Unconventional Routes To Psy Ph.D.

[MonkeyBusiness77]

My goal is to ultimately get into a clinical psychology Ph.D. program, but unfortunately, as I enter into my final semester of undergrad at UT Austin, I'm a philosophy major with hardly any psychology classes under my belt. It's too late for me to even squeak out a minor in it. I understand that it'll be an uphill battle considering my choices thus far and just how competitive the discipline is, but I'm looking for some creative solutions from anybody willing to help.

More info: I'll be graduating with an est. 3.28 GPA, and I'll likely be able to volunteer for some psych research this coming semester. Also, let's assume I'll secure some solid letters of recommendation.

Here were a couple options I was considering: Aim for a masters degree in Anthropology (perhaps psychological anthropology?) or even a religious studies masters program (would this help at all?) or any other masters degree that would facilitate the transition between philosophy and psychology as well as hopefully making me a more appealing candidate for the psych Ph.D. program.

Thanks for your time.

[PokePsych]

check howigotintostanford.com He may have some good tips  

Would it be possible to take some psych classes maybe? My uni also lets people with a non-psych background enter their research master in psych (for social psych though) - but its in Europe

I'd certainly go for any volunteer practice/research experience to improve your chances

[8BitJourney]

Why not do a post-bac/masters to get the required classes out of the way? Many schools have a required number of credits done as a psych major so if you don't have those then you may have some difficulty with enrollment. Also, do you have a projected gre score? Because you'll need a high one to offset a lower gpa. And, IMO, solid rec letters aren't enough for clinical psych anymore. Can you take a year or two off?

[MonkeyBusiness77]

I'm a bit ignorant about how post-bac works. Would the GPA from a post-bac program be averaged with the undergrad GPA? Or would they be separate, and if so (especially if I study my ass off and get much better grades in my Post-bacc work) would an admissions committee disregard my undergrad GPA in favor of my post-bac GPA?

[That Research Lady]

I'm personally weary about post-bacs since you cannot receive traditional financial aid. If you have the money, it's definitely an option. I was in a similar experience, where my last year of school I finally realized I wanted psych but had only taken an intro course. My cum GPA was a 3.0 at that point. I stayed an undergrad for an extra 2 years to do nothing by Psyc courses and double majored. It was the best option for me because (1) I could still get financial aid for those two years, (2) I definitely raised my cumulative GPA, (3) I was older and only focused on Psyc classes so my Psyc GPA was very high. I then worked full time in research for a few years to gain as much experience as a M.A. but get paid (and start paying down my loans). My gpa was lower than yours so you may not have to work as long as i did. When I applied I was accepted into several fully funded programs. It is a HARD and LONG road but I knew that was my goal and that it was worth it. If you feel the same I would suggest considering it. I didn't want to wait this long to get into a program but I find that being a little older and having the experience and persistence can serve you really well in these programs.

[vallaboop]

18 hours ago, MonkeyBusiness77 said:

My goal is to ultimately get into a clinical psychology Ph.D. program, but unfortunately, as I enter into my final semester of undergrad at UT Austin, I'm a philosophy major with hardly any psychology classes under my belt. It's too late for me to even squeak out a minor in it. I understand that it'll be an uphill battle considering my choices thus far and just how competitive the discipline is, but I'm looking for some creative solutions from anybody willing to help.

More info: I'll be graduating with an est. 3.28 GPA, and I'll likely be able to volunteer for some psych research this coming semester. Also, let's assume I'll secure some solid letters of recommendation.

Here were a couple options I was considering: Aim for a masters degree in Anthropology (perhaps psychological anthropology?) or even a religious studies masters program (would this help at all?) or any other masters degree that would facilitate the transition between philosophy and psychology as well as hopefully making me a more appealing candidate for the psych Ph.D. program.

Thanks for your time.

If you are considering going the masters route first, I would suggest looking for psych masters programs. They are usually more lenient and accept students with a variety of backgrounds. 

[8BitJourney]

16 hours ago, MonkeyBusiness77 said:

I'm a bit ignorant about how post-bac works. Would the GPA from a post-bac program be averaged with the undergrad GPA? Or would they be separate, and if so (especially if I study my ass off and get much better grades in my Post-bacc work) would an admissions committee disregard my undergrad GPA in favor of my post-bac GPA?

A post-bac gpa is usually separate and yes just like research lady said mst are unfunded but not all as some programs have a required research component where you become a paid RA. In this case or for a master's I doubt they'd disregard your uGPA but it may help offset it somewhat .

Extending your undergrad time is an option as well but I would only do so if there is a lab that you feel you can do a decent amount of high quality work and can get financial aid. Some people who have the finances and a clear goal move to work in the lab that they ultimately really want to apply to as to become a known factor to admissions committee. But the best combo I think is working as an RA after undergrad and taking classes. Psychology is not a field worth taking out a lot of debt for.

Do you have an idea of which programs you're aiming for? Fully funded vs. partially (Not recommended) funded? Competitiveness of the program? (Ie chapel hill or Harvard vs alliant university). I don't believe in official rankings like first vs third but quality of programs do vary.

[Crimson Wife]

I doubt a master's in anthropology would do anything for your chances.

What about the  Michigan/EdX micromasters in Social Work? More related to psych than anthro is and if you do decide to go the MSW route it could shave time off the degree. Inexpensive and can be done on your own schedule.

[Psychoplasmics]

I'm not sure why you would consider doing a masters degree in anything other than psychology. If your ultimate goal is a psychology PhD program, start laying the groundwork for that discipline. There are many areas to choose from (e.g., general psychology, experimental psych, counseling psych, clinical psych, etc.). Be aware that clinical psych doctoral programs sometimes frown on applicants with masters degrees. Not all clinical psych programs, but many. Counseling psych doctoral programs, on the other hand, usually consider students with masters degrees and some programs even require it. I would suggest trying to find a masters program that is funded. Otherwise they can be expensive.

Edited September 16, 2017 by schizometric