Is it possible for someone with a BS in Marketing go for a masters in Social work or Psychology?

[kelaroo]

Hello!

I have a bachelors in Marketing and have been working in the fashion industry for several years only to find that this business is not for me. I have always been interested in the human mind and more specifically Human behavior. I find that I am in a place where I want to do more investigation on how I can transition into another field.

Can anyone tell me if it is possible to do this career change? I realize this is a heavy undertaking as it is a complete 180 in regards to field and discipline. Is it possible that Schools would accept someone with my background? What are some things I could do to get myself ready for this change?

Any advise would be appreciated! Thank you!

[MM]

Unless you had a strong undergraduate background in psychology even if it wasn't your major, I don't think you'll be able to find a masters' program in that discipline that will take you until you go back and get it. Social work would be a little easier, as long as you have at least some background in social science; you might have to take one or two prerequisite courses, but not as many. Before you even look at programs, though, I think you might want to consider volunteering in a related area to make sure that this career change is really a good idea - plus, it'll help convince schools that you're serious.

[jannsody]

You may be able to get accepted into a master's degree program for social work. Each school may have slightly different requirements. Most programs probably prefer applicants who have, at least, done some volunteer work in the field of human services to perhaps show their committment to the field. Perhaps you can look into volunteering at the local county crisis helpline. There may be certain prerequisities that the prospective student has to take and complete before possibly getting accepted into graduate school for social work such as psychological statistics and social psychology. Please, however, check with each social work (admissions) program Before taking any classes to find out if those particular courses transfer or not. You will most likely need about three letters of recommendation. The school(s) will probably request an essay, too. Perhaps you can draw on your experience with working in the fashion industry and how you hope to continue to allow others to have a positive image about themselves but in a different way or such.

For general career info: http://www.bls.gov/oco and can search.

Please only consider programs accredited within the industry: http://www.cswe.org/Accreditation.aspx

For US colleges: http://www.utexas.edu/world/univ

Possible volunteer opportunities: http://www.volunteermatch.org