MS Experimental -> Clinical Ph.D

[carlyhylton]

Saw this post on another forum (the student doctor, which I hate, compared to this forum, by the by)

Opinions? Opinions on doing a Master's in experimental and then a Ph.D in Clinical in Canada (it's a bit different up here, in Canada we have Masters/Doctoral programs that are the equivalent of Ph.D programs in the states, which is to say that there is no direct entry from your undergrad to a Ph.D program and you necessarily have to do a Master's program en passent)? Would it be easier to get accepted to an experimental Master's program than a Clinical Master's program (I assume there are more experimental Master's programs, atleast)? Quote: Originally Posted by BubuB Hey,

Does anyone know of a link listing Master's programs in psych?

Also, does anyone have thoughts about getting a masters in cognitive or experimental psych as a way of differentiating myself when reapplying to clinical programs?

I posted this in another thread:

Per one of my mentors, a MS/MA in EXPERIMENTAL Psych might help get into a Clinical PhD program- yes, a MS/MA in ClinPsych would be fine, but given that Experimental tends to focus more on research than clinical stuff (hence the name), it might dispel any misconception on the part of admittance committees that you are one of those warm fuzzy people/sheep who go into Clinical Psych because you "just want to help people". I'm looking at MS programs now, myself.

[jynx]

A master's is not really worth it if your ultimate goal is a PhD in clinical psych, IMO. It doesn't really give you an edge over students who are coming straight out of undergrad, and it's unlikely that a significant amount of the coursework you did for your master's would transfer. When I was interviewing for clinical psych PhD programs, the vast majority of other applicants invited to interview did not have a master's. The only reason I'd recommend going for a master's first is if you have a low undergrad GPA or no solid letters of rec, as a master's program would be a place for you to fill in those gaps. You don't need to get a master's degree just to prove that you're interested in research - if you pursue research opportunities in undergrad and have a well-written SOP that details why you are interested in research, you should have no problem.

Edit: I wrote this based on my experience applying to programs in the US, but rereading your post it seems like since the situation is different in Canada, you weren't asking IF you should get a master's, but what kind of master's you should get. If this is the case, I'm sorry I can't be much help, as I'm not familiar with the Canadian system.

Edited April 2, 2011 by jynx