Ultimately I’m hoping to pursue a PhD in Psychology, but I’m not too certain that I’ll get into the programs I’m applying for in this cycle and as a result I’m looking for some useful Masters programs that I can consider as a backup option.
Some background: I graduated from a pretty well respected school with a double major in economics and math. Did quite well in both majors(3.8GPA for both) and overall(3.6). In that time I was lucky enough to get into a couple of research positions, working as an RA for an econ professor for a year and a half in school and a neuroscience professor starting around the same time until present(nearly 2.5 years). Doing the neuroscience work made me interested in pursuing psychology for future study, though not necessarily with a neuro-heavy focus, I’m more interested in social and developmental psych from a theoretical rather than physical perspective. My GRE scores are pretty solid, +90% in all categories, and I’ve taken the psych subject test, though I’ve got no idea what my score for it will be yet(as such, I’m not planning to submit it with applications unless scores arrive beforehand and look really good). One of the major problems is that I haven’t really studied all that much psych outside of personal interest, I took a class in psych research methods but that’s the extent of it. I’ve got a neuro paper(not lead author) in review and a couple other ones in prep to be submitted in the next month or two(as a lead author), which I’m mentioning in the CV attached with my apps(side question: is it a bad idea to cite “in prep” papers on a grad school application?).
As for the PhD programs I’m applying to, I’ve decided to be a bit ridiculous and selective this year and I’m only applying to 4 high-ranking social psych programs that really grab my interest. Given my psych-less background/lack of a really good subject test score I’m not terribly confident that I’ll get asked into any of them, and so I’m trying to identify some good Masters that would be a productive intermediary step to the programs I’d like to get into.
It’s pretty clear a Masters in Psych wouldn’t be too useful as I would be redoing all that work in the PhD programs I’m looking at, so I’m hoping to find something for the interim that let’s me bridge my past studies and future interest while offering me some good opportunities to extend my research background.
One program that seems to fit this criterion is U of Chicago’s MAPSS track, which has that attractive seeming “interdisciplinary” focus, but I’m hardly dead set on it as an option. Particularly, there seems to be some contention in online discussions as to whether it’s merely a cash cow for the school, and more importantly that you don’t get much attention from the non-program faculty which could hinder research work. Anyone here have suggestions for alternatives that would be able to fill a similar role? I’d be really interested in finding a program that is focused around behavioral economics, as this seems like a fun transition well suited to both my background and aspirations, but I haven’t found anything pointing in that direction and I’m open to pretty much anything.
Here’s the thing. Based on your post, you don’t have a strong background in psychology. You’ve only taken one class (an important one, but still one.) And you have limited research experience in psychology. Neuroscience is relevant enough for a psychology major who was or later became interested in social psychology to make the switch, depending on what they did in the lab.
But social psychology program faculty would be asking themselves how you could possibly know that you like social/developmental psychology enough to get a PhD in it, given that you have no coursework in the field and really don’t have research in the specific area. They also might be skeptical about taking on a research associate to train who doesn’t have the basic foundational knowledge/coursework in the theories and concepts of psychology - like intro/general psychology and an undergrad social psych and/or developmental psych class. My PhD is in social psychology and I only had one colleague who didn’t have an undergraduate major in psychology; that person majored in philosophy but then took all of the same classes an undergraduate psychology major would have taken in the two years between college and when she started grad school.
To that end, I would say that a regular disciplinary MA in psychology might actually be a good choice for you. You don’t really need an “interdisciplinary” focus if your plan is a traditional social psychology PhD. Frankly, you already have a lot of that. You need a program that will give you a solid disciplinary grounding in psychology - you need to demonstrate to admissions faculty that you have a specific and abiding interest in social psychology that is developed from experience and knowledge of the field. So my advice is that a traditional disciplinary MA in psychology might actually be the best prep. Another option is to work as a psychology research associate or lab manager while you take some psych classes as a non-degree student.
HOWEVER, I will say that if you are interested in psychology, given your background a PhD in behavioral economics or a related interdisciplinary PhD might not only be a better fit for you but potentially more lucrative in terms of job opportunities. An example is the University of Chicago’s joint PhD program in psychology and business ([here](https://www.chicagobooth.edu/programs/phd/academics/dissertation/joint-program-in-psychology-and-business)), Carnegie Mellon’s Behavioral Decision Research PhD program, Stanford’s Organizational Behavior PhD program or Harvard’s PhD in Organizational Behavior. With a PhD in this field and research in to the social/developmental psychology of how people behave economically or in business, you could seek academic positions in either psychology departments or business departments (which pay more) or at a variety of agencies that have use for behavioral economists/psychologists who study economic behavior.
Thanks for the thorough response! I had looked into some Decision Science programs at NYU and Duke, but the quick review of the research going on at both programs left me with the impression I’d find them a bit dry. That said, I’ll definitely take a good look at these PhDs, particularly as I noticed a few of the researchers I was specifically interested in working with for social psych were affiliated with the Stanford and Harvard programs.
I guess the reticence I still maintain towards the behavioral econ/organizational behavior route is that through my undergrad studies in economics I just found the business/institutional side of things realllly boring, even actively depressing. I definitely understand the utilitarian argument that going that route and working in a business school is a better way to bring in the bucks, but I’d much rather study how people can improve their lives all-around, free up thinking, escape the office(!), than I would want to figure out how upper management can get more out of their workers(I know this is simplifying things a lot, and one can bring good things from the organizational/decision science viewpoint, but I think the generalized environment is worth considering). I rant here simply since I skipped past that point in my original post and I think it does play a somewhat important role in my considering a PhD with a more economic focus, if that nuances your recommendation somewhat I’d love to hear your thoughts, but I still find it to be very useful feedback as is.