baunlee

People always mention threads about Masters programs, but if you go through all 50 something pages on the forum you discover that there is actually very little information regarding your type of question. There were a few threads about funded masters programs, and the usual suspects were provided (W&M etc). In my humble opinion, I care more about quality and less about funding. I think, look at quality first and then we can consider funding. I think there should be a thread solely focused on qualities of Master/specialist programs and what their potential rankings are since these are relatively non existent online. For example, you could use scholarly productivity as a guideline for programs but if the publication is only looking at APA schools than this would exclude (a lot of) schools that only offer MA programs (not apa accredited). Furthermore, besides examining which professors/schools align with your interests it can be hard to determine which school is better rated if you get accepted to a number of programs. In a sense masters students usually have less matured interests (which is why they are choosing masters!) so I find it frustrating and a cop-out when people respond to this question by saying "pick a school that aligns with your interests" because one of the very tenets of this path is for students who don't have clearly defined interests yet. I think in the end, grad cafe could work to help potential master students navigate which school is better ranked objectively and then allow students to make personal choices using that information. Part of this personal choice would stem from your research/academic interest and then another part might be your end goal (in your case Phd) I know it is frustrating when people keep saying "look at google" "look at past threads". I can tell you I have read through all of those sources and each leaves much to be desired. I have also gone through hundreds of threads on SDN which provided slightly further insight but yeah..It sucks! Perhaps people applying to masters programs could list the programs and say why they chose this program. List school and reason with personal factors (I doubt this will catch on as a "movement" but I wish!) I'll start with one of mine: *All schools in this list should be NASP approved because that is widely understood as a basic starting point* For example: Program: School Psychology (MA) School: Plattsburgh (NY) Objective Positive Qualities: thesis requirement- financial assistance- Accepts up to 12 credits from another grad program- leave program with comprehensive portfolio Personal Influence: POI studying topic of interest/Family in area Objective Negative Qualities (if any): NA On another note, I have found STUDENT HANBOOK to be really helpful and also reading about the faculty research will give you an idea of what's going on at the school. Also look at what the practicum sites could be, if the campus has a Family Center (many do) where you could gain experience or any other training certificates you might leave with (for example play therapy). Schools that have PhD programs could take less time to finish if you obtain your masters there (so in your case this would be a factor to investigate). I wouldn't really email professors until you exhaust all other options because it can seem like you didn't do the leg work/didn't read their publications/wasting their time by asking questions you could problem solve on your own. If you have a specific question though, it would be okay. I hope other people add to the list!! *crosses fingers*

For 195 bucks a year....looks like spam to me

I think interview invites have gone out for some schools. I have only heard back from 2 so far, like chattra said the due date is later for the ones I have yet to hear from. What programs are you looking at?

Does anyone have info on EDs programs? specifically I am looking at enrolling in this track to foster the potential of being a Phd applicant when I finish my masters A few questions: How can I tell if a program with both masters and phd would allow me to transfer MA credits to my phd? Do schools typically enroll MA students into their Phd program or is this looked at as a lack of diversity (such as same UG and MA) Can I transfer my credits from MA to another school if my graduate program does not offer phd? Should I infer that schools that offer both MA and Phd are better programs? Should I infer that schools that post student research which are typically poster presentations to not be research based enough to bolster my credentials for phd Are MA students supposed to have a research idea in mind for interviews? Are Eds/MA programs without a thesis to be regarded as less apt to make me phd ready? What are some ways (during my masters) that I can work to have publications One of my interview invites mentioned that they do not anticipate the same level of funding to Eds students as the past due to not receiving a federal grant that they have in the past. Furthermore, that graduate assistantships tend to be reserved for students seeking a doctoral degree but that assistantships occasionally open for students at the Ed.S level. - Given my desire to some day pursue a phd, would you think this program is not ideal for my pursuits? There seems to be less info online about eds MA and mostly people talking about phd (which makes sense) but some insight would be helpful. Some of the programs I'm looking at are UAlbany, SUNY Plattsburg, SUNY Oswego, Michigan State, RIT, and Columbia TC. If anyone has information on these schools please message me or offer your advice. Any and all feedback is appreciated