nj593 Wrote:I was talking to a friend of mine today and they told me to go and become a psychologist. When I said its not that easy and that I still would need my Grad degree they argued that I didnt. What through me off is that they work in the field of mental health and thought maybe they were right. Are they?
Because I thought you had to go for your masters first before applying for a phd or psyd degree?
Thanks in advance..

creationstory Wrote:you do not have to get a masters in psychology to get your PHD in psychology.

i am 100% sure of this, a number of friends of mine got their PHD at major schools and didn't have their MA in psych.

here is one program

Ph.D. Program in Psychology: Admissions

and another

Graduate Programs

Program Overview

The Doctoral Program in Psychology at Rutgers University offers outstanding students the opportunity to pursue original research with our faculty as part of an exciting educational program. Members of the faculty have superlative records of productivity and extramural research support. Research is conducted in laboratories featuring state-of-the-art equipment for experimental studies. The Rutgers Psychology Ph.D. Program prepares students for careers as researchers in both academic and nonacademic settings. Students work closely with faculty members on research projects of mutual interest. Students in the clinical program also receive excellent clinical training to prepare for careers as clinical scientists.

Students become involved in research during their first semester and continue their research while they complete required and elective courses. Candidacy for the doctorate is granted following successful completion of course requirements, a master's thesis, and the qualifying examination. The graduate program is designed as a 5-year program. Only those individuals willing to work full-time toward the doctorate are encouraged to apply.

The Psychology Department includes over 40 full-time faculty members. The four programs in the Department are Behavioral Neuroscience, Clinical, Cognitive, and Social Psychology. In addition, there is an Intradisciplinary Health Psychology concentration.

Award-Winning Faculty

The Rutgers Psychology Program boasts nationally and internationally recognized scholars, many of whom have received prestigious awards and honors.

Rutgers University

Rutgers University is the State University of New Jersey and serves more than 50,000 students. The Rutgers University Library system contains over 2,000,000 bound volumes and over 1,000,000 government documents, pamphlets and other material. The University also has a modern and extensive computer facility. The University is centrally located in New Jersey, within easy access to the educational, cultural, and recreational resources of New York and Philadelphia. In addition, this region offers a wide range of collaborative and career opportunities in the private sector.

How to Apply

Applications are submitted on-line to the Rutgers University Graduate School.

Applicants to the Psychology PhD program must apply to one of the four program areas within the department: Behavioral Neuroscience, Clinical, Cognitive, or Social psychology. Required components of the applications include:

■Undergraduate transcripts
■Graduate transcripts, for applicants with prior graduate work
■GRE scores (verbal, quantitative, and writing. The psychology subject test is not required.)
■TOEFL scores for applicants with a native language other than English
■Personal statement describing research interests. It is essential to include the names of faculty members with whom the applicant would like to work.
■Three letters of recommendation


Many of the better universities only offer a PhD program. Some grant you a MA along the way, some will just give you the PhD diploma at the end, without ever officially going through the MA stage.

Most PhD programs take between 4-6 years to complete. MA programs take around 2 years. As always, check with individual programs to be sure.

cookderosa Wrote:The PhD will have to be face to face though, and that's usually a sticking point in our forums. Master's degrees can be done at a distance, and you can still get a license.

(yes, Fielding is the exception, but it's like $80K with residency, and requires that you work under someone in your community to sign off on all of your competencies for the duration)

Psych is another one of those areas that is offered at every school and is the number one most commonly undergrad degree earned in the United States. BUT, if you want to work in the field, you'll have to do some careful research. The law does regulate the field heavily, so start with your state's laws and go from there. The laws do dictate where/type of college you can attend.

Of course, you can just get a degree in psychology- but even then, you can't be a psychologist without a license. (think earning a law degree vs practicing as lawyer - same idea)

HawkGuy Wrote:I know for a fact that Argosy will award a MA in Psych two years into their PsyD program if you enter the program with just a BA/BS. I suspect most other PsyD programs are the same.