hehe another school thread.

stawk

quick question on masters programs... do you generally need a bachelors in the masters program you want to get in to? for instance would i need a bachelors in psychology to get my masters in psychology?

Rikushix

stawk wrote: »

quick question on masters programs... do you generally need a bachelors in the masters program you want to get in to? for instance would i need a bachelors in psychology to get my masters in psychology?

It's gotta be something related. As far as psychology would go, definitely. Remember that at the very least you are marked on your grades during your bachelors degree.

I'm switching programs into Cognitive Science, which is part computer science, part psychology and philosophy, but I could get a Masters in Psychology after if I wanted.

oldsak

Although if you don't have relevent coursework, it is usually possible to take post-bac classes to catch up.

Khavall

There is some interchangability though, to be sure. For instance, my major right now is defined as "Integrative Arts: Music", but I could easily go to grad school for Composition(Used to be my major), Piano Performance, Conducting, Music History, Music Theory, and Ethnomusicology, as well as possibly Guitar Performance. With my degree I have the necessary coursework as well as skills to qualify for grad schools, despite not distinctly majoring in the field.

However, you'll notice that everything I mentioned was related to my major. So as an undergrad music I couldn't go to grad school in Biology, for instance.

So, you don't necessarily have to take exactly the same major undergrad as grad, but yeah, you need relevant coursework and skills to be considered, which is most easily gained through an undergrad degree with those qualifications.

Also keep in mind it kind of differs based on department. My mother is a PhD Psych distinguished professor at PSU, and she goes through countless applications for grad students and chooses a few. We have a few family friends that are in or heads of departments that get only a handful of applicants. If you're in a field like Psychology where there are hundreds of applications to the good schools for the field and you're a chem major who just kind of satisfies the general requirements for Psych, you're less likely to get in.

stawk

what about something as generic as history?

lifeincognito

stawk wrote: »

what about something as generic as history?

Well what kind of history did you focus on? European, Russian, Japan or perhaps a time period? That will probably help you narrow down the program you want but as said before it is about the course work you've done.

So if you took a whole lot of history courses focused on say 'The Cold War', you could probably go for a masters in Political Science or Foreign Relations or Law. Generally I feel that undergraduate majors that are writing intensive could be geared towards Law School, although I think Sally Ride majored in English and then got a PhD in physics? There are always exceptions to the rules, but for the majority of us you cannot step outside the bounds of your undergraduate course work's focus.