I don't know if this holds true in psychology, but it's not uncommon in my field (humanities) to get bumped down from the PhD to the MA for admissions (without you doing anything). It happened to me for a couple of programs (including Columbia - though I was notified a week or two before the admissions decision came through that they'd forwarded my application to XXX department) - my undergrad advisor said this wasn't bad at all; there are a lot of reasons it can happen, but they still want you in some capacity (for instance, they really liked your app but they didn't have the funding to offer a spot in a PhD program). I wound up being admitted to my top choice PhD program so it was a moot point, so I can't offer any advice on the completion aspect - but I don't think it's uncommon at all.
A master of ARTS sounds a lot different than a PhD in Clinical Psychology (I would think the step down from that would be an MS not an MA). I would think carefully about what the masters of arts would get you in your field based on your career plans. You also have to consider the possibility that they bumped you to a degree option where you have to pay out of pocket. I'm only familiar with the biology aspect of graduate degrees where its all MS or PhD, but it just struck me as a big jump from clinical psych.
I dunno, most people I know in Clinical Psychology programs got an MA first, not an MS, so I don't think that's necessarily going to derail the OP from her plans. (Both seem to be equally acceptable routes to the Clinical PhD, but maybe my sample size is too limited.) But, you bring up an excellent point about funding. I think the situation would be dependent on communication with the program, potential advising profs, possibilities for funding, acceptance rates to PhD programs out of the MA.
In other words, OP, this could be good - it may mean they want you but just don't have room in the PhD or think you need more prep for the PhD - or it could be iffy - that is, they need more $$$ and decided to pop you on the MA track on the off-chance you don't get better funded offers and they can get some cash out of you. You'll need to work with them a bit to find out where on that continuum they might have you.
I agree; based on my research (I looked at both masters and Ph.D. programs in psychology), it seems like an MA is the more common masters degree offered in psychology programs (even in experimental psychology, which always seemed odd to me).
MA v. MS is sometimes just a school related thing - I'm getting my PhD in psychology and the step along the way is an MA. There doesn't have to be a functional difference between the degrees; sometimes it's really just a name.
I would like to think of it not as a rejection or a demotion but rather that the school liked you enough to want you but either didnt have enough funding for the PHD program or found a place that based on your SOP they thought you might fit better.
Though I would check with them to make sure that reapplying to the phd program is still a possibility
I would be extremely cautious before accepting and paying for a masters degree at a university where you applied for a PhD program, particularly if the masters is not in the same field.
Although there are many very fine masters programs out there that are well worth the money students pay for them, there are also many many schools at which the masters degree program is simply a cash generating machine used to fund higher level graduate students. In these programs masters students struggle to get attention, classes, and often struggle to graduate because if you fail to graduate on time, then the university makes more money off of you.
Again, this is not ALL masters programs, or even I would say the majority, but I would be very careful and look closely at the program, the costs, and what you will get out of it prior to paying for it.
There's several reasons that Teachers College may have admitted you for the MA program instead: either you weren't a qualified applicant for their PhD program but they think that you'd do well for the MA program; or they don't have enough funding for you as a PhD applicant; or maybe they simply got your application mixed up somehow
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In other words, OP, this could be good - it may mean they want you but just don't have room in the PhD or think you need more prep for the PhD - or it could be iffy - that is, they need more $$$ and decided to pop you on the MA track on the off-chance you don't get better funded offers and they can get some cash out of you. You'll need to work with them a bit to find out where on that continuum they might have you.
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Though I would check with them to make sure that reapplying to the phd program is still a possibility
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Although there are many very fine masters programs out there that are well worth the money students pay for them, there are also many many schools at which the masters degree program is simply a cash generating machine used to fund higher level graduate students. In these programs masters students struggle to get attention, classes, and often struggle to graduate because if you fail to graduate on time, then the university makes more money off of you.
Again, this is not ALL masters programs, or even I would say the majority, but I would be very careful and look closely at the program, the costs, and what you will get out of it prior to paying for it.
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