Programs for out-of-field applicants

[St0chastic]

Hello all,

I have a few questions which I hope some of you can help answer.

1.  What programs accept out-of-field applicants?  I know that the University of Iowa, Vanderbilt, and Purdue do--which others should I look into?

2.  What was your process for selecting programs to apply for?  What were your main considerations (location, admissions data, program specialties, cost, etc.)?  

3.  Is there any reason not to apply to more highly ranked programs aside from the difficulty of being admitted?  

My basic profile: GRE: 170V/168Q/5.0AW   GPA: 3.71 Biology/Psychology major (this is the Achilles' heel in my application) 

                           3+ years of research experience in cognitive psychology/cognitive neuroscience labs

Any advice about programs that might be a good fit for me is welcome! 

Edited December 5, 2015 by St0chastic

[Crimson Wife]

About half of the programs that I'd be interested in accept out-of-field applicants. I've got a professional interest in working as an auditory-verbal therapist for the deaf and hard-of-hearing so my list is geared towards programs that offer a specialty track or work closely with an oral school for the dhh and/or a cochlear implant surgery center. I've been networking with AVT's in the field and asking their advice on which universities have relevant coursework and clinical placements.

With your stats and interest in research, you might want to consider PhD. programs in CSD as well as master's. My husband keeps encouraging me to apply but I'm middle-aged and at this point I really don't think a doctorate is practical.

[St0chastic]

Thanks for your reply!  I actually just finished applying to several Cognitive Psychology Ph.D. programs, but given how cutthroat that field is (~5% acceptance rates), I'm exploring other career options.  Over the past year I've been involved with a research project working with fragile X syndrome and autistic participants.  From this I discovered that I really enjoy working one-on-one with people.  My mom is an ESL teacher who frequently collaborates with SLPs, and based on my discussions with her as well as research I've done on the profession, SLP seems like a field that I would enjoy and could potentially excel at.  

While I love research, I feel that a more "applied" M.S. degree has several advantages over a Ph.D, namely much faster time to completion (2-3 years vs. 5-7 years), easier time securing a job, comparable or even better starting salary.  Plus, it's still possible to stay involved in research even with a Master's.  

[Jolie717]

You might want to check out the research that Dr. Brennan is doing at University of Colorado, Boulder.  It sounds in line with your experience - and BTW, I wouldn't call a 3.71 your Achilles heel!

http://www.colorado.edu/slhs/christine-brennan

[Jolie717]

PS: I forgot to mention that some of the higher ranked schools may actually have higher admission rates than lower ranked schools, especially if the lower ranked schools are in popular areas, like California and New York for example.  So I wouldn't discount any schools nor would I choose a school strictly based on their ranking.  

[Crimson Wife]

Typically with a PhD. in CSD you would complete the certification requirements for SLP licensing and after graduation you'd split your time between teaching, research, and treating patients. Also doctoral programs are typically funded vs. having to take out loans for a master's. If I were in my 20's rather than pushing 40, I'd be aiming for it since I'd love to be a professor. But in my 20's I had babies on the brain rather than figuring out what I wanted to do with myself careerwise.

[Jolie717]

52 minutes ago, Crimson Wife said:

Typically with a PhD. in CSD you would complete the certification requirements for SLP licensing and after graduation you'd split your time between teaching, research, and treating patients. Also doctoral programs are typically funded vs. having to take out loans for a master's. If I were in my 20's rather than pushing 40, I'd be aiming for it since I'd love to be a professor. But in my 20's I had babies on the brain rather than figuring out what I wanted to do with myself careerwise.

Ha - well even if you're pushing 40 you should pursue what you want and can pursue.  If your family can handle it, that is.  I'm now 40 and was considering a combined masters/PhD but decided against it as I didn't know enough to decide on an area of specialty in SLP.  After a lot of consideration, I've decided to finish my masters and then look into a doctorate, likely in education.  Or who knows - I may switch to PhD, we will see!