BA or BSc in Psychology

For BA or BSc high school admission requirements please see the guidelines for undergraduate admission. Note: Grade 12 Academic/Advanced Math is required for both the BA and BSc programs in Psychology.

The information below is a supplement to the Academic Undergraduate Calendar to assist with course selection. In case of a discrepancy, information in the Calendar is binding.

Declaring a Major

As a Psychology major, you can pursue either a Bachelor of Arts (BA) or a Bachelor of Science (BSc) degree. The requirements for your major are identical in both cases; the difference is in the courses you take outside of your major to fulfill program requirements (although the number of psychology courses required can be more for B.Sc. students who opt to take fewer hours to fulfill their minor). Students may declare Psychology as their major upon entrance to the University or you can switch to Psychology once you are here (as long as your GPA is above 2.5). Double majors are also possible (among the most popular double majors with Psychology are Biology and Sociology).   

The Applied Psychology Option

Starting in September 2011, BA and BSc students majoring in Psychology can focus on courses of relevance to applying psychological priniciples to assist in the effective management of human behaviour and obtain an "Applied Psychology Option" designation with their degree. The Applied Psychology option provides a good overview of psychology theory, research and methodology relevant to clinical/counselling psychology, health psychology, organizational psychology, forensic psychology, educational psychology, school psychology and sports psychology.

The Neuroscience Option

Since 2009, BSc students majoring in psychology have had the option of specializing in  Neuroscience. Neuroscientists study the nervous system at a wide range of levels, including the molecular (e.g., genes, neurotransmitters, hormones), cellular (e.g., sensory and motor neurons), behavioural (e.g., sleep, sexual behaviour, drug effects), perceptual (e.g., vision, audition, taste), and cognitive (e.g., language, attention, emotion). The neuroscience option is a program that allows science students to take a collection of specialized courses related to the field of neuroscience.  A specialization in neuroscience provides a strong foundation for postgraduate studies in experimental and neuroscience research, medicine, nursing, physical and occupational therapy, speech-language pathology, and audiology.  For more information, check the "Neuroscience option" link under "Programs"  - "Undergraduate" on the left.

The Honours Program

If you are planning to pursue a Master’s or PhD degree in psychology, you should plan on taking an honours degree, which can also be in either Arts or Science.  An honours program is also useful for some other graduate programs (e.g., Occupational Therapy, Speech and Language Pathology). If you are planning to pursue a Master’s or PhD degree in neuroscience or related disciplines, you should consider the honours degree with specialization in neuroscience.  This program provides a very strong foundation for postgraduate studies in experimental and neuroscience research, medicine, nursing, physical and occupational therapy, speech-language pathology, and audiology. If you are a very strong student, interested in independent research, you too should consider the Honours program. For more information, check the "Honours" link under "Programs"  - "Undergraduate" on the left.

Faculty Advisor

Dr. Randy Newman, Department Head, acts as primary academic advisor to BSc and BA Psychology majors at all levels. She is also available to advise students who have not yet declared psychology as their major, but are considering doing so. Academic advising appointments with Dr. Newman can be booked through the administrative assistant at any time of the year.

In addition, during peak times for course selection, a Department of Psychology faculty member is available each day for academic advising on a drop-in basis. Schedules for these advising periods are posted within the department.