MAPSS at UChicago

[breezyy]

There are other topics for this, but they're old, so I began a new one.

 

I want to know what everyone thinks about the M.A. Program in Social Sciences (MAPSS) at the University of Chicago. I'm open to anyone's opinions, but as a psych student, a psychology perspective would be most helpful.

 

I have a half-funded PhD offer from a reputable, but not as well-ranked program. It is a private school, so the half-tuition would still put me in debt around $70-80k at the end of my degree. Additionally, the research fit at this PhD program is okay, but not fantastic. I fear I'd be unhappy down the line with the research fit. Despite these drawbacks, the program would get me to my goal of having a PhD in social psych and being able to research/teach from there, but likely not at R1s.

 

So, UChicago's offer would be a less-direct route, but they boast a 80-90% acceptance rate into fully-funded (mostly top tier) PhD programs in psychology - many places I applied. While the program is multidisciplinary, you can work in anyone's lab (with their consent) and have anyone oversee your thesis who is willing.  The program coursework is completed in 9 months (3 quarters) and most finish in the calendar year.

 

I didn't get into the programs that were the best fits for me, and I don't want to take my only PhD offer just because it is convenient. I know academia can be quite pretentious about the name issuing your degree, and while I don't want to have to deal with another round of applications in 2 years, I want to set myself up for the best academic and professional future possible.

 

Has anyone else been admitted to or completed UChicago's MAPSS program? It sounds really great to me, providing my POI will take me (he has agreed to meet me and show me the lab), but I want to be realistic about the program and how it will impact my future.

 

Please let me know!

[psychgurl]

Hey there-- 

 

I am pretty familiar with the MAPSS program and am in psychology. Out of curiosity, did UChicago offer you a scholarship? I know that they sometimes offer partial or full merit scholarships to offset the cost of tuition (which is HIGH even for only one year). I am wondering whether the loans you will need to take out for MAPSS will basically equal the cost of the PhD program? 

 

Also, my boyfriend did the MAPSS program (though he was more in sociology). He said it was a tough year and the gap year before grad school is a little awkward. Just some things to consider --forgive me for playing devil's advocate 

 

PS-- I was also admitted into MAPSS but enrolled in a different program. 

Edited April 1, 2014 by psychgurl

[breezyy]

Yes - Chicago did offer me a third scholarship. But no, Chicago's year and the PhD year will not be too different financially. The biggest difference is that I'd pay a higher cost of living in Chicago. I've heard that if you have a fully-funded PhD offer, that it's a better option than MAPSS. However, I don't, and I'm am not persuaded that I'll be totally happy in this PhD. I sort of want to live a little bit of life to fully figure out my research interests and to be honest, myself. I wouldn't be afforded as much space to do that in a PhD.

[psychgurl]

Ah, gotcha. It sounds like MAPSS may be a good investment/fit for you! 

[publicaffairsstudent]

You might want to reevaluate your application before you drop $60,000 on MAPSS. Could you boost your GRE scores? Can you get a research position somewhere that will boost your application and actually pay you in the time before admissions. Do you have weaknesses like a weak quant profile that you could remedy with a year of work experience and some part time courses? Could you develop programming, coding or software competencies that would make you an attractive RA for your department? It seems like a big investment, not that MAPSS doesn't provide an excellent, albeit exorbitantly expensive, intellectual opportunity. Also, I don't know if this is the case in psych, but in other disciplines, departments don't want you figuring out your research interests in their program. They want you to have solid research experience and research interests that they can help you build on. Ambiguous research objectives could have been the fatal flaw in your application, which suggests to me that a research experience could be a better and less expensive way to improve your profile. Another option would be an MA program at an instate school where you live. I am doing a part time masters currently in another discipline while I work and build my profile for doctoral applications. Could work for you too.