, would the same hold true for a MPH in Behavioral Health? That's way more related to psych, so I think it would actually bolster my application. Opinions?

Thanks!

[K-man]

As a psych major who once considered a career in counseling, I think B.A. in psych will help you significantly -- even though it will be tough/expensive. By taking this route you'll gain more complete understanding of the subject (esp. how different fields of psych work with each other), and you'll also become a good writer from all the papers you'll be working on. There's a very specific/strict rule when it comes to writing psych papers (APA syle guide), so I'm not sure how much taking Journalism will help.

Just my $0.02

[winneythepooh7]

I am interested in some aspects of psychology, as well as helping people. I got my MSW. It was a much more affordable option for me, and quicker too. Not only that, but I could still always write, research, teach, go into private practice--the options are endless. One of my former supervisors who is a Social Worker who also has his PsyD had to take the PsyD of his resume in order to get a job. People were constantly saying he "was too overqualified". Just my perspective.

[CTGirl]

I have a BA in psychology, but I went in a totally different direction afterward (I/O Psych). It seems to me this would be a question to ask the admissions people at some of the universities you're considering. They know the criteria they look for, and they will have different priorities, so I think its best to go right to them for your answers.

[gradgirl]

Hey, I'm currently in a PhD program for clinical psychology. According to what I've seen in my program, I think it would be fine if you took classes in psych without getting a B.A. You would HAVE to take some stats classes, and there are other classes that some programs would require if they were even going to look at your application, but that differs from school to school. When I was applying, it seemed like most schools wanted a class in psych of learning (which isn't about education, it's about basic behaviors usually), social, and a developmental class. But, I'd check out some programs and see what they say. Also, if you want to be competitive, get involved in as much research as you can. Email professors from the school where you are planning on taking the psych classes and ask to join their lab as a research assistant. You won't get paid unless they have a great grant, but you will get the experience that will make you competitive for a PhD program. If I were you, I'd also tell the professor that you want to be involved in their research enough to present a poster at a major conference, because poster presentations will also make you more competitive. If you are planning on taking these classes at a college where the professors aren't doing research, then talk to one individually about writing an honor's thesis or individual research study.

Or, another idea that is worth considering is taking a few more basic psych classes and then applying to a master's psychology program. Once you finish your master's degree, apply to PhD programs. You'll end up with great coursework and a master's thesis after finishing your master's degree, and will be really competitive for a PhD program. Master's programs won't be as competitive as PhD programs (my program accepted 4 students out of over 100 applicants, which is definitely normal), and they might not have as many required courses as you'd need to get into a PhD program. Plus, going through a master's program might really help you focus on what you want to study specifically in psychology. I would strongly suggest that you look into this option and see how it compares with trying to go directly to a PhD program.

If you have any other questions, feel free to ask. You can PM me if you want, or just post them. I'm happy to help out any person who likes psychology as much as me!