I am thinking of doing my masters in either history or philosophy. The problem is that my undergrad is in neither of these fields (it’s in psychology). Having checked out some of my professor’s resumes, I’ve noticed that they have done two undegrad degrees when they were in the same position as me. I want to save a few years though and go directly for masters.
Also, my cousin in law just finished a masters in sociology and said she didn’t have to pay anything because she had applied for a phd as well so both her degrees were being funded. Is this for real? Or just a USA thing?
And can someone please help me with requirements for masters? Do I need reference letters (I haven’t worked so who would these be from)? What exams do I need to give, and when? And what GPA should I be aiming for? I graduate next year in April and I am planning to start my masters mid 2007.
Thank you.
Ps. Sorry, one more thing. I will be spending a year in Pakistan and would like to work (especially if it would help me get into a good university’s master program). What kind of jobs are available for psychology undergraduate degrees? If someone has tips on that, I would appreciate it.
Re: Going for masters
Sarah,
There’s nothing to stop you from doing a Masters directly after your undergrad, but I’d definitely advise spending a couple of years in the workforce esp. if you haven’t been gainfully employed during your undergrad.
There’s usually a lot of support for grad students, and yes… it’s more for Ph.D. students. Don’t be fooled though, cuz it ain’t free education by any means. You will be working alongside course instructors and help them in marking, tutoring and other type of assistance – but yes, your ball-park earnings will be around $12/hr, and you’ll prolly also get some type of partial scholarship towards your tuition fees.
w.r.t. the requirements, yes… you most definitely need reference letters – at least two in most cases. So yes… in your final year, make sure you develop good rapport with a couple of your profs. esp. with those who’re in the same area as your long-term study interests.
For Social Sciences, there typically aren’t any standardized exams, but most Univs. Look for strong recommendation letters and evidence of prior research / collaboration with a researcher. Your average needs to be B+ or better and a good statement of purpose can make a huge difference!
After a degree in Psych, you can find various volunteer based opportunities helping school counselors, community centers etc. and this is the sort of thing that can help you differentiate yourself from the rest.
Re: Going for masters
Thank you, Umar. I talked to some grad advisors and they said pretty much the same thing as you, although I think the psychology department requires some sort of graduate examination along with the rest.
But in terms of what jobs are available for undergrad psych degrees in Pakistan, can someone please help me out? Or should I just send my resume out to everyone, from NGOs to actual psychologists with practices?
Re: Going for masters
Why do you advise working for a few years after undergrad and not going for masters directly?