Canada’s rich cultural diversity and strong economy make it an attractive destination for students looking to earn their psychology degree. In this guide, we’ll take a look at the different types of programs available in Canada, starting with undergraduate degrees and then moving on to graduate-level programs. We’ll also give you tips on what to look out for as you’re planning your path through college or university—and explain why Canada is such a great place to study psychology!
Psychology Schools In Canada
Bachelor of Science in Clinical Psychology
A Bachelor of Science in Clinical Psychology is a four-year program that provides training in psychology, develops your clinical skills and prepares you to work as a mental health professional. The curriculum includes courses in clinical psychology, counselling, research methods and statistics.
The University of Toronto offers its BSc Clinical Psychology program at both the Mississauga and Scarborough campuses. If you are interested in working with children or youth, this school has specialized programs that focus on child development or youth behaviour problems (YBPS). The UBC ranked second among Canadian universities for reputation by Times Higher Education World Reputation Rankings 2018 ranking universities worldwide according to their influence on global affairs.
This school offers an Honours degree program leading to an honours baccalaureate degree with specializations available in cognitive neuroscience; developmental psychology; educational psychology; industrial/organizational psychology; neuropsychology/clinical neuropsychology; personality theory & assessment/personality disorders; psychological assessment & evaluation methods; psychometrics/quantitative research methods & psychotherapy process & outcome evaluation methods
Master of Arts in Psychology
The MA in Psychology is a research degree that prepares students for careers in academia, industry or government. Students must complete a thesis project, which serves to integrate their coursework with their independent research project.
The MA in Psychology is offered at several Canadian universities. The University of Waterloo (Ontario), Simon Fraser University (British Columbia) and the University of Alberta (Alberta) offer this program on a full-time basis only. Queen’s University (Ontario) and the University of Ottawa (Ontario) offer the MA in Psychology on a part-time basis only.
Master of Arts in Counseling Psychology
Master of Arts in Counseling Psychology
This program is a one-year full-time master’s degree program. It is offered at the University of Toronto and Ryerson University, both located in Toronto, Ontario. The tuition for this program is $6,000 per year with additional fees for books and materials.
The admissions requirements include having a minimum GPA of 3.0 from undergraduate studies and completing an application form available on the university website or at their office location. Applicants are expected to demonstrate excellent communication skills as well as some leadership abilities through extracurricular activities such as volunteering or participating in student organizations. They also require one reference letter from someone who can speak about your character and motivation towards pursuing psychology degrees followed by an interview process if they deem you suitable for admission into their programs (Ryerson University).
Master of Arts in Educational Psychology
The Master of Arts in Educational Psychology is a two-year program that prepares graduates to work as educational psychologists. The MA in Ed Psych is designed for students who want to pursue careers in the field of education and work with children, adolescents and their families. Educational psychology is the study of how people learn and the application of this knowledge to educational settings.
The MAEd curriculum covers topics such as:
- Learning theories
- Human development from childhood through adolescence
- Human learning disabilities (e.g., dyslexia)
Doctorate in Psychology (Psy.D)
A Doctorate in Psychology (Psy.D) is a professional degree that requires a master’s degree as a prerequisite. Typically, it takes 2-3 years to complete the doctoral program and is awarded by a university or other institution of higher learning.
The PsyD program generally consists of four years of coursework and clinical training; however, some programs offer an accelerated option that may shorten the program by up to one academic year. The first two years are devoted to coursework while the third year is spent primarily on clinical training at an internship site (often referred to as “fieldwork”) under supervision by faculty members who are licensed psychologists. In some cases, students may be able to complete their entire PsyD during this third year with additional course requirements during subsequent summers or winter sessions at the beginning of their fourth year.
Master of Arts in School/Applied Child Psychology
The Master of Arts in School/Applied Child Psychology program prepares students to work with children who have a range of difficulties and disorders. These include attention deficit disorder, speech and language impairments, learning disabilities, autism spectrum disorder (ASD), developmental delays and challenging behaviours.
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This program is designed for individuals who hold a bachelor’s degree in psychology or a related field such as education or social work and wish to pursue careers as school psychologists. It is also suited for those who already have experience working with children but would like to upgrade their knowledge base. The MA School/Applied Child Psychology program is offered by the Department of Educational Psychology at the University of British Columbia Okanagan campus.
Canada offers several psychology programs.
In Canada, you can choose from a variety of psychology programs. Here are some of the most popular:
- McGill University offers an undergraduate degree in psychology that takes four years to complete. Students can select from one of eight specializations, including clinical mental health and cognitive neuroscience. The program also requires students to complete a research project during their final year.
- The University of Alberta has both an undergraduate and graduate degree program in psychology that take four years to complete each (a total of eight years). Students may select from three specializations: social psychology; developmental psychopathology; or health-related research methods and statistics.
- Simon Fraser University’s School for Interdisciplinary Studies offers several bachelor’s degrees in different areas within the field — for example, human development or biology — but does not have any traditional bachelor’s degrees specifically in psychology itself. However, SFU does offer minors in individual subjects related to the field such as abnormal behavior or child development; these take between two-and-three quarters (two years) or three quarters (one year) depending on how many courses they include
Closing
The above are only a few of the psychology programs offered in Canada. The number and variety of these degrees is constantly increasing, so it’s important to stay up-to-date on program offerings as well as how they compare with those available abroad. If interested in pursuing graduate studies at an institution outside of North America, consider contacting your preferred university directly for more information about their admission process, tuition fees, etcetera.