<p>US News & World Report has it that the following schools have the top programs in clinical psychology. I am wondering if anyone has an opinion on the quality of these schools' master's programs. How would you rate them?</p>
<p>University of California--Los Angeles
University of North Carolina--Chapel Hill
University of Washington
University of Wisconsin--Madison
Yale University
Duke University
University of Illinois--Urbana-Champaign
University of Kansas (Clinical Child Psychology Program)
University of Minnesota--Twin Cities
University of Pennsylvania</p>
<p>I’d be very cautious about embarking on any terminal Masters program in Clinical Psychology. For the most part, you’ll need a Ph.D. if you want to practice independently as a psychologist and typically you’ll earn a masters degree along the way to getting the Ph.D. So, if you want to be a clinical psychologist I’d recommend looking at Ph.D. Programs - there’s a lot of variation in the focus of these so I’d figure out the programs that most interest you and don’t worry about the ratings. Good Luck!</p>
<p>Onetogo2 took the words out of my mouth. Even if you are looking at an MS as a stepping stone to the PhD, it’s a waste of time - most clinical programs won’t accept any credits from master’s programs.</p>
<p>If you would like to earn a master’s and practice mental health counseling independently before you go on to a PhD (or without going on to a PhD at all) I would recommend:</p>
<ol>
<li><p>Getting a master’s in social work and becoming a licensed clinical social worker</p></li>
<li><p>Getting a master’s in mental health counseling and becoming a licensed practical counselor (LPC)</p></li>
</ol>
<p>The first one will give you far more flexibility if you choose not to get a PhD, and will still give you more flexibility even if you do (you can work in social service agencies and teach at schools of social work).</p>