jmcomicÂþ»­

I do not recommend NYU at all. I had been very excited to study Social and Consumer Psychology and was elated to be getting my second masters at NYU. I moved from Florida to attend. However, after getting there my advisor was unsupportive of me. I was constantly looking to get scholarships to pay for the outrageous bill to attend there. Every scholarship required a letter of recommendation from my advisor. Dr. Gans repeatedly refused to write one for me on several occasions and acted out of discrimination... Read More towards my religion. That school left a very bad taste in my mouth.

I believe the MA program in General Psychology at NYU is better suited to those individuals seeking to pursue social, consumer, and forensic psychology. If your aim is to become a psychologist in the areas of counseling, clinical , or school psychology, I would recommend giving serious thought to the utility of this program in the grand scheme of your career. Many students coming from a non-psychology background or who did not have a great GPA or clinical/research experience enter the program with... Read More the intention of boosting their academic, clinical, and research credentials for doctoral study (i.e., they hope to use the degree as a stepping stone for further study). I believe that this can be accomplished in other ways. For those who want to become licensed practitioners, I would recommend foregoing the doctoral route altogether in favor of a Master's in Mental Health Counseling (MHC), Master's in Marriage and Family Therapy (MFT) or a Master's in Social Work (MSW). These are degrees that allow one to practice and obtain licensure quickly. Although these programs do not tend to be specialized, one can achieve specialization through continuing education and through supervision at a job. For those who intend to pursue a PhD and become an researcher, this program may be useful. But, again, I would consider alternate avenues. If you come from a psychology background, consider working as a research assistant for 2 years. If you are coming from a non-psychology background, this degree may be helpful to you, but know that the research opportunities in the Graduate School of Arts and Science will mainly be in the areas of social psychology and neuroscience. If you are specifically interested in clinical research you would have to branch out beyond the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences. Other labs are available through the Steinhardt School of Culture, Education, and Human Development, as well as the NYU Child Study Center and the NYU Langone Medical Center. Also, the programs Director emails out a lot of volunteer research assistant opportunities to the MA email group, especially at the beginning of each semester and over the summertime. The NYU name does hold weight when you apply to positions outside of NYU. However, the bottom line is that this is an expensive degree and, ultimately, clinical research opportunities and jobs upon graduation will not be readily available because the program does not have a strong network. When you get an MBA at Stern, you get your moneys worth. In this program, I dont believe that you do. You have to forge opportunities for yourself, but with such a steep price tag, I think that that is wrong. Furthermore, consider that applying to PhD programs in clinical, counseling, and school psychology is competitive. You may have to apply multiple times. If that occurs, know that the job opportunities available to you will be low paying. Without licensure, you will be mainly suited to the work of an RA with a bachelors degree and your compensation will likely be capped in the $50-55k range (and that would be considered good pay with this degree). So, it may be more beneficial to go for a masters degree that will allow you to get licensed while pursuing research on the side. This option would give you insurance when you applyif you dont get in the first time you apply, you wont be stuck working as a glorified administrative assistant, youll be able at least to practice and earn a living. Ultimately, I got what I needed out of this program: a GPA boost, research experience, and acceptance into a PsyD program. But, it was a long haul. When I graduated from the program, the only offer I got was for a research coordinator position that would pay me $32,000. It was sickening to feel so under-valued. I also ended up having to apply two times. The first round, I received acceptances, but no funding. Finally, the second time I applied, I received an offer with funding. I got where I wanted to be, but I think I could have gotten there in a more efficient manner.