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Believe It, Psychology Master's Degrees ARE Worth Your While |
By:
Robert L Brown |
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Beware of the untruth which says that you should not waste your time with a psychology master's degree and that you should instead get a PhD.
This article discusses why this is untrue. Psychology master's degrees are not a waste of time. Often, the field of psychology is guilty of being intellectual snobs when it comes to qualifications. There is the tendency to belittle a master's degree, which is unfair as there is value and wisdom to be gained from a master's degree.
Of course, if you are thinking of establishing a career in the academia, then it is necessary for you to get a doctorate. You can take up a doctorate within the local community and at junior college levels. However, you have to note that there is fierce competition in these arenas. If you are not planning on an academic career, however, a master's degree offers distinct advantages over a doctorate.
Teaching aside, the training and credentials gained from a psychology master's degree has provided enormous employment opportunities. This is noted by the APA itself, which has stated that those with master's degrees have obtained jobs within their selected field of study. This only acts as proof that in the modern job market, a master's degree is still relevant, even beneficial.
Aside from the APA, independent studies have repeatedly demonstrated the value of a psychology masters degree within the mental health field. Particular attention has been paid to the use of "sub-doctoral" professionals within managed health care systems as they can provide added value with patient service delivery at a cheaper cost than doctorate holders. This has in turn led to greater opportunities for holders of the masters degree in psychology within the mental health field and particularly psychotherapy. This is a trend that looks likely to continue in the future.
Gaining a masters degree has significant attractions compared to studying for a doctorate. To begin with, doctoral programs are not as widely available as masters and students may be required to move some distance away in order to study. The ability to study online has revolutionized the delivery of masters programs for many subjects and psychology is no exception.
Another plus factor for a master's degree involves the time required. With a doctorate, you will need some 6 years to finish, while you can complete your master's program in just 2 to 3 years. Think of the income potential that you can be yours in those four years! You can start earning after a couple or so years, rather than waiting to finish your doctorate program before you can earn.
A further argument that is sometimes advanced for going straight to the doctorate is that if you take a masters degree you cannot then subsequently transfer your work to a doctorate. In effect you have to start all over with your doctorate and ergo, the masters is a waste of time. In practice this depends upon the doctoral program you enroll in and the relevance of your masters work to the doctorate you subsequently are seeking. The key issue is to bear in mind the relevance of your masters to the doctoral program and also that some doctorate programs actually require a masters as a prerequisite.
Indeed, a psychology master's degree is not a waste of time. It is useful, especially if you want to enter the mental health profession. It has provided a great deal of opportunities for tens of thousands of mental health professionals now and in the future.
Related topics: Find out more about psychology courses as well as where to find a good graduate school for forensic psychology - just click the links for more details. This article is available as a unique content article with free reprint rights.
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Article Source: http://www.statssheet.com/articles/article55603.html |
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