Before any student spends the time and effort applying to grad schools in psychology, some soul-searching needs to be done to determine if they're pursuing the right degree in the first place. Many students think they know -- but have no idea -- about the level of scholastic work that is required throughout grad school. Graduate school is not Undergrad 2.0. And for a lot of reasons, it is really not a good idea to apply to grad school because you cannot find employment or have no other idea what to do with your life.
Ph.D. programs are research-intensive. The goal of graduate study is not to simply consume knowledge, but to create it. Therefore, Ph.D. students spend quite a lot of time reading tons of academic journal articles, discussing journal articles, and critiquing journal articles in preparation for designing research that will eventually be featured in journal articles. Did I forget to mention the importance of journal articles?
You won't only just be reading, but you'll be doing a heck of a lot of statistical analysis. Hand in hand with creating original research is statistical analysis. Gotta find out those stunning results, right? You might not ever get to the point of loving statistics, but you must definitely master stats. (And I assure you, there are indeed more than your fair share of statistical geeks in psychology.) You and SPSS will become good friends over the course of 5-6 years of graduate study. Even if you plan on enrolling in a Ph.D program in Clinical Psychology, you will have to become a stats guru. (Or at least master the particular statistical method you will be using).
The very first step to get into a doctoral program in psychology is to figure out if this is indeed the right educational path for you. If the mere thought of a career dealing with the ins and outs statistics sounds like a nightmare, then I urge you to reconsider applying to Ph.D. programs in the first place. If psychology is still your intended career, there are definitely other career paths than the research-intensive doctoral program route. But if you're pretty good with stats, then you're already on the fast track to getting into a top ranked Ph.D. program in psychology.
If this has been helpful and you'd like to learn more, please visit: Get into grad school.
Visit the definitive source on information on applying to Ph.D. programs in psychology: Applying to graduate school
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What's My Next Step? Masters Or PhD?
By Sheridan Salter
Throughout my years of advising, counseling, and teaching undergraduates, I have noticed that many students are confused about the next step to take in their education. They know that they would like to go to graduate school, but are unsure about what degree they should be seeking. Should I apply to a masters or Ph.D. program?
Generally speaking, it isn't necessary to go to a masters degree program before starting a doctoral program. The structure of a Ph.D. program is designed to include necessary coursework, teaching and research experience, all of which spans approximately 5 years. You will earn a masters degree along the way to earning a doctorate. So if you graduate with your Bachelors at age 21, it is very possible to achieve a Ph.D. by 26.
However, students that are typically admitted straight out of undergrad share a few commonalities. They are usually very strong candidates with what I like to call the total package -- excellent transcript, high GRE scores, research experience, laudatory letters of recommendation, and a well-written personal statement. There's no way of getting around this.
Now let's talk strategy. If you are missing some of the key components, this is where a Masters degree comes into play (assuming that you're interesting in obtaining a Ph.D. in the first place). Let's say you're missing research experience. Your best bet may be to enroll in a masters degree program to get the experience. Of course, you can also take a year off and apply to work as a research assistant to get this accomplished as well. But the masters degree program also comes along with taking more advanced, specialized coursework, and may include teaching experience, even presenting at a conference or two! All of these experiences will look incredible on your academic resume when applying to Ph.D. programs.
And I've mentioned before in my life story that I was clueless about how to get into grad school, right? When I finished undergrad, I hadn't the slightest idea that I needed research experience as a prerequisite for grad school. So even though I applied with the same "great grades and GRE scores," I didn't gain admission to a single Ph.D. program that first go-round. Pretty crushing blow to the ego, huh? So I retooled my strategy and worked on a masters. Those two years worth of research experience - and having a clear idea of what kind of research I wanted to explore - ended up being the key elements that helped me to get into a doctoral program.
At any rate, high-quality masters level work demonstrates to the admissions committee that you have what it takes to make it in a Ph.D. program. Enrolling in a masters degree program is also a great strategy for someone who doesn't have an undergraduate background in a particular field. Coincidentally, one of my classmates enrolled in the masters program with me had a background in Journalism. She has since earned a doctorate in Psychology.
But be forewarned, while some of your credits may transfer to your Ph.D. program, it is also possible that they may not. (Hey, just warning you!).
If this has been helpful, please visit: Get into grad school.
Visit the definitive site for information on applying to Ph.D. programs in psychology: Applying to graduate school.
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