10 reasons to get a grad degree in psych

Seems like every week people are here lining up to ask about getting a graduate degree in psychology. With the exception of the few who attended Fielding or another school leading to a practitioner's license, I'm wondering if we can come up with 10 reasons ANYONE should get a random - run of the mill- you won't get to be a "psychologist" psychology degree. (they cost about $20-50k)

Go....

 

As I understand it, there are quite a few states where APA accreditation is not required for licensure. I'm sorry that I don't a link to verify this claim.

 

I can't think of any. It was my first choice but wouldn't accomplish what I wanted if I wasn't butt in seat.

 

An undergrad degree in psychology has pretty broad utility in other human service fields. I've not seen that many posts about doing a PhD or PsyD in Psych here but many I'm just not seeing those threads.

 

1. You enjoy Fraud...I mean Freud.
2. So you can give your friends advice (bad) on relationships, parenting, marriage, etc.
3. Because it's easier than getting a STEM degree.
4. It almost feels scientific.
5. Boredom.
6. You really want that $15 an hour human services job so you can lord your "Psych Degree" over the recovering addicts at the shelter.
7. You might want to work in education but canont get past those icky *tests* you have to take in order to teach.
8. You read an article on Yahoo that tells you Psych majors can do any job because they have Communications Skills, Research Skills, and Interpersonal Skills, plus Bo-Staff Skills.
9. Because despite almost an entire century of failure (psycho-therapy) you think counseling would be "fun".
10. Validate your feelings about already getting a BA/BS in Psych degree.

 

Love it, here's some more:

11. Get your psych degree so you can figure out what is wrong with yourself.
12. So you can smugly tell everyone else what is wrong with them.
13. Because you can't think of anything else to get your degree in.
14. Because you have $30K burning a hole in your pocket and you want to get rid of it.
15. Because mommy and daddy will pay for it...so why not?

 

It may be appropriate to distinguish between a Masters in Psychology and a Masters in Counseling; with a Masters in Counseling you are elgible to sit for the NBCC Counseling License and, after passing the exam and doing somewhere around three to five thousand hours of internship, you are able to practice counseling. But, with the course prefix of COUN you will not be able to teach in some community colleges where the required prefix is PSY. With a Masters in Psychology, unless the courses and semester hours are the same as required for a Masters in Counseling, you will not be able to sit for the NBCC exam in most many states. With a Masters in Psychology you may practice as a Psychologist's assistant. With this degree you will be elgible to teach at the community college. So, the limitations are different with the two degrees. In my opinion, the best of both worlds is a Masters Degree in Counseling/Psychology with all course work having PSY prefixes. With this degree (with proper courses and number of hours) you may sit for the exam and become elgible to practice counseling and with the hours having PSY prefixes you will be elgible to teach at the community college level. Just my .02 worth.

Also, the APA does not accredit Masters degrees, only Doctorate degrees.



16. It most cases, it is cheaper than therapy.

 

17. Because there are employers who will give a pay raise for a master's degree, any master's degree.

 

18. Because you seek to answer your own question - "why am I so screwed up?"

 

19. Because it sounded good at the time.

 

20. Because you want to start your own rock band and you need that master's in psychology to learn what sorts of things will freak people out the most (like coming on-stage and breathing fire).

 

I'm licensure-eligible in my state with my Master's degree, so I'm not sure if I should respond to this, but I will. I'm not going to list 10 reasons why I completed my Master's program, as the first is powerful enough for me to not worry about the other 9 reasons.

1. Police officers and military combat veterans have shocking numbers in regards to suicide, and if I can use my education & training to prevent one police officer or one military combat veteran (I'm a member of both classes) from ending their life, then it will all be worth it.

Discuss.

 

I do not even think that your degree would be considered in the realm of what the OP is talking about as, at least in my mind, there is a large difference between a general Masters in Psych and a Masters in Forensic Psychology. My mother in law has a masters in forensic psychology and works with local police departments dealing with cases involving children, where children simply cannot be handled like your atypical witness, as well as crisis counseling for police departments, fire dpeartments and EMTs in her area.

 

Being a psychology degree graduate you have a lot of opportunity. And the knowledge you have as a psychology graduate in my opinion is very important in every company for hiring people and firing people well much better if you choose hiring in HR Department.

 

Apart from having "knowledge" I'm more interested in the "opportunity" part. HR is a field, so perhaps an industrial psychology degree works, but generic-run of the mill- psychology? What do they know about employee benefits, hiring laws and compensation? I'd argue strongly against someone saying that the path into HR begins with a general psych degree. If you want to get into HR, go into an HR degree program.

 

My dear Bruce, you know I think the world of you, but this isn't even remotely what I meant. In fact, it almost makes my point. You - after a long and successful law enforcement career- chose to augment your trifecta of CJ degrees with an additional grad degree in FORENSIC psyc, not general psych (and from a kick-ass school btw). In other words, someone with an AA in general studies, earns a BA in liberal studies and then an MA in psych. There is no comparison between theirs and your resume.

 

We would be glad to help you out with that one. :smile:

 

Oh, gee thanks Bruce. Way to get all serious on us. How dare you give a worthy, honest and compelling reason when we were having so much fun with silliness and ridicule. :smile:

 

This week I need it....

 

Not sure that I have ten reasons but here are a couple:

1. A strong desire to gain an in-depth knowledge in the subject in a formalized academic setting (remember when this was still considered a valid reason to attend school?).
2. Looking to teach psychology at the high school or Jr. / Community College level.