Psych without a masters??

8

So I was thinking about applying to psych at uni, what’s holding me back tho is that I’ve heard so many people say it’s completely useless without a masters - I’d maybe be willing to do it, but I don’t want to change my mind later down the line and have absolutely zero options. However I don’t know what else I’d apply to really, I’ve had ideas like history/classics or law but also open to literally any other ideas.

Reply 1

Interrobang

20

A masters/doctorate it's only needed in psychology if you want to be a practitioner psychologist or work in academia (or as a therapist of some description). You can go and do plenty of jobs (e.g. graduate ones) with just the undergraduate degree

(edited 2 months ago)

Reply 2

greg tony

17

Original post

by ivoryyroses

So I was thinking about applying to psych at uni, what’s holding me back tho is that I’ve heard so many people say it’s completely useless without a masters - I’d maybe be willing to do it, but I don’t want to change my mind later down the line and have absolutely zero options. However I don’t know what else I’d apply to really, I’ve had ideas like history/classics or law but also open to literally any other ideas.

Psychology isnt useless without a masters as like most degrees it allows you to apply for lots of not all graduate roles in different sectors.

If you want a specialised role in Psychology then the advice you were given is also rubbish, as sadly most if not all practitioner Psychologist roles are at doctoral not masters level, so a masters does not really open up many doors at all.

Greg
Clin Psych

Reply 3

University of Salford Student Rep

Official Rep

13

Original post

by ivoryyroses

So I was thinking about applying to psych at uni, what’s holding me back tho is that I’ve heard so many people say it’s completely useless without a masters - I’d maybe be willing to do it, but I don’t want to change my mind later down the line and have absolutely zero options. However I don’t know what else I’d apply to really, I’ve had ideas like history/classics or law but also open to literally any other ideas.

Hi there!

This is understandably quite a common question around psychology degrees. To progress onto postgraduate study within psychology and further practicing psychologist roles you will need the psychology undergraduate degree (although there is an exception to this with psychology conversion courses later on). This is generally one of the more direct ways you can use your psychology degree. However, if you don't wish to do this then you could use your psychology degree to go down other career paths 😊

For psychology, the degree will equip you with a wide range of skills that can be really useful for a wide range of job areas. You will study all the core areas (biological, cognitive, developmental, social, individual differences and research methods) which will help you discover what interests you the most, plus give you valuable tools which can be used in future careers like critical analysis, data analysis, problem-solving, and performing and understanding research. There are many graduate jobs which don't require subject-specific degrees but instead look for the skills you offer as an employee - which a psychology degree can equip you with plenty of 😊

It's a very broad, versatile degree which offers a lot of freedom however this does also mean it can have a less direct route into a set career compared to other courses - for example, nursing or accountancy. Having the openness of 'this degree could take you anywhere with this skillset' does not always appeal to everyone too. It may help you to consider whether the other courses you are interested in would point you in a similar direction, and then consider what you would most enjoy studying along the way and what will support your personal interests more.

I'd recommend having a good explore of the Prospects website, I've linked the 'What can I do with my degree?' page which I find really helpful. You can look at the different career paths for different degrees here and explore some of the ideas you had for psychology, history, classics, law, etc.

I'd also recommend:

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Comparing the course content of your chosen courses, looking in particular at the module breakdown - Would you enjoy hearing a lecture about this? Would you enjoy researching these topics and learning more?

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Speaking to current students studying the degrees you're interested in, the best way to do this is to...

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...visit some open days 😄 I went to my first open days with a few different course ideas and found speaking to the staff and students the best way to find out more. You can also get a feel for how it will feel to study on campus this way.

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Absorb as much subject content as you can - and then think, am I enjoying this? Could I continue pursuing this subject? Sounds like a simple concept but this is a really key factor for staying engaged in the subject you're studying!

If you are struggling to decide what you want to do I would advise narrowing down your subjects to what you love the most and keep exploring. There is no rush and university is a big decision, it's important to take the time to find what's right for you and keep asking questions 😊

Becky
University of Salford Student Rep

Reply 4

Arden University

Official Rep

19

Original post

by ivoryyroses

So I was thinking about applying to psych at uni, what’s holding me back tho is that I’ve heard so many people say it’s completely useless without a masters - I’d maybe be willing to do it, but I don’t want to change my mind later down the line and have absolutely zero options. However I don’t know what else I’d apply to really, I’ve had ideas like history/classics or law but also open to literally any other ideas.

@ivoryyroses

Not to sounds too philosophical but a degree or a masters is only worth something if you make something out of it.

I did BA Hons Sociology followed by an MSc Psychology (conversion), and thanks to working in education I've had a lot of career opportunities open up - one particular one was SEND support after doing a PGC SENDco course at Leeds Beckett University.

If you did a Psychology degree there are many avenues which are often not discussed as much that you can explore. For instance, a lot of big blue chip companies in the city like psychology graduates for their graduate management programs and head hunt the best students from the social sciences for it.

Doctorate level study is required in the UK to be a registered Clinical or Educational Psychologist which is a steep climb for some and it puts people off.

If you fancied a blended learning, or 100% online option, there are some great Psychology programs at Arden University which might interest you

Marc
Arden University Student Ambassador

Psych without a masters??

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