5. Psychology (Applied Emphasis)
Psychology is the scientific study of mind and behaviour—thinking, feeling, acting. Students of psychology study the human experience and explore the phenomena of learning, development, personality, language, emotions, memory, and social interactions. Our 4-year Applied Emphasis degree program provides broad foundational knowledge, enabling student/graduates to be more authoritative thinkers, and more qualified users of psychological theory and research, while deepening their insights into their own and other’s behaviour. Our 4-year Applied Emphasis degree provides greater opportunities to more widely and deeply explore certain aspects of psychology, than our 3-year program, including enhanced learning in statistics and research methodology. Individualized independent studies in research, and specialized courses in psychological assessment, along with capstone courses, are all more feasible in a 4-year Psychology degree program.
Students considering graduate studies in clinical or counseling psychology, or in other mental-health fields, will benefit from the full-year field placement (8 hours per week, September to April) which is part of the Applied Emphasis program. This practicum givesstudents the opportunity to gain hands-on experience and field knowledge while working at a community agency. Working directly with people experiencing diverse challenges, such as major mental illness or homelessness, students learn to apply their course-based knowledge in diverse programs, such as recreation, preschool intervention, or corrections. Full-year research practicums are also available.
Our 4-year Applied Emphasis degree provides students with the knowledge and skills to be “market- ready” for work in the human services field. Graduates have continued to careers as addictions educators, youth workers, and preschool behavioural specialists. Our 4-year Applied Emphasis degree program well-positions students to apply for graduate studies in Masters, PhD, and PsyD programs. Note that students apply to the Applied Emphasis program at the end of their 2nd or 3rd year and should plan their courses accordingly.
Students must apply for admission to this program. Specific admission requirements are published in section 3.3.
For continuation in the program, students must pass , maintain a minimum GPA of 2.0 in the credits applicable to the degree, and a minimum GPA of 2.3 in applicable PSY credits.
A. General Academic Requirements
- 42–60 credits required, to include:
- Foundation Courses:
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- and
- Statistics and Methods:
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- or equivalent with a minimum grade of C- ( and are acceptable equivalents). The Psychology Department strongly recommends .
- and
- Theory and Breadth:
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- and
- Practice Foundations:
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- and
- Field Placement:
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- Unspecified:
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- 3–21 credits of unspecified senior-level PSY courses
- In addition to the above, students must complete:
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- 6 credits of ENG courses.
- 6 credits of courses in the Faculty of Science.
- In addition to the above, students must present:
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- Permissible minors:
- All minors listed in section 10.6 other than Psychology.