What is the difference between MA and PhD programs? Which should I choose?
The major differences between MA and PhD programs is the length of time, clinical experiences, and research. The first thing you need to do is to decide which one is best for you. You can start the process by really thinking about what you want to do with your degree. The breakdown is something like this: MA in Counseling: You will have quite a number of job opportunities as masters level counselors are cheaper than doctoral level counselors. With an MA in counseling you can work in a variety of settings are are usually supervised by a PhD level psychologists. An MA in counseling generally takes 2-3 years to complete depending on the program and whether you do it full or part time (some programs require full time, others accept part time students). So it takes considerably less time to complete than an PhD and you are minimally involved in research. A negative though, is that each state has its own requirements for licensing so if you get licensed in one state, you may have to return t
