International Masters, enter into US PhD program?

[weshh]

Hello everyone,

 

 

If I receive a Masters in a country outside of the US, is it possible to be accepted into a PhD program in the US?

 

Also, If I received a clinical, neuro, or cognitive  Masters outside of the US would I be able to get a research or other field related position in the US?

 

 

Thanks.

[yellowmint]

Hello everyone,

 

 

If I receive a Masters in a country outside of the US, is it possible to be accepted into a PhD program in the US?

 

Also, If I received a clinical, neuro, or cognitive  Masters outside of the US would I be able to get a research or other field related position in the US?

 

 

Thanks.

Yes, you could get accepted to a PhD program, though you'll likely have to redo all or part of your masters.

There aren't many field positions for a master's in psychology, unless it is quant or clinical or counseling. That being said, the jobs mostly available to clinical or counseling are practicioner positions, which might be limited or not possible for someone with a master's degree outside the U.S. (I'm not sure here....you'd have to make sure you looked at all the APA guidelines for what qualifies one to practice with a master's level degree - these requirements will also vary from state to state).

[Chubberubber]

As for PhD- Absolutely yes. It's harder (especially if you're not an American citizen for funding reasons), but possible. 

Research jobs depend on your residency status- if you are a legal resident (citizen/ green card holder) you should be able to find a job but remember that the field is quite competative. If your master's degree is from a well-known and respected university, I don't see it as necessarily counting against you. 

As yellowmint said- clinical jobs (therapy) are a whole different story since they require licensure. 

Good luck!

Edited March 24, 2015 by Chubberubber

[weshh]

Thank you Mint and Chubber!

 

Okay,

 

So clinical and counseling might not be the most applicable internaitonal degrees since they require licencensure and there is a good chance that many of the credits will not transfer over to a PhD.

 

Are there any Masters programs in the US where most of the credits do count towards a PhD if one chooses to enter one?

Is losing credits from MA to PhD a program that I would equally face in the US?

[yellowmint]

Yeah, most of the time, you'll have to redo your MA, regardless of whether you do it in the states or another country. Sometimes programs will allow you to transfer your MA thesis, with the approval of the psychology department and often you'll have to defend it again. Sometimes you'll be able to transfer some courses, but often it is limited to 6-9 credits that you can transfer.

There are good funded MA programs in the U.S. - for example Villanova and Wake Forest. If you got into one of those programs, at least you wouldn't be losing as much money.

There are some awesome Canadian schools, like UBC and UT. I'm not sure how they are on transferring MA courses, but maybe they may be more inclined to let you do it? I'd look into that as well.

Edited March 24, 2015 by yellowmint

[Chubberubber]

While an M.A might not make it easier or faster to complete a PhD, in my experience it makes it easier to get into a program (but my experience is quite limited). I honestly don't think that as an international student I would have made it to a PhD program without a master's degree in the field.

[weshh]

Thanks for the advice guys.

 

So a MA, even if it doesn't transfer over, might be a step in the right direction. Also, it would help me more accurately gauge what specific areas I am interested in.

 

 

Congrats on getting accepted into a program in CA chubber!

[Chubberubber]

Thank you weshh! My international M.A definitely helped my admission exactly for all the reasons you mentioned. Good luck!

[weshh]

Well, I received my admission into a European (fully taught in English)  Master of Science in Psychology program with a specialization in Neuropsychology. I am contemplating switching my specialization into Health and Social Psychology. The program is one year and the second semester consists of a research internship and writing a thesis.

 

I'm wondering, which of these two specializations would be more well received in the US as far as finding jobs and also for applying to PhD programs for fall 2016 (PhD program in Clinical Psych most likely)?

Would having either of these degrees alone open up any career doors in the US?

[Chubberubber]

Congrats! 

I don't know much about clinical psychology Ph.Ds, but it seems to me like a good backgroud in neuro will serve you well anywhere in the psych world. 

[weshh]

Thanks Chubber! Neuro is what I am leaning towards at the moment. It might not come as easy to me (probably not as strong in bio as in social related topics) but I'm sure I will adapt.

Seems like the faculty in neuro are focused on some pretty interesting areas in regards to psychopharmacology too.