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I have heard that PsychD. programs are impossible to get into as well. I didn't know they were unfunded though. That being the case, I wonder why the competition is so high.
Can I please make a suggestion? You are about to make another bad life choice. The job market in psychology is awful. It is one of the top unemployed majors, and getting a graduate degree will NOT change that. A phd will not change it, either. Unless you are top of your field at a top school (and you're not), this is a poor choice if you hope to be able to support your children and not be homeless again. Consider instead a graduate program in counseling or social work - these are more employable variants of psychology. As far as your gpa, psychology graduate students are a dime a dozen - if you can graduate, you can go to grad school. You just shouldn't - at least not in psychology.
Just saw the post that you are actually going for counseling - that's good. I don't think you'll have a problem finding a graduate school. The problem is finding one that will give you some money. You can contact the schools ahead of time and ask them - the department chairs - what they think your chances are. If you were homeless, that is a pretty good explanation, although there is always the concern that you will fail out again due to financial reasons, so you want to make sure it's clear that that's behind you.
Finally - why a Phd? You can work with a Master's degree and a PhD could make you overqualified for a lot of jobs. What are you planning to do with that phd?
Where are you getting this from that psychology majors are among the top unemployed majors, especially at the graduate level? Undergraduate psychology majors are among the most underemployed, but they are beat out by criminal justice, theater arts, and business administration/management majors.
The Georgetown Study is a couple of years old, but according to their findings, the unemployment rate for graduate degree holders was 3.4% It wasn't among the lowest, but it wasn't among the highest either. It was lower than information systems, computer science, computer engineering, mathematics, and a few other STEM majors. People often don't realize that mental health is a healthcare field. There is a lot of growth in healthcare in general. The pay may not be that great, but the jobs are there.
Overall employment of psychologists is expected to grow 22 percent from 2010 to 2020, faster than the average for all occupations. Employment growth will vary by specialty.
A master's degree may not be the best idea because those with a master's in psychology often have to compete against those with master's degrees in counseling, marriage and family therapy, and social work. A few majors can do counseling, but only one major can practice psychology without supervision. Being a psychologist and a counselor are not the same things. There are things psychologists can do that counselors cannot. Psychologists also get paid more, but you have to calculate the return on investment. If you get to work on a PhD tuition free and with a stipend, then it might be worth it. If you're paying your way through, then it most likely will not be worth it.
Quote:
Job prospects should be best for those who have a doctoral degree in an applied specialty and those with a specialist or doctoral degree in school psychology. Because admission to psychology graduate programs is so selective, job opportunities for doctoral graduates are expected to be fair.
Employment of school psychologists will grow to accommodate the increasing number of children in schools, and many will also be needed to replace workers who retire. Because of the limited number of graduates in this specialty, school psychologists are expected to have good job opportunities.
Candidates with a master’s degree will face competition for positions, and many master’s degree holders will find jobs in a related field outside of psychology. Even industrial-organizational psychologists, despite much faster than average employment growth, are expected to face competition for positions due to the large number of qualified graduates. Industrial-organizational psychologists with extensive training in quantitative research methods and computer science may have a competitive edge.
I think it would be wise for you to pursue and become a LCSW. You only need a Masters degree and 2 years of supervision. Many jobs offer free supervision which can be very expensive if you pay for it out of pocket. Becoming a LMSW still pays well while you are doing your supervision depending where you work.
My friend received his MS Psychology and is now back in school for his MSW. His gpa was a little higher than yours and found the requirements were so strict that he wouldn't get into any school with his grades. A social work degree is more versatile therfore that's why I am pursuing it. Unless you want to be a Psychiatrist I would go that route.
Psychiatrists are medical doctors with medical degrees. Psychologists have a PhD or PsyD in psychology. In most states, psychologists can't prescribe medication while psychiatrists can. In the states that do give prescriptive authority to psychologists, they require a master's degree in pharmacology in addition to the doctoral degree in psychology.
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Originally Posted by jobaba
I have heard that PsychD. programs are impossible to get into as well. I didn't know they were unfunded though. That being the case, I wonder why the competition is so high.
A lot of people want to practice psychology. I would say that most of the aspiring psychologists will never become psychologists. There aren't even enough APA-accredited internship sites for those who complete their doctoral programs.
I have two close relatives who have their masters in psychology. They would have gone on for the psyD, but, the job market for doctorates in psychology are so limited. They both went to work immediately with their masters. At this point in your life, you are awhile away from a doctorate. Why not aim for your masters and after completing it, see what you want to do.
L210... Why are you so upset? Like I stated in the other post I know Psychiatrist need pharmacology, my point is I don't see a need to go that route unless she wants to prescribe meds.
My opinion....
Thanks
Last edited by Be Happy 2; 10-13-2013 at 09:57 PM..
L210... Why are you so upset? Like I stated in the other post I know Psychiatrist need pharmacology, my point is I don't see a need to go that route unless she wants to prescribe meds.
My opinion....
Thanks
You are not getting what I'm saying. I'm not upset; I'm just annoyed that you're spreading misinformation. Psychiatrists and psychologists are two different things. These two words are not interchangeable. Psychologists have a PhD or PsyD in psychology. These are NOT medical degrees. Psychiatrists have medical degrees. They are medical doctors with the M.D. (medical doctor) or D.O. (doctor of osteopathy) designation. As I told you in the other thread, psychiatrists do not need a degree in pharmacology because they take courses on this in their medical programs. Psychologists who live in the one or two states that have fairly recently given them prescriptive authority need to go back for a master's in pharmacology because this subject is not covered enough in most psychology programs. Most states do not allow psychologists to write prescriptions.
Again, a PsyD is for psychologists. It does not lead to being a psychiatrist. While there is a lot of overlap between social work, counseling, and psychology, there are differences between the professions. I'm stating facts, not opinions. Your opinion will never make a PsyD the degree for psychiatrists. It just isn't something that exists or is even possible under current laws and regulations.
I am right. I wouldn't have to do all this typing if you simply understood the difference between a psychologist and a psychiatrist. It's disturbing that someone studying social work thinks that a PsyD is needed to become a psychiatrist. This is mental health 101. How are you going to know which mental health professional to recommend your clients to when you don't know the difference between them?
I disagree with a previous reply about poor job prospects. With ACA available, there will be a great need for therapists; there are many people who need therapy but have not gotten it due to a lack of insurance.
However, you may want to rethink going all the way for a doctorate if you want to do therapy. You can do well with an MFT. Here is one site:
L210... Why are you so upset? Like I stated in the other post I know Psychiatrist need pharmacology, my point is I don't see a need to go that route unless she wants to prescribe meds.
My opinion....
Thanks
A psychiatrist has a medical degree (meaning med school), it's a completely different route of study than a PhD or a PsyD.
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