Admission Requirements

The minimum requirement for admission is an honours degree in psychology (or an honours degree with at least eight full courses [i.e. 16 half courses in psychology) with a B+ or higher standing in the last two years of full-time study. Applicants with non-psychology honours degrees not applying to the Clinical Area should have:

1. One full-course in Introductory Psychology
2. One full or two half-courses from the following:
   Child Psychology, Social Psychology, Abnormal Psychology, Personality Theory and Behaviour Disorders, Theories of Personality
3. One full-course in Research Design and Statistical Analysis
4. One full or two half-courses in Experimental Psychology: Cognitive Processes, Learning, Motivation, Perception, Physiological Psychology
5. Four other full psychology courses or the equivalent

Applicants with non-psychology honours degrees applying to the Clinical Area should have:

1. One full-course in Introductory Psychology
2. One full-course in Research Design and Statistical Analysis
3. The equivalent of six other full-courses in psychology

Applicants to the Clinical Area* are expected to have a breadth of knowledge in core content areas of psychology. Thus, it is recommended that (as part of the 6 other full-courses in psychology required above) applicants complete one full-course or two half courses at the senior undergraduate level, prior to applying, in each of the following content areas:

• Biological Basis of Behaviour (e.g. physiological psychology, comparative psychology, neuropsychology, sensation, psychopharmacology, health psychology)
• Cognitive-affective Basis of Behaviour (e.g. learning, memory, perception,
  cognition, thinking, motivation, emotion)
• Social Basis of Behaviour (e.g. social psychology, cultural, ethnic and group processes, sex roles, organizational and systems theory)

However, students may apply and be accepted into the program without satisfying the above breadth expectation of the clinical area. Students admitted to the program without sufficient breadth will be required to complete relevant coursework during graduate training to fulfill breadth requirements. Please Note: All applicants must fulfill the requirement of eight full courses (i.e. 16 half courses) in psychology.

Applicants to the Clinical-Developmental (CD) Area)* are expected to have a general background and knowledge in core content areas of psychology. Applicants should have taken at least:

1.    One full-course in Introductory Psychology
2.    One full-course in Research Design and Statistical Analysis
3.    The equivalent of six other full-courses in psychology that cover the following core areas:

• Biological Basis of Behaviour (e.g. physiological psychology, neuropsychology, sensation, psychopharmacology, health psychology)
• Cognitive-affective Basis of Behaviour (e.g. learning, memory, perception, cognition, emotion)
• Social Basis of Behaviour (e.g. social psychology, cultural, ethnic and group processes, sex roles, organizational and systems theory)
• Individual Behaviour (e.g. personality theory, human development, individual differences, abnormal psychology)

Applicants with insufficient breadth from their undergraduate training may be asked to demonstrate competence in these major areas of psychology by enrolling in undergraduate courses before beginning the graduate program.

In addition to meeting the graduate admission requirements, a student can only be admitted if there is a faculty member available and interested in serving as the applicant’s supervisor.  For this reason, applicants are strongly encouraged to determine whether a faculty member with compatible research interests is available for supervision.

* Students who plan to limit their studies solely to the Masters of Arts (MA) degree, in the Clinical or Clinical-Developmental Area, are discouraged from applying to the program, if they do not intend to continue on to complete a PhD in either Area.

We are NOT able to offer funded positions to international applicants at this time. If you are externally funded or self-funded, please visit Faculty of Graduate Studies—International Students for more information.

Please visit How to Apply for application deadlines and frequently asked questions.