Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
i am currently a 21-yr-old psych major (3 years remaining) and am debating what advanced degree path I should take. My ultimate goal is to become an abnormal child psychologist.
Here are the pros and cons I have for the two degrees so far (correct me if I'm wrong):
MSW
Pros
-only 2 yrs; I'll be 26 when I finish (I want to have kids well before Im 30)
-flexible
-highly marketable
-job outlook is 25% faster than average (bureau of labor)
Cons
-not as reputable as a Phd
-low pay and LOTS of cases
-mainly deals with day-to-day stresses; not with long-term illness (not sure if I'm wording this right)
PHD
Pros
-actually would give me the job title "abnormal child psychologist"
-higher pay in the long run
-opens up more opportunities
-deals with long as well as short-term mental illnesses
-i feel like i would use more of what I learned with my psych major in psychotherapy with phd rather than msw
-considered on the same level as doctors
Cons
-takes up to 5 years; I'll be 29 when I finish, plus another year or two of residency
-more expensive
-more research-based (altho I hear its just a stereotype)
-22% faster than average job outlook (about same as all other jobs)
I'm most likely gonna apply to both programs when I graduate, but any suggestions about which one I should lean towards? I know I can always get an MSW first and go back for my phd later, but if I did that I would always think, what if I went straight for my phd after college.
How is financial aid for the msw vs the phd? How would the debt I go in factor into my living in nyc (NOT in Manhattan)?
With an MSW, can I choose to only work with children & adolescents?