Frequently Asked Questions

When is the application deadline?

Your complete application is due December 15th for admission to the program in September of the next academic year.

 

How many applications do you receive and how many students are admitted to the program?

Each year, we typically receive between 60-90 applications, and 4-5 students are admitted to the program. This past year (2021-2022), we received over 75 applications and admitted 4 students

How are admission decisions made?

Admission is very competitive. We select students on the basis of all the information available to us, which includes undergraduate transcripts, three academic letters of reference, and the student's statement of academic and research interests, and an interview.

Usually, the students that we select for admission into our graduate program do very well on all these selection criteria including having excellent undergraduate grades (mostly A level course grades), an empirically based Honours thesis as part of their psychology Honours program, and excellent academic letters of references from the students' professors and Honours thesis supervisor. Most often, the determining factor in whether a strong student is selected for admission is a good research match with the thesis supervisor.

 

Do you offer a degree in Counseling?

The Acadia Psychology Department offers an M.Sc. in Clinical Psychology. For students wishing to pursue a graduate degree in counseling, the School of Education at Acadia University offers an M.Ed. in Counseling.

 

I see your Psychology department is in the Faculty of Science and I have an Honours B.A. Can I still apply?

Yes, of course. We accept students with both Honours B.Sc. and Honours B.A.

 

Can graduate psychology courses taken at another university count toward my Psychology M.Sc. at Acadia?

In the case where a required course is essentially the same as a course a student has taken in another graduate program, students may request a waiver of that course. Application for a waiver must be made in writing to the Graduate Coordinator, accompanied by a course syllabus, and an official transcript (unless this transcript is already in the student's file). The Coordinator makes a recommendation on the waiver in consultation with an appropriate faculty member, and copies the recommendation to the Registrar, the student's file and to the student.

 

If I applied last year, am I required to submit another application to the program?

Yes, you must submit a new, complete application each year you apply.

 

What should my grades look like to be accepted into the program?

Most students accepted into the program have a GPA of A- or higher. In some cases, applicants present with lower grades in their first and second year of post-secondary education. If you have done very well in your final two years of study, your application will still be considered.

 

Will I be funded as a graduate student in this program?

Acadia offers a limited number of Acadia Graduate Awards valued at approximately $8,000. Students receiving these awards are required to work 12 hours per week as a teaching assistant. To be considered for this funding, your application must be received no later than December 15th.

Students are strongly encouraged to apply for external funding through the Canada Graduate Scholarship (CGS) Competition, a harmonization of the major funding agencies including the Canada Institute of Health Research (CIHR), the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC), and the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC). These are highly competitive awards and students are encouraged to apply during the Fall preceding their application to the program. For more information on external funding opportunities available to incoming graduate students, please visit the NSERC website as part of the tri-agency harmonization project.

 

Can I complete the program on a part-time basis?

No. The Clinical Psychology M.Sc. program is a two-year, full-time intensive program. Students must commit to the program on a full-time basis.

 

Can I complete the M.Sc. Psychology program at a distance?

No. You must complete the program on-site at Acadia University.

 

Can I work outside the university while in the program?

The Clinical Psychology M.Sc. Program is highly demanding, and students are encouraged to commit full-time to the program. Under certain circumstances, students are permitted to work outside the program for a maximum of 12 hours per week. However, first year students holding Acadia Graduate Awards are required to devote these 12 hours to their teaching assistantship duties.

 

When will I be notified of the outcome of my application to the Psychology M.Sc. program?

Assessment of applications by Psychology faculty will begin once the program application deadline has passed. M.Sc. Psychology application files are assessed during the months of February and March. Interviews of short-listed applicants normally begin once applications have been reviewed. The first round of offers will be made once these interviews are completed, usually by the end of March. Applicants must respond to an offer by April 15th. If applicants decline offers of acceptance, the pool of applications may be revisited and a second round of offers will be sent out, usually by mid-May.