Master's Credits To Count Towards Clinical Psychology PhD?

[jkstocks]

Hi All (first time poster!)

I have recently been accepted to a terminal MA in Clinical Psychology (US School). I am interested if anyone knows of the likelihood that I would be able to count the credit hours of this degree towards a PhD in the future, i.e, if any top ClinPsy PhD programs allow you to shave time off your 5/6years because you already have the Masters component.

The program isn't fully funded so although it would be great experience and would boost my resume, I'm not sure if it's worth the finances if I can't count any of it towards time off a PhD. 

Let me know what you think!

[Clinapp2017]

It depends on the program. All the programs (all top 50) I looked at and interviewed at this cycle consider it on a case by case basis, and most accept the masters thesis. However, the program I'm attending (top 10) doesn't do any of that. I'm an undergrad though so I didn't really care. 

[jkstocks]

Thanks for the reply! Case-by-case is a tough situation to accurately gauge the value of the terminal MA but I guess I'll keep digging

[Psychoplasmics]

I agree with the previous poster that it is usually a case by case basis. There is also some difference by specialty. Counseling psych programs are more likely to accept masters credits than clinical psych programs. Further, some counseling psych programs require a masters degree for admission. 

[8BitJourney]

On Thursday, March 30, 2017 at 10:12 AM, jkstocks said:

Thanks for the reply! Case-by-case is a tough situation to accurately gauge the value of the terminal MA but I guess I'll keep digging

For everywhere I interviewed at (all fully funded competitive programs) had a case by case basis motto for masters but aside from one program most preferred that time off from undergrad was spent as a full time RA or coordinator. If it's expensive and you can't  guarantee a pub/presentation and very strong LOR then a masters doesn't seem worth it even if it allows you to shave a semester or 2 off your PhD. Hth

[LLsApps]

On 3/30/2017 at 9:12 AM, jkstocks said:

Thanks for the reply! Case-by-case is a tough situation to accurately gauge the value of the terminal MA but I guess I'll keep digging

As someone who has been accepted this round after a terminal masters (after applying in two previous rounds without it), I thought I'd contribute what I've found re: the value of a masters.

First, my experience is similar to others in this thread - a masters is not going to shave off time in terms of years, but it may allow you to waive some requirements and thus have more time to research and do other things. I wouldn't say that the degree just by itself added value to my application, but rather what I did with it. I worked in an active lab (and my mentor's interests almost perfectly align with mine) and took on a number of independent projects for posters, symposia, papers, etc. Conversely, I wasn't able to be nearly so productive in such a short span of time at my previous job as an RA. I attended multiple conferences, made connections to researchers in my specific area of research, further honed my research interests, and did a lot of polishing of pieces of my application. Being older and more able to articulate exactly what I want out of a doctoral degree also helped, as some professors prefer to not take people directly out of undergrad. I also have a feeling my LOR were stronger, just because my writers had a lot more data points to reference re: my abilities. 

My program was partially funded (roughly half of tuition was covered, plus a stipend somewhere close to the low end of some of the PhD programs I've seen), and the debt I took on was pretty minimal. Frankly, I think it was really good for me to figure out how to live on a stipend. It was also an experimental MS program with a clinical concentration that required a thesis. I would be careful about the kind of programs you apply to, but if it doesn't cost you much, if you think you might be more productive with a clear structure in place to do so, and if you can find a mentor with similar interests so you can further develop your own, it might be something to consider.

[jkstocks]

12 hours ago, 8BitJourney said:

For everywhere I interviewed at (all fully funded competitive programs) had a case by case basis motto for masters but aside from one program most preferred that time off from undergrad was spent as a full time RA or coordinator. If it's expensive and you can't  guarantee a pub/presentation and very strong LOR then a masters doesn't seem worth it even if it allows you to shave a semester or 2 off your PhD. Hth

Thanks for your relpy! It is a pricey program (but I'm Canadian, where tuition is pennies compared to the US), but it's a prestigious school and it does guarantee a pub/prestention. It seems to me now that the added experience will be more valuable than the lost dollars. Thank you! 

[jkstocks]

12 hours ago, LLsApps said:

As someone who has been accepted this round after a terminal masters (after applying in two previous rounds without it), I thought I'd contribute what I've found re: the value of a masters.

First, my experience is similar to others in this thread - a masters is not going to shave off time in terms of years, but it may allow you to waive some requirements and thus have more time to research and do other things. I wouldn't say that the degree just by itself added value to my application, but rather what I did with it. I worked in an active lab (and my mentor's interests almost perfectly align with mine) and took on a number of independent projects for posters, symposia, papers, etc. Conversely, I wasn't able to be nearly so productive in such a short span of time at my previous job as an RA. I attended multiple conferences, made connections to researchers in my specific area of research, further honed my research interests, and did a lot of polishing of pieces of my application. Being older and more able to articulate exactly what I want out of a doctoral degree also helped, as some professors prefer to not take people directly out of undergrad. I also have a feeling my LOR were stronger, just because my writers had a lot more data points to reference re: my abilities. 

My program was partially funded (roughly half of tuition was covered, plus a stipend somewhere close to the low end of some of the PhD programs I've seen), and the debt I took on was pretty minimal. Frankly, I think it was really good for me to figure out how to live on a stipend. It was also an experimental MS program with a clinical concentration that required a thesis. I would be careful about the kind of programs you apply to, but if it doesn't cost you much, if you think you might be more productive with a clear structure in place to do so, and if you can find a mentor with similar interests so you can further develop your own, it might be something to consider.

Thanks for your detailed reply! Although I already have quite a bit of RA experience, I think being able to produce a pub/presentation in a clinical lab will give me an excellent boost of experience and (as you said) understanding of my personal goals. 

May I ask if there are any specific PhD's you applied to that you found valued your Masters experience the most? 

[LLsApps]

46 minutes ago, jkstocks said:

Thanks for your detailed reply! Although I already have quite a bit of RA experience, I think being able to produce a pub/presentation in a clinical lab will give me an excellent boost of experience and (as you said) understanding of my personal goals. 

May I ask if there are any specific PhD's you applied to that you found valued your Masters experience the most? 

There wasn't too much variance in the schools where I interviewed, even among more competitive programs. I had professors from a number of schools compliment me on my CV, and the majority of experiences on it were from my masters. My research mentor also knew a number of my POIs personally, so a few of them made comments like, "Oh, I can't imagine there will be trouble accepting your masters thesis, I trust (current mentor) will have guided you to produce something excellent." I would assume the programs where masters degrees are not looked at favorably would not have extended interviews in the first place. However, I received a high number of interviews, and am accepting an offer at a competitive clinical science program, so I don't think I was in any way hindered by my degree.