Department of Psychology

Psychology Graduate Program (PhD, MA)

Psychological Science Field

In addition to meeting the standards of a conventional experimental science program, the MA and PhD in Psychological Science have been designed to provide students with the background necessary to confidently navigate between basic and applied research questions.

The curriculum includes required courses in research methods, statistics, and professional issues, and a variety of elective courses covering various foundational areas in psychology. Practicum placements provide an opportunity to apply research skills in various settings, such as health care (e.g., downtown hospitals), industry (e.g., human factors and software engineering companies), education (e.g., local public schools and universities), and government (e.g., Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care, and Ministry of Transportation).

A minimum of seven courses (including one practicum) are required at the MA level. These courses, along with an MA thesis, are completed in two years.

For the PhD, five courses are required (including one practicum). All PhD students also complete a doctoral dissertation and a comprehensive breadth requirement. The PhD is expected to take approximately three years to finish, after the MA is completed.

The Psychology MA and PhD are offered full time only. The School of Graduate Studies minimum residency requirement for the MA and PhD programs in psychology is six academic terms (for each program); note that each academic year is three terms. Continuous enrollment throughout the residency period is required.