Applying to Master's programs with a BA in an unrelated field? Is it a lost cause?

[doctormelody]

Hi all. Here's the situation: I was recently accepted to a well-ranked MSW program but a lack of significant scholarship assistance has led to a real existential crisis for me. (I was already kind of having one before, but this just threw it into sharper relief for obvious reasons.) I picked Social Work because I wanted to help people (I know I sound like a 4th grader when I say this but I can't think of a better way of phrasing it), and because I needed to choose a direction for my life, basically. My undergraduate years were characterized by a series of poor choices and I ended up getting a fairly useless degree in a program that only exists at my university. The only classes I really enjoyed in undergrad were ones that had something to do with religion, which is funny because I'm an atheist, but I just find the subject fascinating. However, I know that I will never be a candidate for a traditional religious studies grad program because I have no knowledge of ancient languages. I am interested in psychology generally (obviously, or I wouldn't have decided to pursue an MSW) but what really fascinates me is the intersection of psychology and religion. I'm also interested in mystical experiences and the emergent use of psychedelic drugs for depression and other disorders. 

I guess my question is, what would I have to do to have a chance at getting into a Psychology MA program? Am I just a hopeless case? I've taken Intro to Psychology and Sociology courses at a community college, and got A's in both, but I know this isn't enough. How many more classes would I have to take before I could potentially be competitive? Money is obviously an issue - even community college classes aren't cheap, and I doubt they would impress adcoms. Also, I assume there is some kind of writing sample required? I did write a thesis for my program that discussed psychology and religion with regards to a specific topic I'd prefer not to specify here, but it was garbage. I mean, it was a literal, actual, flaming pile of crap. I don't know why they let me graduate, let alone escape with my GPA more or less intact. I was severely depressed at the time and also just burnt out and upset that I'd wasted so much money on a degree that wouldn't help me advance in academia OR make me any more employable than the average high school graduate. 

I apologize if this a stupid question but I guess I'm just wondering if this is a realistic path to pursue, and if so, how to go about it. If I'm being unrealistic, tell me. I'm passionate about this but I am also a realist, and I'm not interested in wasting years of my life toiling away in an attempt to achieve something that will never happen.

[PsychedOutHopeful]

Hi! So I know you said you want to "help people", but what do you ACTUALLY want to do? Help them how? What do you see yourself doing? You mentioned some interests... are you looking to do research? Answering those questions may help you narrow down why you want to pursue a Master's in Psych and therefore help with apps. I'm a licensed social worker, and I'm applying to doctoral programs in Psych because I like doing assessments, research, teaching, and the neurocognitive component of psych. 

So basically, I think narrowing your focus, having a specific goal/goals in mind, and being able to convey how the program will help you achieve your goals and why you would be a good fit for the program, despite a nontraditional background would all be helpful components. People switch fields/ careers/ etc. all the time, I'd suggest just making sure your narrative backs up your choices. 

Good luck! 

[doctormelody]

37 minutes ago, FreudEgg said:

Hi! So I know you said you want to "help people", but what do you ACTUALLY want to do? Help them how? What do you see yourself doing? You mentioned some interests... are you looking to do research? Answering those questions may help you narrow down why you want to pursue a Master's in Psych and therefore help with apps. I'm a licensed social worker, and I'm applying to doctoral programs in Psych because I like doing assessments, research, teaching, and the neurocognitive component of psych. 

So basically, I think narrowing your focus, having a specific goal/goals in mind, and being able to convey how the program will help you achieve your goals and why you would be a good fit for the program, despite a nontraditional background would all be helpful components. People switch fields/ careers/ etc. all the time, I'd suggest just making sure your narrative backs up your choices. 

Good luck! 

Thanks for responding! If I do end up going for the MSW I see myself going the clinical route and becoming a therapist. That’s what I meant by helping people. I am interested in research but my skills in that area are not strong and that’s one reason I’m intimidated by academia in general. I hadn’t considered doing the MSW and then applying for doctoral programs in Psych, though, so thank you for putting that idea in my head. 

[Mickey26]

6 hours ago, doctormelody said:

Thanks for responding! If I do end up going for the MSW I see myself going the clinical route and becoming a therapist. That’s what I meant by helping people. I am interested in research but my skills in that area are not strong and that’s one reason I’m intimidated by academia in general. I hadn’t considered doing the MSW and then applying for doctoral programs in Psych, though, so thank you for putting that idea in my head. 

Hey, my 2 cents on this:

You do not need to take the clinical psychology route in order to help people. There are much more easier, less time-intensive routes you can take. Clinical Psychology is much more than just "helping people". I cannot express how difficult it is to get into clinical psychology-- it can take up to 3-4 years of applying to get even get a single offer, and you need to LOVE research (even if you don't). So you need to really, really want to be in clinical psych in order to get in. If you are interested in psychology and helping others, routes you might consider are: Masters in Social Work, Mental Health Counseling, Counselling Psychology, what have you. 

Additionally, you MAY need a more foundational knowledge of psychology--this may include taking more courses in psychology. 

This thread, and the users who have posted on it, should be very helpful to you. They offer great advice so I would check it out: https://forum.thegradcafe.com/topic/115236-philosophy-undergrad-interested-in-clinical-psych-phd-what-are-my-chances/

I don't want to discourage you in pursuing clinical psychology, but I personally believe you should check out counselling psych--it seems to be more your niche  Best of luck!

 

[doctormelody]

34 minutes ago, Mickey26 said:

Hey, my 2 cents on this:

You do not need to take the clinical psychology route in order to help people. There are much more easier, less time-intensive routes you can take. Clinical Psychology is much more than just "helping people". I cannot express how difficult it is to get into clinical psychology-- it can take up to 3-4 years of applying to get even get a single offer, and you need to LOVE research (even if you don't). So you need to really, really want to be in clinical psych in order to get in. If you are interested in psychology and helping others, routes you might consider are: Masters in Social Work, Mental Health Counseling, Counselling Psychology, what have you. 

Additionally, you MAY need a more foundational knowledge of psychology--this may include taking more courses in psychology. 

This thread, and the users who have posted on it, should be very helpful to you. They offer great advice so I would check it out: https://forum.thegradcafe.com/topic/115236-philosophy-undergrad-interested-in-clinical-psych-phd-what-are-my-chances/

I don't want to discourage you in pursuing clinical psychology, but I personally believe you should check out counselling psych--it seems to be more your niche  Best of luck!

 

Hey, thanks so much! I feel like I didn’t articulate myself clearly enough - I was kinda considering two different possible paths here. The first would be attending the MSW program to which I have already been accepted. The second would be taking more foundational psychology courses in order to try to get into a master’s program where I could focus on psychology of religion. I assume when you say it takes people 3-4 cycles to get in you mean for PhD programs? Or is that for the MA as well?

Also, thank you for the link to the other thread, it looks like it could be very helpful.

[doctormelody]

Like, I want to stress that I know I am not in any way competitive for a psych PhD, and I wouldn’t want to insult your field by implying that. I’m talking about applying to a (most likely unfunded) Master’s.

[Mickey26]

@doctormelodyOh, not at all insulted  

I'm in Canada, so I don't know entirely how the USA works, but 3-4 cycles imply clinical psychology in grad school (be it applying to a Masters that leads to a PhD, or a fast-track PhD program). I'm not 100% sure if you apply for PhD programs in Clinical Psych right off the bat from your undergrad, but based on my browsing of the forums, it takes 3-4 cycles to get into a clinical psychology program. 

Ahhh so it seems your focus, if it was psychology of religion, wouldn't be in clinical psychology. I would presume you would apply to a graduate program in experimental psychology or most likely, social psychology. I'm not sure how competitive those programs are, but it could be a possibility  

So it seems to me that a MSW you directly help people, whereas MA in Psychology (focus on religion) might be more research-based?? I'm not too familiar with Psychology of religion so I'm not sure what career prospects are possible beyond research.

[PsyDuck90]

What kind of career is it that you want? If you want to do clinical practice, you would need a license-eligible degree. At the MA level, that would be an MA in mental health counseling, an MFT, or an MSW (in a few states you can get a license with a clinical psychology MA but that is the exception and not the norm). It may be difficult to find MA programs that have a path to licensure where you could do research within your chosen interest. It's probably easier to find faculty doing that type of research in psychology MA programs, but those are usually not license-eligible. If you go that second route, you want to think about your next steps and job prospects. Regardless of what degree you choose to pursue, you need to really think about it in terms of what kind of job would you like in the future and the credentials necessary to attain that type of job. 

[doctormelody]

13 minutes ago, Mickey26 said:

@doctormelodyOh, not at all insulted  

I'm in Canada, so I don't know entirely how the USA works, but 3-4 cycles imply clinical psychology in grad school (be it applying to a Masters that leads to a PhD, or a fast-track PhD program). I'm not 100% sure if you apply for PhD programs in Clinical Psych right off the bat from your undergrad, but based on my browsing of the forums, it takes 3-4 cycles to get into a clinical psychology program. 

Ahhh so it seems your focus, if it was psychology of religion, wouldn't be in clinical psychology. I would presume you would apply to a graduate program in experimental psychology or most likely, social psychology. I'm not sure how competitive those programs are, but it could be a possibility  

So it seems to me that a MSW you directly help people, whereas MA in Psychology (focus on religion) might be more research-based?? I'm not too familiar with Psychology of religion so I'm not sure what career prospects are possible beyond research.

Yeah, that’s exactly it. Sorry for being confusing before.

My eventual goal if I did that would be to go for a PhD, but obviously I would need the Master’s first, and it’s clearly a risky move with no direct career prospects if I fail at gaining admission to the PhD or just decide I don’t want to pursue a career in academia.

Thank you so much again for taking the time to reply, and for your helpful insight.

[doctormelody]

16 minutes ago, PsyDGrad90 said:

What kind of career is it that you want? If you want to do clinical practice, you would need a license-eligible degree. At the MA level, that would be an MA in mental health counseling, an MFT, or an MSW (in a few states you can get a license with a clinical psychology MA but that is the exception and not the norm). It may be difficult to find MA programs that have a path to licensure where you could do research within your chosen interest. It's probably easier to find faculty doing that type of research in psychology MA programs, but those are usually not license-eligible. If you go that second route, you want to think about your next steps and job prospects. Regardless of what degree you choose to pursue, you need to really think about it in terms of what kind of job would you like in the future and the credentials necessary to attain that type of job. 

Sorry for being unclear - if I did the psychology MA, it would be with the eventual goal of applying to a PhD program. If I go with the MSW, I’ll be pursuing licensure. Basically, I’m considering two entirely separate career paths.

[PsyDuck90]

That still circles back to the same question. What do you see yourself doing in like 15 years? You need to think about what it is you ultimately want to do, not just what you want to do for the next 2-3 years. Either option is doable, so it's just a matter of which career you want more. Based on your questioning, it kind of seems that your focus is on what degree to pursue in the present (forgive me if I'm wrong). Thinking about what career will make you happier in the long run may make it easier to make your decision. 

[doctormelody]

7 minutes ago, PsyDGrad90 said:

That still circles back to the same question. What do you see yourself doing in like 15 years? You need to think about what it is you ultimately want to do, not just what you want to do for the next 2-3 years. Either option is doable, so it's just a matter of which career you want more. Based on your questioning, it kind of seems that your focus is on what degree to pursue in the present (forgive me if I'm wrong). Thinking about what career will make you happier in the long run may make it easier to make your decision. 

This is a really good point and the truth is I’m very conflicted about what I want to do in the long-term. I will take some time to think on it but it’s encouraging to me that you think both options are possible. Thank you so much for your helpful feedback. It’s definitely a lot to consider.

Edited January 25, 2019 by doctormelody

[Mickey26]

1 hour ago, doctormelody said:

Yeah, that’s exactly it. Sorry for being confusing before.

My eventual goal if I did that would be to go for a PhD, but obviously I would need the Master’s first, and it’s clearly a risky move with no direct career prospects if I fail at gaining admission to the PhD or just decide I don’t want to pursue a career in academia.

Thank you so much again for taking the time to reply, and for your helpful insight.

Yes, like others have reiterated on this thread, I think its a good idea to take some time to reflect and think about where you see yourself in 10, 20 years time   Good luck!

[doctormelody]

6 minutes ago, Mickey26 said:

Yes, like others have reiterated on this thread, I think its a good idea to take some time to reflect and think about where you see yourself in 10, 20 years time   Good luck!

Thank you, I will!

[t_ruth]

One option is to get the MSW, but to find a way to engage in psychology research while you are in your Masters (and also take as many psych courses as you can). That way, when you finish, you can choose to either go for the Psych PhD or continue on the social work path.

[doctormelody]

2 hours ago, t_ruth said:

One option is to get the MSW, but to find a way to engage in psychology research while you are in your Masters (and also take as many psych courses as you can). That way, when you finish, you can choose to either go for the Psych PhD or continue on the social work path.

Thanks for suggesting this! It’s definitely an option to consider.

[ResilientDreams]

@doctormelody

I agree with what others have said. I think your number one priority should be thinking about what you see yourself doing for a career. It's also important to realize that at some point you will have to specialize and choose one path over the other. You will always wonder a little bit what it would have been like if you had done the other thing (for example I'm in my last undergrad semester and I'm sort of wistfully wondering what it would have been like if I had taken more French classes, more programming classes, etc. while I had the chance), but you want to be in a place where the career path you did choose is fulfilling to you. 

[doctormelody]

1 hour ago, ResilientDreams said:

@doctormelody

I agree with what others have said. I think your number one priority should be thinking about what you see yourself doing for a career. It's also important to realize that at some point you will have to specialize and choose one path over the other. You will always wonder a little bit what it would have been like if you had done the other thing (for example I'm in my last undergrad semester and I'm sort of wistfully wondering what it would have been like if I had taken more French classes, more programming classes, etc. while I had the chance), but you want to be in a place where the career path you did choose is fulfilling to you. 

Thank you so much. Yeah, I'm starting to realize that maybe I will never be 100% certain that the path I choose is the right one, or at least will always have fantasies of having done something different with my life, and maybe that's okay? It seems like the important thing is just to choose something that I think I will enjoy and commit myself to it fully rather than allowing nagging doubts to ruin the experience. I realize that my post history makes me seem a little insane, but I'm just trying to do my due diligence and make sure I know what all the options are before I decide which one will be most fulfilling to me personally. Anyway, thanks so much for the response. I really appreciate you taking the time out of your day to reply to my indecisive ramblings.

[t_ruth]

On 1/26/2019 at 10:45 AM, ResilientDreams said:

@doctormelody

It's also important to realize that at some point you will have to specialize and choose one path over the other.

Yes and no. I had five different careers before choosing academia. If something isn't right, you can change your mind (no matter how far down the path you've gone).*

*recognizing that life circumstances might make this difficult, but there is no rule that says "now is when your career is set in stone."