Going back to school for masters?? Advice needed

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blackgirlfit
blackgirlfit Posts: 120 Member
in Chit-Chat
So i'm 25 looking to pursue an advanced degree. I have my bachelors in psych (no jokes please lol) but I'm ready to pursue more. I have experience in the mental health field, and it would make sense to stay inside the health industry and do maybe nursing, dental hygiene, occupational therapy, physical therapy, but I'm not sure which one to focus on?

can I also switch industries and do something like IT if I dont have the undergraduate degree?

Can anyone give me some advice who pursued an advanced degree?

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  • ew_david
    ew_david Posts: 3,473 Member
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    I would figure out first what you really want to do. Then I would figure out if the many thousands of dollars you will spend on an advanced degree are worth it. You're young; you can do/be whatever, but I wouldn't rack up thousands in student loan debt if you're unsure about the path you're going to take.
  • LoneWolf_70
    LoneWolf_70 Posts: 1,151 Member
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    youre super hot, dont worry about it, whatever u decide you will advance quickly.
  • blackgirlfit
    blackgirlfit Posts: 120 Member
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    I would figure out first what you really want to do. Then I would figure out if the many thousands of dollars you will spend on an advanced degree are worth it. You're young; you can do/be whatever, but I wouldn't rack up thousands in student loan debt if you're unsure about the path you're going to take.

    thanks I'll try to weigh the pros and cons.
  • blackgirlfit
    blackgirlfit Posts: 120 Member
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    youre super hot, dont worry about it, whatever u decide you will advance quickly.

    haha in what profession..?
  • teresamwhite
    teresamwhite Posts: 947 Member
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    Ditto that...

    I got my first bachelor's in IT because that's what the Army gave me the skills for. After a few years, I decided it wasn't for me and went to culinary school and got my AA, then my BA in Hospitality Management. My student loans are CRAZY as a result...

    i'd stay in healthcare, since your undergrad probably has a lot of those criteria...but if you truly love and want to be a painter or something, then figure it out now vs later!
  • LoneWolf_70
    LoneWolf_70 Posts: 1,151 Member
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    youre super hot, dont worry about it, whatever u decide you will advance quickly.

    haha in what profession..?
    CEO of anything
  • Vortex_ConQueso
    Vortex_ConQueso Posts: 97
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    I wouldn't try to start in a master's-level IT program. There are prerequisites in both computer science and mathematics to even get into the program.

    That said, my little sister took her degree in :laugh: acting :laugh: and got into one of the best law schools in the country. She finished third in her class.

    So, what the pretty lady wrote before, just make certain you've found something you really want. The bills will get real in a hurry.
  • Kr1sMar1e
    Kr1sMar1e Posts: 57 Member
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    I'm looking to start a master's program as well. My experience so far in looking for programs has been that the prices range wildly. From what I can tell, I won't need to spend more than $10K though. I have no desire to have any student loans. I need an online program since I work as a teacher and have a kiddo. That's priority number one. Then I need reasonable prices to either pay it out of pocket or get a TEACH grant. I also want one with lower credit hour requirements because for my purposes any master's will do, though I'll likely stick to education - probably educational technology, or health. My BS is in Health Education. If you're torn between PT and OT, I'd stick with OT. It seems they're moving PT up to being a doctorate degree, whereas you can still get by in OT with a master's and make almost the same amount. Check out the BLS.gov website, too. That'll tell you about the demand in each field. Good luck!!
  • kinkyslinky16
    kinkyslinky16 Posts: 1,470 Member
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    I have a masters in nursing, and if you wanted to do nursing, you would be required to get an associates degree or BSN first. I don't believe there's a way to transition a degree in psych to a nursing degree. After BSN, you can get a masters in nursing and become an advanced psych nurse to prescribe meds, but you would need to get your RN first, and that requires a ADN/BSN.
  • leadslinger17
    leadslinger17 Posts: 297 Member
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    IT masters degree will be a lot of advanced math... they aren't going to teach you programming because the assumption will be that you already know all that stuff. Other industries might be different, but going into a radically different field would be hard. I would imagine it would be a lot easier going from science fields to humanities than vice versa. Scientists know how to read and memorize facts and figures, but can philosophy majors do calculus?

    NOTE: I read you are a psych major not philosophy... that was just and extreme example.

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