MS in Applied Psychology - how does that sound?

Discussion in 'Nursing and medical-related degrees' started by Rain, Jan 4, 2012.

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  1. Rain

    Rain New Member

    Hi all

    This is not necessarily about distance learning but a more general question as I know many people here know a lot about what degrees are recommended for what.

    Any thoughts on the usefulness of a program in Applied Psychology which covers different topics - education, leadership, health? So in other words is not specialized but rather you learn more about a few different things. Does a masters need to be specialized? Would such a general degree be regarded as not a "proper" masters? (It is from a good uni)

    Thanks!
     
  2. Bruce

    Bruce Moderator

    Master's degrees can be specialized, or not....there are liberal arts Master's programs that are literally a collection of 30+ credits from wildly different disciplines (Texas Christian University's M.L.A.) or they can have a laser-beam focus.

    The question is, what do you want to do with the degree?
     
  3. Rain

    Rain New Member

    Thanks Bruce.

    I don't really know what I want to do yet :)

    It just looks like something I would like to study and it is one of the very few Psychology programs that I can afford!
     
  4. Bruce

    Bruce Moderator

    The problem is that at the graduate level, psychology is one of those disciplines where eligibility for licensure as a counselor/therapist is extremely valuable, in addition to having the degree.

    What school are you considering?
     
  5. Rain

    Rain New Member

    Yes, true, but I've been away from that for too long and I have a feeling that my career path will not head in that direction anyway.

    The school is Heriot-Watt university (in Scotland) - the program is quite affordable for EU students.
     
  6. MISin08

    MISin08 New Member

    I've evaluated both counseling-related and applied Psych degrees for myself, and while I have a US perspective I do recognize key words in the program description. This degree looks like it is aimed at practitioners (or would-be practitioners) in organizational settings such as human resources, marketing, or government, and to add a practical qualification to the CV if your first degree is more theoretical. The research project is key to that and if you are on campus, the research areas of the school may be a factor in your choice as they are a significant part of the environment. I don't think preparation for licensure to provide counseling or psychotherapy is part of this program. Whether it's a 'proper' master's (assuming you mean 'will this degree satisfy spoken and unspoken expectations of hiring managers and recruiters') depends on what you intend to do. It's certainly a real degree and a reputable school.

    While in the US it's a common joke that Psychology is the field for those who don't know what they want to do, might you be interested in the applications I've described?

    Phillip
     
  7. Rain

    Rain New Member

    Thank you Phillip!

    Yes, I am indeed more interested in organizational applications. The other option is to do an Organizational Psychology masters, which is a specialized degree. However, the ones I found are usually more expensive, and besides, doing a whole masters just on that doesn't seem too appealing - Org Psy is not the most exciting area of Psychology in my opinion!
     
  8. Steve King

    Steve King Member

    Which programs have you looked at and might be interested in, Rain? People on this board might have some experience with the schools and programs you're considering.
     
  9. japhy4529

    japhy4529 House Bassist

    A few more options for you to consider:

    Organizational Psychology - University of London - Birkbeck - University of London International Programmes - Key points

    Occupational Psychology — University of Leicester

    MSc Coaching Psychology by Distance Learning (summary of programme specification) - Postgraduate - UEL

    UELconnect: Distance learning

    my Registration 2012
     
  10. Rain

    Rain New Member

    Thanks for all the great suggestions! I will look into these as well.

    The ones I had considered before were Heriot-Watt's MSc in HRM - I took a module with them as but I find it very difficult to study on my own and make my own deadlines! So I haven't taken the exam yet. The other one is UoL - I am actually taking one module in April so if I absolutely love it I might still go for it.

    However, I would love to find a program where I could take some modules on campus and the rest by distance learning - I learn best when I'm with other people but I can't afford to take a full year on campus.
     

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