<p>I am a psychology major who is trying to decide between UCD and UCSD. SD is overall higher in the ranks but Davis follows, but still lags. SD is very psychology research oriented which I like but Davis seems more well rounded AND into undergrad research experience and I like the agricultural leaning because I recently got interested in ecological anthropology and animal psychology(Davis has a lot of animal science programs but no established animal science program yet).</p>
<p>So I am leaning toward Davis but I am concerned it isn't prestigious enough. I know it sounds stupid or snobby but I think it's a legit concern when it comes to grad school and jobs. Or maybe I am over thinking this.</p>
<p>According to US news ratings even for Psychology UCSD has an academic reputation score of 78.9 and UCD has an academic reputation score of 65.3. I’m actually not sure what this means.</p>
<p>Prestigious enough for what-Grad school? With a BS-psych degree, you will still have to go to grad school to do anything with that major. As with either school, your grades and activities have to “sell you” to a grad school. So your grad school is probably the school that needs to be “prestigious”. </p>
<p>You already know that there are lots of Ph.D’s and Psy.D’s looking for work, right? Did you investigate employment options and pay scales in this field for after grad school? I work with lots of Ph.D candidates who are actively looking for work in So. Cal after graduation and their internships. They can get volunteer placements, but they can’t find full paying jobs.</p>
<p>To be honest I am not sure what I want to do with a B.A in Psychology only that I know it’s very versatile(hence why I am interested in a more well-rounded thing) on the other hand I am also very interested in experimental psychology which is why my first school of choice was UCSD.</p>
<p>I am not even sure if that’s what I am going to Grad School for. It’s possible I go to grad school for something a little different, but not too different but still versatile. Like I said I am becoming interested in something that involve social science but also environmentalism hence ecological anthropology.</p>
<p>UCD currently has an employer reputation score of 69.1 and Citations per Paper score of 100, and UCSD has an employer rep score of 68.1 and Citations per paper is 88.2. Still not sure what these mean.</p>
<p>Chasing prestige, especially between two schools that are closely ranked, is only going to make you more paranoid. Employers and grad schools are not going to have the US News rankings open when they are reading your resume/application. They know they are both good schools. Go where you’ll be happy.</p>
<p>Anywhere where I can see how the alumni of either are doing? </p>
<p>I remember this report I heard about claiming college is only financially worth it if you go to a high ranking college. Also, just about everyone highly notable to presidents to award-winning scientists goes to prestigious colleges, at least for grad school.</p>
<p>Sabo: Are you an international student? I’m curious as to why you’re into the “prestige” of a school. Are you planning to become a scientist or President? and need to know which school will get you there? SD and Davis are both good schools and both have great graduates who are employed in their respective disciplines. </p>
<p>Statistics are statistics and don’t really reveal what people are doing with their degrees. A basic psych degree will get you employed as an office worker-insurance company, retail employee, etc. at minimum wage. I overhead a young woman employee in Target state that she had $3 in her checking account and had recently graduated with BS in psych but couldn’t find a job in her field so she was working at Target. So if you’re looking for a university to give you “prestige” to get “employed”, that’s the wrong tactic. I agree with Emprex^^^, the paranoia is not healthy.</p>
<p>My DD attends Davis and is required to take freshman core classes (including calculus). She’s a good math student so it’s not a hard subject for her; her roommates, however, are having difficulty because neither took calculus in high school (how that happened is odd to me). </p>
<p>If you’re looking to avoid math at both campuses, by being a psych major: it’s not going to happen. In other words, you won’t get employed because of prestige of the university.</p>
<p>No I’m not international, I’m not sure how that would make a difference.</p>
<p>I am okay with statistics. I had a professor in my community college from UCLA who told me that in actual psychology experiments data is just fed to a computer nowadays.</p>
<p>Calculus on the other hand I’m not so great with. I struggled to get a B in precalc and only got to advanced algebra in high school. I hear calculus is more of a quant psychology thing, which UCSD leans a bit more to and UCD has it as a separate degree.</p>
<p>Also I knew someone who has a BA in psychology from University of Arizona, and was told she couldn’t do anything with it but does work as a social worker.</p>
<p>When I was exploring majors I also looked into psychology, particularly the program at Davis.
You can do a quick search on the internet to pull up a list of jobs, but many are your basic entry-level positiosn such as a social worker (for advancement, many social work positions require a Masters) or sales associate.
UCD and UCSD are both great schools and are closely ranked. I would visit both schools and see which environment you feel like you connect better with. Also, look at the programs- at Davis, there is a BA in psych that does not require any calc courses, just stat. Then there is the BS, with a concentration in biology, or math. Which degree would best suit your strengths, and interests? </p>
<p>I have a few friends that are psych majors, and all have the intent to continue to a graduate program. Competition is fierce, and you will want to choose an undergraduate school where you feel like you will excel academically and be able to gain experience with internships, research, or volunteer work- both of which Davis and San Diego has to offer.
Before delving into the world of psychology, perhaps take a few moments to think about possible careers you would like to have. Family therapist? School counselor? Psychologist? Psychiatrist? (which would require medical school.) Or you could combine psych with another major/a minor, such as business to get your foot into the human resources door. Perhaps teaching interests you, or a health care profession such as occupational therapy. Many psych degrees cover prereqs for graduate programs in any of the above with carefully planned classes.</p>
<p>I have no idea where the Target employee went to school. I overheard her talking to the other Target employee about her inability to find a job with a BS in psych.<br>
“Easy” is the operative word, which translates to not much money after you graduate, but if that’s what you are focused on, good luck. You get what you put in.<br>
Social workers don’t make a whole lot of money and don’t really offer that “prestige” you seem to be searching for. The UC’s are difficult so you will get your money’s worth.
LittleLion: OT’s require a lot of physiology and will require more in post graduate studies.</p>
<p>UCD and UCSD are both highly ranked schools and I really doubt anyone would question you for choosing one over the other. You will see a lot of students who have picked UCD, UCSD, and UCI over schools like UCLA/UCB. Why? It’s all a matter of preferences. I was accepted into UCB as a UC-UC transfer student, but I would have chosen UCD just because I liked the atmosphere better. </p>
<p>In the real scheme of things, where you graduated college really doesn’t matter. I’ve worked at a few top companies where I have had teammates who graduated from places like MIT and some who have graduated from SJSU. What matters the most is how well you do at your university and what kind of experience you can gain to put on your resume. Sure, if you go to a very prestigious school such as an ivy-league, getting recruited/noticed is much easier. However, if you have a low GPA and no experience, then you will probably lose out on most jobs. </p>
<p>The differences between UCD/UCSD are very minor and most employers will just overlook it because they know you graduated from a good UC. The thing they are worried about is what you can specifically bring to the workplace. Same thing applies for grad schools.</p>
<p>I’m not too worried about entry level work even after graduation it’s not like I will be stuck as a social worker assistant for 20 years. I’m not even the type of person who could stay in one career only for 30 years which is why I like versatility , a broad field, and transferable skills. I prefer research and experimental psychology anyway and UCs offer internships. I heard of someone from UCSD whom I forgot their major who got a job immediately after graduation from National Geographic.</p>
<p>Sorry for double posting, I’m on mobile now and can’t find the edit button if there is one.</p>
<p>I wonder if there are some upper division courses even BA psych students have to take in UCD which have calculus prerequisite, I found out Riverside and I think Irvine also have calc requirements. In Berkeley it seems to also depend on your degree.</p>
<p>I really think that most people not on CC don’t even know that there is a slight ranking difference between UCD and UCSD. There is just not enough to make a difference.</p>
<p>I agree with some earlier posters’ comments that no matter what college you go to, doing well is important, having solid work/intern/research experience is important and having some kind of plan upon graduation would be ideal. Pick the college that you feel most comfortable with.</p>
<p>Friend’s kid goes to a very expansive well known private college, finishing 3rd year as a psychology major, no job for this summer yet and no idea about what to do after graduation which is next year. Sigh!</p>