How do I get into graduate school | What do graduate schools want? | Application process | Undergraduate timeline

Types of Graduate Degrees

In order to answer the question, "How do I get in to graduate school?" it's important to think about what kind of graduate school you want to get in.

There are three kinds of degrees in Psychology or Counseling that are common: Master's degrees, Doctor of Psychology degrees, and Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) degrees in Psychology.

A Master's Degree in Psychology or Counseling usually takes about 2 years beyond the Bachelor's degree. If you know you are primarily interested in counseling people with "normal" kinds of problems, a M.A. in Family Counseling may be your best choice.

A Psy.D. (Doctor of Psychology) generally takes 4-6 years of graduate study, and the Ph.D. in Psychology usually takes 5-7 years of study. The first years of a Psy.D. or Ph.D. program typically involve primarily coursework, in which you learn about the core areas of Psychology and work on research. Increased emphasis is placed on research throughout the years of graduate school, especially for Ph.D. programs. Those specializing in clinical, counseling, or school psychology also complete a one year internship (practicing under supervision) as a part of the graduate program.

If your want to go into a non-clinical specialty, then the choice between a Psy.D. and Ph.D. has been made for you: The Psy.D. is universally a clinical degree. If you plan to go into clinical psychology, though, the choice becomes more difficult: Should you get a Psy.D. Or a Ph.D.? The Ph.D. is the more traditional degree, and Ph.D.'s in clinical psychology are based on the "Boulder" model (it was affirmed at a big conference at Boulder, Colorado). In this model, students learn how to be scientists--to do research--and how to be clinicians. Ph.D. students always complete a major research project as part of their degree. The Psy.D. Is a relatively new degree, and is based on the Vail model (guess where in Colorado the 1973 conference was held that approved this degree?). Psy.D. programs train clinicians with the knowledge and skills to apply research, rather than training individuals to be both researchers and clinicians. (In this way, the Psy.D. parallels the M.D.) Ph.D. programs (using the scientist-practitioner model) generally take about a year longer than Psy.D. Programs (using the professional training model).

For students planning on clinical work, the Psy.D. may be a better choice--it is more focused, shorter, and in many cases provides a better clinical training experience than Ph.D. programs. The Ph.D., however, allows greater flexibility--administrative, academic, and consulting jobs, for example, are much more likely to go to individuals with Ph.D.'s than Psy.D.'s. It is still not clear how recent developments in managed care will influence job outlooks for Psy.D.'s differently than Ph.D.'s.

It is not necessary to complete a Master's Degree before entering a Doctoral program. Although having a Master's may help you get into a Doctoral program, there is a lot of variance in Doctoral programs regarding this: Some Doctoral programs will accept all of your work in a Master's program, most will accept only some units (so, for example, taking a 2-year Master's program may only save you one year's worth of classes in a Doctoral program), and some Doctoral programs won't accept a Master's degree at all in their incoming students.

Recommended Courses

Because La Sierra's Psychology curriculum is designed to prepare you for graduate school, every graduate of our program will have completed most of the courses that are prerequisites for most Graduate programs. If you're looking for some elective units, though, here's a list of some possible courses that may help you prepare for graduate school. (Of course, any Psychology course is recommended, but it's a good idea to take some courses outside of the department.)

• Anthropology 304 - Biological Anthropology
• Anthropology 306 - Language and Culture
• Anthropology 315 - Cultural Anthropology
• Biology 405A - Biology Seminar: Science at the Cutting Edge Business
• Administration 116 - Contemporary Concepts and Issues in Business
• Communication 104 - Fundamentals of Speech
• Communication 202 - Social Rhetoric
• Communication 215 - Public Relations
• Communication 226 - Mass Media in Society
• Communication 237 - Principles of Advertising
• Communication 244 - Interpersonal Communication
• Communication 328 - Persuasion
• Computing 121 - Introduction to Computer Science
• English 304 - Advanced Expository Writing
• English 405 - Creative Writing
• GRAD 204 - Introduction to Graduate School
• Health 414 - Mental Health and Drug Abuse Education
• History 105 - The Western Intellectual Tradition
• History 106 - Race, Ethnicity, and Class in American History
• History 273 - Gender, Family, and Society in the Modern World
• History 366 - Advanced Concepts in Gender Studies
• Management 304 - Management and Organizational Behavior
• MDCN 204 - Introduction to Medicine
• Philosophy 204 - Introduction to Philosophy
• Philosophy 319 - Twentieth Century Thought
• Political Science 225 - Introduction to Law
• Political Science 274 - The Construction of Political Life
• Political Science 474 - Political Philosophy
• Social Work 104 - Introduction to Social Services
• Sociology 306 - Pressing Issues in Society
• Sociology 307 - Diversity in America
• Sociology 345 - Social Organization

GPA

There is one rule when it comes to what GPA you need to get into Graduate School: The higher the better. But how high is high enough?

The best way to answer that question is to spend some time looking through Graduate Programs in Psychology, published by APA, and available for loan form the Psychology Department Office. For every graduate program in the U.S. and Canada, this book lists their minimum required GPA (when applicable), and their average GPA for entering students. Remember, that is an average GPA listed...some of their students have higher GPA's, and some of their students have lower GPA's.

Also remember that they look at more things than just GPA's. For example, if you have a 3.9 GPA, but it is clear from your transcript that you have never taken a hard class in your life, then the 3.9 won't help you.

Many graduate programs request GPA's for only particular classes; for example, for Psychology classes, or upper division Psychology classes. So, if you have a mediocre GPA but a high Psychology GPA, don't despair.

Extracurricular Activities

Graduate schools look at more than just your grades & GRE scores. Most schools...especially clinical graduate schools...also examine extracurricular activities. (Note that these activities are not a replacement for good grades & research; but these activities are looked on favorably by graduate programs.) Activities to investigate include:

• Summer work in psych hospitals, social service agencies, etc.
• Tutoring elementary students.
• Attending professional conferences, such as the American Psychological Association (APA) Convention, the American Psychological Society (APS) meeting, or the Western Psychological Association (WPA) convention.
• Joining APA, APS, or WPA as student affiliates.
• Becoming involved in the Psychology Club.

Portions of this and linked pages were adapted with permission of Herbert Friedman, College of William and Mary.

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