[PhD in Social Psychology without BA/MA in Psychology]

I think a professor at my school got her PhD in social psych but her undergrad was in marketing.  I concur with what has been said above.  I would add one thing.  Since you don't have a degree in psychology, one objective way to show that you have some knowledge about psychology is to take -- and do well on -- the GRE Psychology subject test.

 

This is actually a VERY good idea! 

 

Can you spare any advice how should I prepare for this test? I checked the practice book on the ETS website for the Psych subject GRE and I did know the answers to most of the questions . This was kind of encouraging. 

 

Also, will the departments accept my scores and even look at it even though most of them state it is not required? 

[PhD in Social Psychology without BA/MA in Psychology]

How many programs did you apply to the first time?  Those all seem like great credentials unless you only applied to one program, because PhD programs, especially in such specialities, only take a handful of students or less.  If you only applied to one, then I wouldn't even take that as a sign that you have a bad fit for B-school, but as a sign that you had a bad fit with that program.  There is quite a trend for B-School to be employing social psychologists these days (I work for one at a very highly ranked B-School, I accepted an offer at a psych program affiliated with a highly ranked B-School employing 4+ social psychologists in joint appointments, etc.)  I would think seriously about applying for a marketing PhD where your mentor, and your research, will focus on these consumer behavior interests you have.  Some programs to look at would be Duke Fuqua School, Chicago Booth and University of Michigan's Ross School.  These are just some of the programs I am aware of with large psych tie-ins.  I think this sounds like a great path for you if you are interested because B-Schools value work experience more than psych programs do.  At this point, you would need at least some research experience to be seriously considered at a psych program without a psych degree and you might want to think about the time-line of that committment.  I think you can be successful either way, but you shouldn't rule out B-School in your research. 

 

I applied to two programs, but I think that only one application was what I consider to be "a good one" since I only wanted to go to this one program. 

 

I'm aware of the trend in business schools but as you said, they employ the social psychologists which means that these people all did their PhD in psychology. It's funny but there is actually more people from pure social sciences background that get accepted to marketing PhD than from a business background. 

 

I read the description of the NYU social psych department and it is like a re-write of my SOP from my past application. 

[PhD in Social Psychology without BA/MA in Psychology]

It definitely is possible.  So just look at what most psych phd programs require.  You've got the knowledge and fit down already, as it appears in your post.  The next things I would suggest looking into is what your research experience is.  You will definitely need some research experience in a psychology lab or doing psychological type research.  Next will be psych courses, most importantly would be research methods and quantitative skills like a stats course.  I'm not sure what an MBA gives you in terms of research, so you may already have some of things down already.  I know people who have had their masters in education or sociology go into social psych, so realize it is possible to get there from a different discipline.  The most important thing I think will be showing that you have some experience doing psychological research, so that they know you can be successful in that and that after all that you still want to pursue social psych.

Have you looked into organizational psych at all?  A lot of them are housed in the business department but are supervised by professors with their degree in psychology, a lot even social psychology.  Some of my interests are in culture and social cognition as well and in my search I had to let go a couple of professors whose interests matched mine because they were part of the business dept.  Although that's irrelevant if you've already decided to you want a degree specifically in social psych.

 

Thank you for your response!

 

My MBA allowed me to develop my research skills by demanding that we do independent research in all of our seminars and projects and I also studied 4 statistics courses and 3 research methods courses during my undergrad and MBA. In addition, I had my own consulting practice where I designed and executed full research projects for my clients in the field of consumer behavior (I'm almost 33, yeah I'm old ). Unfortunately, I did not have the opportunity to work as a research assistant, so I hope that the experience I do have can be enough.

 

 

I really have no experience in the field of organizational psych nor do I feel that my research interests will align with this department interests. I feel that I can be more beneficial to me to do a PhD in pure social sciences even if later I'll stay in consumer behavior. 

[PhD in Social Psychology without BA/MA in Psychology]

Its definitely possible! I have a BA in Television, Film & Media Studies and decided to change my life around and pursue psychology.

 

Given that my background was devoid of ANY science/psych courses and research, I took nearly a year to take some pre-req psych courses (and paid out of my own pocket) so that I could apply to the M.A. Program at a Cal stat university. I finished all the courses, applied and got in.

 

Come June, I will be graduating with an MA in psych and will start my Ph.D. in neuroscience this fall.

 

That said, I think your experience and goals align well with psych. I know rejections are tough, but keep in mind that most of the time, its not because you weren't good enough. The "fit" of the applicant to the program and faculty also play a large role. To be honest, by GRE scores were abysmal. Yet, I still got in the program due to - and this is IMHO, my strong SOP, letters of rec, and more importantly, the match of my research interests with a particular faculty member.

 

So my advice is, start looking up faculty that share identical/similar research interests as you and email them your inquiries. Although if you lack research experience that's specific to social psych, it may be a better route to go for an MA first. Because the whole point of a general MA in psych is to give you the necessary research experience that's heavily weighted in Ph.D. programs. Things may look tough at the moment, but your hard work will definitely begin to pay off soon enough.

 

Thank you for your kind encouragement! 

 

I wish I could apply to Psych MA's but unfortunately I really don't have the budget to go to an unfunded program. 

[PhD in Social Psychology without BA/MA in Psychology]

Is it even possible? Do I have any chance at all? 

 

Background: 

I have a BA in Business and an MBA with a major in Marketing and Consumer Behavior, both of them Magna Cum Laude. 

Two years ago I applied to PhD in Consumer Behavior and despite my 5 years experience in research and consulting, 700 in the Gmat test, good letters of recommendation and (I believe) a strong SOP, I was rejected. I believe it was due to my research interests since I was told directly by a professor whom I met with are "not very business school oriented and I would probably be better off applying to Psychology/Sociology". 

 

It took me 2 years to recover from the heartbreak of rejection but I might apply again at the end of this year.  

 

I mainly interested in research of culture and social cognition and implicit/explicit attitudes and although I do not have any degree in psychology, I have a strong background and knowledge in these subjects.

 

I believe I can get a high GRE score. 

 

Officially most programs state that undergrad in Psychology is not required but is recommended.

 

I would like to hear your honest opinions about my chances. It's a dream of mine and I don't want my heart broken again.

 

Thanks!  

 

 

 

[Rejected at lower ranked school]

I applied to several top 30 schools in my field.

The one school that was my top choice actually has the lower rank and was the one to reject me . I'm still waiting for the other schools.

GPA/GMAT/Experience wise I can be accepted to every university I applied to and I do believe that my application is good and that my research interests have potential.

But, this first rejection from lower ranked school is so discouraging I've began worrying that there maybe something fundamentally wrong with my application.

Do you think I can still be accepted to higher ranked schools?

Thank You

p.s. I feel so sad...

[Hey you, it'll be okay]

I don't know..I just got this really strong feeling that somebody needed to hear that from an anonymous stranger

You wouldn't now how much!

Thank you!

I got rejected from my top choice dream school I'm still waiting for an answer from another school but I feel like the game is over.

[Is no news bad news?]

It means that you're still in the process IMHO.

I got my first rejection the last Friday but I know that some people got rejected from this program like a month ago.

I personally think, that I made through some preliminary rounds and got rejected because of a substantial reason and not GPA/GMAT.

So you are still in the race

Good Luck

[Haters on the results board]

"oh my god, I got 800/800 and only 5 on analytical writing; should I kill myself?"

LOL Excellent!

got my first rejection from my dream school the other day

Thank you for making me laugh.

[Has anyone heard anything from B Schools PhD?]

Anything? from any discipline? Rumors?

The suspense is killing me....

I personally had 1 unofficial interview with a potential advisor in one school and nothing besides that.

I applied to Marketing CB to several top 30 schools (I prefer not to state their names in order not to "Jinks" it, sorry )

PLS share!

[If you get in next year, how old will you be when you start your PhD?]

Oh, I feel sooo old now

If I'll get in this year I'll be 31+ when I start my PhD.

In my country there is a mandatory army service of 2 years, straight out of high school.

I started my BA at 20 and finished it at 24, took a year off to get some work experience and went to the MBA, which I finished at 27.5.

Then I took sometime off to invest in my consulting business and then moved to US at 30, almost a year ago.

Can the adcoms be easier on elderly applicants?

[Time from now till August (when you join grad school)]

I'm planning on taking a beginners Spanish course and also an English accent reduction course.

I have traveled quite a lot in the past 10 years and also we just moved to US a year ago and I still feel a little bit like a tourist here.

I live in California and plan on getting to know this gorgeous place better now that I'm not buried under a pile of boring GMAT books.

You know, just simple things... catching some sun and going to the beach like all those real Californian girls

Just enjoy my free time and worries free boredom, now when my future is secured

Such sweet dreams!

[Do they always send email notifications?]

Thank you!

That is so annoying why can't they be like the online stores? if your order is shipped you get an email notification....

I have my gmail on my android phone so I can read my emails all the time

I cannot believe the thing that occupy my mind..... I NEED some answers

thank you

Unfortunately, they don't always send email notifications. A couple of the schools I applied to says they will snail mail their decision, while others say that you should check the status website because they may have information and notices to applicants. What you could do is maybe to set up a filter in your email so that any emails from that school get sent via SMS to your phone - that way you don't have to worry about checking your email all the time.

[It's February]

I was excited, but I think the snow in New England screwed up decisions for a couple weeks. I was hoping this week and next would be high-time to hear back. I've heard from 1.5 schools (yes 1.5).

The results sections is great, but last year people discovered that a lot of non-posting members were a little quick on the trigger in posting results, or out right lied about results. I'm not getting to freaked about what I see there unless several people post results from the same school. There should be enough people following this site for that to be a legit marker of validity.

Why would anyone lie about their results on a anonymous results page ?

It's a completely serious question.

[Do they always send email notifications?]

I know my question is going to sound stupid...

Do universities always send email notifications if something changes on your online application file?

Is refreshing my email enough or do I have to refresh my online application as well?

tnx

[A new member hello]

I wish...

no, I'm at the west coast

HBS?

[A new member hello]

Business Schools usually send their decisions in February-March, depending on the application deadline.

I know that my #1 school adcomm meets this Friday but I have no idea what for, that is i don't know if they just starting their discussion or they meet to decide.

The deadline for this school was Dec 1st

hope it helps

Hey people,

I'm in the same boat as you'll. Applied to several PhD programs in Finance. Haven't heard back from anyone about interviews, and the wait is killing me!

Any idea when decisions for most of these programs tend to come out?

[PhD in Business - Marketing]

Nice to meet you too!

I'm mainly into cultural marketing and cult branding

The admittance process is still unclear to me.

I've talked about it with a friend who us about to finish his PhD at top 5 school in our field and he said that:

1. Some people receive bulk rejects if they don't meet the school standards or no one from the faculty finds their research interests appealing.

2. Some people get accepted without interview because they are really good and unique and every one in the adcomm wants them.

3. Some people are extremely good but they invited for an interview because the adcomm wants to make sure some things about their application or there are several people with similar research interests.

4. Some people get invited to interviews because there is a conflict about them and the adcomm want to make a definite decision.

5. Some people get accepted without an official interview but after they met some of their potential advisors.

I'm sure there are much more options, but these are the most common.

also, he said that the adcomm decisions are supervised by an inspection committee whose job is to ensure diversity according to the specific university standards.

I wish us both to get accepted to our #1 school!

[PhD in Business - Marketing]

I so happy there is someone else in the same boat

Good Luck!

I did some research on the "submit your results" part of grad cafe - searched for "marketing" - and found that my #1 school starts sending acceptance letters in mid February and the other school i applied to in the beginning of March. You can search for your schools too.

What are your research interests?

[PhD in Business - Marketing]

I feel totally alone in the process because I just can't find other people who applied to Marketing.

I applied to Consumer Behavior track.

How about you?

[Confession of a Chaucerian]

I feel that way ever since I graduated my BA and started my possessional career.

No matter how good the feedbacks I get I'm always afraid that soon all of them will realize that I am a fake and have no talent in anything

Almost every day I feel "that's it, today I going to be exposed"

I teach, give speeches and talk in front of large audiences for the last 10 years (I'm 30) and every time I get on stage, for a brief moment I'm scared that someone will laugh or make fun of me.

I know it's irrational and stupid of me and I do laugh at myself sometimes....

I've talked about it with my friend who is about to finish PhD at top 5 university in our field and he said that everyone he met in academia feels the same way as I do, but not everyone will admit that.

So, I'll be in good company LOL

[What's unique about you?]

my profession is branding and consumer behavior

But I never liked brands personally only academically that is I don't care about the brand i buy and prefer vintage, unknown manufacturers etc.

Oh and I absolutely hate logo's!

Oh, I can sleep anywhere. among the places I've slept in you can find: rave party, movie, class room, on the floor at airport... I felt great after waking up.

[The Grad Cafe Fitness Thread]

For the past 10 years I have been doing Pilates & Yoga.

After my last application I found something new - Callanetics - it's a combination of Pilates, Yoga and Ballet, and decided to do that every day until I'll get answers from universities.

I don't like running very much but I try to walk as much as I can.

[Unofficial Interview]

I applied to Business PhD - Marketing (Consumer Behavior) for Fall 2011 admission.

2 months ago I sent an email to a potential advisor at one of the schools I'm applying to telling him about my research interests and their relation to his. it's my dream school and he is one of my main reasons for choosing this school. I also stated in my SOP that his research is one of my reasons for applying. We talked on email for some time and then I asked if i could meet him to talk more about his research and the department and he replied that he wants to see my application in order to know me better and then he will think about it. Today I received an email from him asking me to come for a "meeting" .

I'm soooo happy! and in total panic...

I have some questions:

1. Is this a good sign? regarding the possibility of acceptance?

2. He called it "meeting" and not an interview. what does it mean?

3. what is the proper attire for this meeting?

I come from a very casual country where "business casual" is when you don't wear flip flops and a tank so your advice is crucial to me.

I was thinking a tailored bright shirt, nice grey slacks and pumps.

But, I'm not really a heels type girl - will it be appropriate to wear flats?

Is it appropriate to carry a colorful purse - dark purple/red?

4. what is going to happen in that kind of meeting?

Thanks in advance for any advice and your kind help.

[How will you celebrate?]

I think I'm going to throw a party something i haven't done in years! I get seriously waisted LOL

I also planning on buying a pair of ridiculously expensive sunglasses < consumer behavior, which is my specialty, in it's best>

We moved to US a year ago and maybe, if i get accepted we'll go to our home country for a visit and I could thank my LOR writers in person.

But, being the whiny girl that I am, I'll probably cry for a week