How much research experience should I have?

[glassesgirl]

Hello!

I currently have a bachelor's degree in Psychology and Speech-Language Pathology. I earned my bachelor's degree in the Spring of 2016. Although I have a pretty extensive background in research methods/statistics courses, I wasn't able to obtain any actual research experience during my time as an undergraduate. I have decided that I would like to go to graduate school for a Ph.D in clinical psychology. I've found some psychology research labs at my alma mater that I am in the process of applying to. I would be volunteering in these labs as a post-baccalaureate research assistant for two semesters. These labs are researching topics that I am interested in.

How long does a potential applicant conduct research before applying for graduate school in the field of clinical psychology? How much research experience should a potential applicant have?

Thanks for your responses.

 

Edited July 31, 2017 by glassesgirl

[8BitJourney]

A high gpa/gre can offset a smaller amount of research experience of the got between you and a POI is very good. But giving you a hard number of years is difficult because  it varies a lot. I say a safe number is 2 years but I know people with 1 so...

[ellieotter]

I think it can depend on how much you feel you can accomplish in a year. It took me at least a year to build up from doing grunt work to being able to get on research projects and gain the independence to conduct my own. For sure at least a year, but two would be a good safe zone I think

[JoePianist]

Hi @glassesgirl, I was actually in a similar boat as you: I had graduated with a Bachelor's in Psychology and Pre-Physical Therapy and was planning to attend a doctoral program for Physical Therapy. But during my last semester of undergrad, I realized that I was more interested in the psychological & social factors affecting physical health instead of the biomechanics of the human body. After talking with career advisors and trusted psychology professors, I felt that pursuing a Ph.D in Clinical Psychology was a better fit for me. Unfortunately, I hadn't accumulated any research experience in a psychology lab to be a competitive candidate for Ph.D Clinical Psychology programs, and it was extremely difficult for me finding a psychology lab after graduating that had enough spots open for volunteers.

But fortunately, I managed to get a job as a full-time research assistant in a health psychology study thanks to a referral from a previous psychology professor I had. My research advisor/boss in that lab was very supportive and well-known in her field of research, which helped me get admitted into a Ph.D Clinical Psychology program after working there for 1 year. 

Ideally in most cases, as 8BitJourney mentioned, I typically hear that 2 years of involved research experience is a safe number. If you're fortunate to find a lab with a supportive research advisor who's willing to help you with the admissions process, that's even better. When you do apply for these labs, I suggest reaching out to the lab PI (Private Investigator) by email, briefly introduce yourself, and mention your goal of applying for a Ph.D Clinical Psychology program. Ask if they can provide opportunities to strengthen your application; some might be willing to have you assist in writing abstracts or articles as a secondary author, which will also look very good on your application for these competitive programs.

Good luck, and feel free to reach out by private message too!

Edited August 6, 2017 by JoePianist

[BackNSchool83]

So I have no research either but have clinical experience as a counselor, I mean I've done research in research classes but not on a team. I've got great grades somehow which I guess would help but I'm worried about the gre and am aiming for MSW programs at this point. I want to be a therapist for a while and see how I like that. How long is the licensure process after the 5 year degree?

[glassesgirl]

On August 7, 2017 at 2:03 AM, BackNSchool83 said:

So I have no research either but have clinical experience as a counselor, I mean I've done research in research classes but not on a team. I've got great grades somehow which I guess would help but I'm worried about the gre and am aiming for MSW programs at this point. I want to be a therapist for a while and see how I like that. How long is the licensure process after the 5 year degree?

In order to practice psychology, you need to be licensed through your state's licensing board.

[glassesgirl]

On August 6, 2017 at 10:41 AM, JoePianist said:

Hi @glassesgirl, I was actually in a similar boat as you: I had graduated with a Bachelor's in Psychology and Pre-Physical Therapy and was planning to attend a doctoral program for Physical Therapy. But during my last semester of undergrad, I realized that I was more interested in the psychological & social factors affecting physical health instead of the biomechanics of the human body. After talking with career advisors and trusted psychology professors, I felt that pursuing a Ph.D in Clinical Psychology was a better fit for me. Unfortunately, I hadn't accumulated any research experience in a psychology lab to be a competitive candidate for Ph.D Clinical Psychology programs, and it was extremely difficult for me finding a psychology lab after graduating that had enough spots open for volunteers.

But fortunately, I managed to get a job as a full-time research assistant in a health psychology study thanks to a referral from a previous psychology professor I had. My research advisor/boss in that lab was very supportive and well-known in her field of research, which helped me get admitted into a Ph.D Clinical Psychology program after working there for 1 year. 

Ideally in most cases, as 8BitJourney mentioned, I typically hear that 2 years of involved research experience is a safe number. If you're fortunate to find a lab with a supportive research advisor who's willing to help you with the admissions process, that's even better. When you do apply for these labs, I suggest reaching out to the lab PI (Private Investigator) by email, briefly introduce yourself, and mention your goal of applying for a Ph.D Clinical Psychology program. Ask if they can provide opportunities to strengthen your application; some might be willing to have you assist in writing abstracts or articles as a secondary author, which will also look very good on your application for these competitive programs.

Good luck, and feel free to reach out by private message too!

That was very informative. Thanks @JoePianist. I'll be sure to private message you if I have any more questions or concerns!

Edited August 9, 2017 by glassesgirl

[glassesgirl]

On July 31, 2017 at 10:52 AM, ellieotter said:

I think it can depend on how much you feel you can accomplish in a year. It took me at least a year to build up from doing grunt work to being able to get on research projects and gain the independence to conduct my own. For sure at least a year, but two would be a good safe zone I think

Thanks for the info! 

[glassesgirl]

On July 31, 2017 at 8:00 AM, 8BitJourney said:

A high gpa/gre can offset a smaller amount of research experience of the got between you and a POI is very good. But giving you a hard number of years is difficult because  it varies a lot. I say a safe number is 2 years but I know people with 1 so...

Thanks for your response.

[BackNSchool83]

32 minutes ago, glassesgirl said:

In order to practice psychology, you need to be licensed through your state's licensing board.

Yeah I know that you need a license, I'm asking how long it takes people to get one after their PhD or PsyD. By the way you can practice psychotherapy under the supervision of a licensed supervisor, that's how a person earns their clinical hours towards licensure. For masters level clinicians, they have about 3200 hours to earn before they can sit for the licensing tests. 

Edited August 9, 2017 by BackNSchool83

[Le Chat]

On 8/9/2017 at 1:41 AM, BackNSchool83 said:

Yeah I know that you need a license, I'm asking how long it takes people to get one after their PhD or PsyD. By the way you can practice psychotherapy under the supervision of a licensed supervisor, that's how a person earns their clinical hours towards licensure. For masters level clinicians, they have about 3200 hours to earn before they can sit for the licensing tests. 

In my state you are provisionally licensed after completion of a doctoral degree, and fully licensed after 2 years of supervision.

It varies by state, but I would guess the procedures are fairly similar.

[glassesgirl]

On August 10, 2017 at 10:35 PM, abnumber5 said:

In my state you are provisionally licensed after completion of a doctoral degree, and fully licensed after 2 years of supervision.

It varies by state, but I would guess the procedures are fairly similar.

Yes, it varies by state. Thanks for the clarification.  

Edited August 12, 2017 by glassesgirl

[lewin]

I'm hearing people say two years but, in my opinion, you should go ahead and do a round of applications after the first year. (Unless, when you talk about your application prospects with a trusted professor, as you should, they say that you definitely need a second year.) You could get lucky and, worst case, you've wasted a few hundred dollars in application fees. Getting volunteer/research experience is less about the raw time and more about (a) getting a strong reference letter and (b) having a breadth of experience that can inform your research statement in a concrete way.

Edited August 14, 2017 by lewin

[_kita]

For the professional counseling license qualifications by state, visit here: http://www.counselor-license.com/resources/state-counselor-license.html.

 

Within my state, with a doctoral degree, you will need 2400 hours of supervised practice. This can be accrued through part-time or full-time.