jmm0548

Anybody done any research or know of anyone whose had experience with a MSc Conversion program. I've started looking at a few programs within the UK. Given my background and experiences, I believe this could be beneficial to bridging the gap for someone without a Bachelors degree in Psych and/or lab experience. However, I would want to be sure that it would be seen as reputable and valid when applying for Counseling Psych PhD programs within the US.

@RebeccaPsych Were you able to find any information about whether or not US PhD Programs would accept a MSc Conversion Program? I do not have my Bachelors in Psych. My Master's Degree is in Higher Education Administration. I have worked in roles that have provided clinical experience in triaging mental health services to students in a University setting. I do believe my experiences/background would lend me well to a PhD Counseling Psych program but I am nervous my portfolio is not competitive enough. I am coming from a non-traditional background and would like to not start over haha and that is when I stumbled upon MSc Conversion programs. Which sound amazing! I haven't been able to find any information from US PhD programs about whether or not they would consider the MSc Conversion to be a viable experience and would hate to waste time, resources and money.

Hi all, I earned my Bachelors of Music (2014) and Master's of Science in Higher Ed Administration (2017). I previously worked in Residence Life for 2 years and I now work in Student Conduct (1+years). I've been lucky to gain some clinical experience providing triage for mental health crises for my University. Additionally, I have been working as a Case Manager for students who potentially violated the Code of Conduct, adjudicating their cases and having reflective conversations. My Master's program did include a Capstone research project. I did mine on Fraternity & Sorority perceptions as it relates to Alcohol Consumption & Hazing which resulted in a presentation and 20 Page research paper based on my findings. Through my experiences, I have become more and more interested in the field of psychology and mental health. Specifically I am interested in research surrounding Gender, Sexuality, LGBT Mental Health, romantic relationships, and sexual behavior (I know that's broad). As a result, I am interested in furthering my education and applying for PhD programs in Counseling Psychology I do believe that my work experiences and research experiences would lend me well to a PhD program. However, I am also nervous that I do not have the adequate experiences needed to be accepted into a Counseling Psychology PhD program. I know many program websites state a Bachelors Degree in Psych is not required, however I still wonder if I would meet the threshold and/or if those with Bachelors Degrees/Lab experience given preference. Is there more I could be doing? Am I lacking anything? As someone who it seems may be coming from a more non-traditional pathway, I am feeling somewhat lost on how to best more forward. I did see that there are Conversion programs (programs specifically for individuals wanting to switch fields) in the UK. I have found one specifically for Psychology Mental Health. It is 1 Year and I would receive a Masters. I am wondering if that would be worth doing or if PhD programs in the US would consider that to be a viable experience in lieu of a Bachelors of Psych and/or relevant lab research experience.

Would other's suggest applying for a Master's program at an institution where you would then hope to matriculate into the PhD program?

In doing research, I am definitely seeing that research is crucial. I am interested in Counseling Psychology so I am wondering if it plays as crucial of a role as it does with Clinical. My master's work entailed a variety of research papers and projects. I spearheaded a consultation project for a Universities admission/orientation program and for my capstone did research and assessment on my institution's Greek Student's self-perceptions surrounding Hazing, Alcohol Consumption and Sexual Misconduct. I've also done research about LGBTQ individuals in Greek Lettered organizations. My Master's program was more researched based and taught courses around research methods and assessment as well. I was planning on taking the Subject Test as well but some of the programs I'm looking at either didn't make mention of them or said they didn't need them so I wasn't sure if that would be necessary. If I am able I may also see if I can volunteer at a lab at my university or with someone in the area if possible.

Reply below

Hi all, I earned my Bachelors of Music and Master's of Science in Higher Ed Administration. I previously worked in Residence Life and I now work in Student Conduct. Both positions involved Case Management and working with college students through challenging situations. Through my experiences, I have become more and more interested in the field of psychology and mental health. Specifically I am interested in research surrounding Gender, Sexuality, LGBT Mental Health, romantic relationships, sexual behavior (I know that's broad). As a result, I am interested in furthering my education and applying for PhD programs in Counseling Psychology with hopes of becoming a Psychologist. I have also looked into a few PysD programs. I do believe that my work experiences and research experiences would lend me well to a PhD program. However, I am also nervous that I do not have the adequate experiences needed to be accepted into a PhD program. I am currently taking undergraduate psych courses to gain additional knowledge. My plan was to take undergraduate courses over the next year, retake the GRE and apply for programs with hopes of being accepted for Fall 2021. Is this realistic? My Master's program was research based but does me not having lab experience hinder me as an applicant? Am I making too big of a leap? And if so, what would be helpful next steps?