Many students wonder if they need to earn another bachelor's degree to apply to graduate schools. For example, one reader wrote:
I have a BA and MBA in economics. I'd like to change careers and apply to graduate programs in counseling psychology. Can I do this with my background? Should I go back to college and get a BA in psychology to apply to graduate programs in counseling psychology?
The main challenge you face is to demonstrate how you background prepare you for a career in counseling psychology (or your desired fied). Pull from your experiences to illustrate the qualities that will enable you to succeed in psychology. For example, your MBA indicates that you have the motivation to complete a graduate degree. Perhaps you've done some volunteer work to obtain experience working with different kinds of people. Examples from your current job might illustrate your listening skills, communication skills, and people skills. Perhaps you have management experience or human resources experience that put you in contact with employees and colleagues.
As I mentioned, this is often unnecessary, but you might consider enrolling in a few courses within your discipline, in this case, psychology, especially if you haven't taken any in college. A couple of classes will help you to confirm that the field is for you, demonstrate your interest to graduate programs, and get to know professors who might write letters of recommendation on your behalf (that's important!).
