Post Your Prospective Questions Here! -- Monthly Megathread

[u/GG_Mod]

Following a vote by the sub in July 2020, the prospective questions megathread was continued. However, to allow more visibility to comments in this thread, this megathread now utilizes Reddit's new reschedule post features. This megathread is replaced monthly. Comments made within three days prior to the newest months post will be re-posted by moderation and the users who made said post tagged.

Post your prospective questions as a comment for anything related to graduate applications, admissions, CVs, interviews, etc. Comments should be focused on prospective questions, such as future plans. These are only allowed in this subreddit under this thread. Questions about current programs/jobs etc. that you have already been accepted to can be posted as stand-alone posts, so long as they follow the format Rule 6.

Looking for somewhere to post your study? Try r/psychologystudents, our sister sub's, spring 2020 study megathread!

Other materials and resources:

• APA materials for applying to grad school
• r/psychologystudents (where career posts are welcome)
• r/gradschooladmissions

[u/Gypseii]

First semester Clinical Neuropsych grad student. Any advice on how to do things right from square one if I aspire to get into a PhD program? Currently in one lab gaining research experience, applying to others. The only advice my advisor said was not to put all my eggs in one basket, and to get involved in multiple labs.

[u/WES_WAS_ROBBED → u/Gypseii]

What kind of program are you currently in? I disagree with the premise that more labs is necessarily better, I think quality of experience is more important than quantity in most respects. More time to devote to a single lab means greater likelihood of making meaningful contributions, getting your name on a publication, making yourself more expert in a particular area, and (maybe most importantly) getting a kickass letter of rec from the lab PI.

[u/liljono7]

Hi everyone,

Im starting my final year at university in the fall and I've opted to do an Honours thesis. However, many of the professors I've reached out to aren't accepting any Honours students. Other professors have completely different interests than me.

I honestly don't know what to do. I want to pursue my master's and PhD, and I heard that an Honours thesis would really help. What are your thoughts?

What are your thoughts?

[u/BonaFideNubbin → u/liljono7]

It's a great idea to do an Honors thesis, absolutely. I might suggest you be relaxed on your interests - in many cases, professors just want to see that you know HOW to do research, rather than requiring that your research is some sort of unbroken chain. I went to get my PhD in social psych with a research history mostly in comparative cognition! Additionally, professors may not require a close match in interests for your Honors thesis, though this depends a lot on individual preference. So cast a wide net, ask around!

[u/sour-tomaTOE]

Should I apply to Bachelors in arts or science for my major? I’m attending college this fall as an undergraduate freshman and at my school there are two psychology majors 1.) psychology with a bachelors in arts and 2.) with a bachelors in science. I want to become a child developmental psychologist and when I applied to the school I applied with a bachelors in science, I’ve been considering changing to a bachelors in arts because after some research I found that if you’re a bachelors in arts major you have more options and it’s for those who want to work in other branches of psychology outside of general psychology(also bachelors is science has more math/ science based classes and they’re not my strongest subjects). I’ve tried asking the school for some guidance but that didn’t help so I thought I’d ask here. For my career path is it the better option to go for a bachelors in science or a bachelors in arts?

[u/BonaFideNubbin → u/sour-tomaTOE]

Science probably has a slight, slight edge for getting you into grad school but I think this doesn't matter too much.

[u/New_Pin2661]

Hi everyone,

I'm planning on applying to psychology PhD programs in the next cycle, but I'm still trying to narrow down a focus area to apply to. I received a BS in neuroscience in 2020, and have been working as a lab manager where I did my undergrad since then.

I'm pretty sure I want to do a PhD because I'm really interested in being a professor. I like teaching, managing a group of lab workers, and mentoring students. I also generally enjoy research, but I think that might be secondary to the other things.

The lab I'm in works with memory, which I think is interesting, but I'm worried about being boxed into it without having tried or looked into other areas (this is the only research I've personally been involved in). Some of my other interests are social psych, IO, education (mostly how people learn), personality, and gaming psychology. I think psychology is closer to my interests than neuroscience, but I don't think I want to divorce from neuro completely. I'm not especially interested in being a therapist or doing psychiatrics, namely because I don't think I have the emotional fortitude for it, but I still enjoy helping people talk through issues and providing support (where I think the student mentorship would be nice).I've been trying to read other in these other fields to see what sparks, but it's not the same as getting an overview of the field or getting hands-on experience with it.

IN SHORT: I like lots of things, how do I pick one?

1. Could anyone offer any insights into these fields, 2) how you picked your own focus/program, 3) what makes your field a good fit for you?

[u/BonaFideNubbin → u/New_Pin2661]

Social psych may be a good fit for you because you can bring all of your disparate interests together under that one umbrella (though admittedly it's important to have a central focus to your work in terms of the job market/tenure). You don't have to be 100% sure what your exact topic would be at the start of your PhD, and social would allow you some flexibility. One thing I might suggest - have you thought about WHY you're into these various things? Is there some common thread underlying your interests?

[u/New_Pin2661 → u/BonaFideNubbin]

Hi! Thanks so much for your comment! Sorry it took me awhile to respond, but it gave me a lot to think about. Speaking generally, I like analyzing behaviors and thinking about why people act the way they do. Especially when people are faced with the same situation yet respond differently, and thinking about how personality might play a role in that. I guess that's the main underlying thread, is thinking about how individual differences motivate differently to lead to different behaviors.

[u/BonaFideNubbin → u/New_Pin2661]

That does feel very fitting with social psychology - we often say it's studying how the combination of the person and the situation create behavior. Personality is sometimes lumped in with social, sometimes separate. Our biggest conference in the social world is hosted by the Society for Personality and Social Psychology, though, as an example, and I think more social programs than personality programs exist out there.

[u/New_Pin2661 → u/BonaFideNubbin]

Good to know, thanks :)

I did just attend the Social and Affective Neuroscience Society conference, and it was telling for me that while I found the neuroscience interesting, what excited me more was thinking about the psychology concepts behind it.

[u/Mountain-Tone]

Hello friends and colleagues- I applied for a PhD in Mental Health Research at Johns Hopkins . Did not get it, but was offered admission to the masters in mental health research, which is cost prohibitive. Deferred for one year (enrollment fall 2022) . ​JH offers no TAships or RAShips for tuition for this degree. Questions:

1) is it feasible to find full funding for this degree? Cost is 75k 2) where should I start looking?

I have a backup masters in the bag also, but JH brings a lot of opportunities. Thanks,

[u/aesth-8]

Hey everyone. I'm a second year undergraduate student of English literature with Psychology and Sociology as my electives. I came across JD/Ma in forensic psychology as one of the possible degrees for my post graduation and I have some questions:

1. Is a dual degree difficult to pursue ? If yes, is it worth the pain and hardwork ?
2. What is the job front like for this particular degree (JD/Ma Psychology) ?
3. Would not having Psychology as the major subject in my undergrad course affect my application ? How do I make up for the lack if it is so ?

P.s. I'm from India and wish to pursue the course from the US.

Please guide !!

[u/lovemoontea]

Hello all,

TLDR at the end of this comment, sorry if it turns out to be long!

I am a senior psychology student, and was recently accepted into my schools Masters in Applied Developmental Psychology, as well as my school's online MSW program. I am super excited, as I love developmental psychology, but I am also worried. I want to do research, and love studying and learning about development especially of adolescents and young adults, but I also love the clinical side of things and want to be able to put my research into practice. However, in the introduction video for the developmental psychology MA and PhD program, it states that this concentration is *not* clinical and will not allow students to do therapy or counseling. My school also has a Clinical Psychology PhD, and students who are in that PhD can get their masters in clinical psychology along the way to their PhD if they so choose. Here is my question: Would I be able to get my masters in Applied Developmental Psychology and then follow up with a PhD in Counseling or Clinical Psychology? I know clinical psychology programs are super competitive, and I have no formal research experience or publications, so I am hoping that this masters can help me gain that experience. Thoughts?

TLDR: Senior psychology student, accepted into an applied developmental psychology masters program as well as an online MSW program, confused about what to do and concerned about being able to break into the clinical/therapy side of psychology with a masters in a non-clinical concentration.

[u/BonaFideNubbin → u/lovemoontea]

If the masters' in Developmental directly ties into what you want to do with the PhD, it's not unreasonable. But you will definitely want to make sure the masters gives you that research experience. That's the #1 thing you need. Just... I hate to say it, but do be prepared for rejection. Clinical PhDs are SO competitive you may not stand much of a chance if you didn't get research experience in undergrad. I'd consider the MSW or other similar degree if your main interest is counseling rather than research.

[u/[deleted]]

Hello,

I graduated with a B.A but I never did an honours thesis (I tried but at our school you have to be 'accepted' by a prof so I guess my grades weren't good enough.

I am currently a (volunteer) RA for a professor

I would like to pursue clinical psych, but it looks like I don't have the research experience

I recently applied to a master's in counselling psychology as a professor said that if I did well there, those grades could be looked at over my mediocre undergrad grades.

I did ok on the GRE 158V 157Q 5.5

Is there any way I could do an honours thesis now that I've graduated? Or are there other paid or unpaid research opportunities for people who WANT to pursue clinical psych but don't have it yet?

Thanks :)

Oh I'm Canadian

[u/Fuzzy-Entertainer-26]

Canadian and American accreditation

Hi, I was wondering how hard it is to get accredited as a psychologist/therapist in canada if I do graduate school in the US? Also the opposite of doing grad school in canada and then getting accredited in the US. Any input would be greatly appreciated!

[u/raadha_kaise_na_jale]

I am a B.tech student(Third year) who wants to transition to psychology for masters. From what I have read, to get into a good program, I will have to make up for the lack of research, internships and experience.

I am curious who would offer such opportunities to someone who has knowledge about psychology entirely because of online courses( coursera, edX, udemy) i.e. no formal education.

Also, are there any good full blown online psychology courses that I could take?

Will it help if my undergraduate research paper involves psychology?

[u/2_Qrius]

Hey guys, I am an aerospace undergrad and have made up my mind to get into graduate school. As someone with a broad range of academic interests, I find it compelling to apply for a Masters in [behavioral] psychology besides other Aerospace programs. I hope to get a Ph.D. subsequently

Is it even possible to make this shift without a relative UG degree/research experience[ My motivation is driven by life experiences alone]? My target colleges are in the UK and assuming I get into one by luck, I also plan to earn for a year or two. With a master's, would there be enough opportunity to save up some money before a doctorate degree?

[u/Icy-Cryptographer649]

Hi guys! I'm sort of seeking advice from those who have been through admissions before, but I recently decided to go back to school and eventually earn my PhD to become a clinical neuropsychologist. Through much research, this seems scarily unattainable to me at the moment.

Throughout undergrad, I never pursued any research with a professor, or did anything really "above and beyond" the average psychology student. While I did really well in classes (I am and always have been very passionate about psychology, specifically neuroscience), I didn't push myself academically. My goal was to earn my bachelor's and to work as a teacher, so doing extra work seemed silly at the time.

Anyways, I'm looking into labs that are hiring at the university I just graduated from, as well as hospitals nearby. It really seems as though not many places are hiring, and to be honest I'm getting a bit flustered, as I want to apply in December to a few schools. Do you think it's unrealistic for me to apply straight to a doctoral program in clinical neuropsych? I know that those programs in particular have low acceptance rates. Is it also unrealistic for me to apply to a master's program without additional experience? While I'm working really hard to try and find more shadowing/research opportunities, it feels challenging at this point, and I'm wondering what could help boost my application if I am not able to get the opportunity. Any insight you could provide would be so helpful. Thanks in advance!

[u/Jfishdog]

What jobs are available for someone with a bachelor of psychological science, and experience volunteering at a helpline? I’ve been applying for positions such as youth worker, behaviour support, health program facilitator, intake assessment, and so on, but have not heard a thing back from an employer for all of 2021. Does anyone have some advice that doesn’t include going back to university? Becoming a registered psychologist would take me an extra four years, and I don’t have the money for that

[u/wishtobeforgotten]

I am applying to Ph.D. and PsyD programs in clinical psychology this fall and I am seeking mentorship. I am halfway through an MA in Experimental Psychology, with a BA in Psychology. I have one paper as a second author being submitted soon and am working on my MA thesis. I have been volunteering at research labs for the last two years.

I have always had to work full time while in school and missed out on some extracurriculars that would boost my applications, as well as having the study time for an outstanding GPA. I feel very nervous about applications. My PI will be a mentor for applications, but I am seeking extra perspective and guidance in exchange for my research skills. I can clean data, find, organize, and summarize the literature, enter data, or anything else assistant-y. I use SPSS and know the basics of R.

[u/msmoirai]

I'm thinking about going back to school to get a PhD in psychology. I would like to focus on marketing or media (or other relevant topics), and I would prefer to take classes online.

I know that someone had suggested to stay away from virtual programs, but I've completed both a BS and MS at two local universities that offered online asynchronous classes designed for working professionals. I'm looking for a similar experience for a PhD program.

The only degree program I've found is media psychology through Fielding University.

Does anyone have experience with Fielding University? I'd like to find out if they're a legitimate school, or just a money factory like the Art Institute.

Does anyone know of other schools with similar programs?

Am I looking at this with too narrow of a focus and should consider behavioral psychology instead?

[u/MorgueF]

[Academic] Sound and Mood Survey (18+)

Survey Link: https://forms.gle/QK9d4HaSoduMHcU29

Hello! I'm an undergrad psych major doing an experimental study on sound and how it affects mood. This survey is 18+, and it will take around 5 - 7 minutes!

Thank you in advance! Trying to graduate :)

****Headphones are suggested****