Degree options and specializations

Understanding your degree requirements

The Undergraduate Studies Academic Calendar is the official resource for degree, program, and plan level requirements for students at the University of Waterloo. Take the time to familiarize yourself with it and understand your requirements. The information provided on this page is supplementary to the total requirements outlined in the calendar. Students are ultimately responsible for understanding and meeting their academic requirements.

Students can find the calendar requirements for the year they were admitted on the list of undergraduate studies archived calendars. Please note that our program requirements differ depending on your year of admission to the University of Waterloo, and the year that you were admitted to the Psychology major. If you are unsure what calendar requirements you are following, please consult the Psychology Undergraduate Advisor.

Faculty of Arts (BA) Psychology Programs

Three-Year General Psychology

Features of Three-Year General Psychology

PSYCH 291 (Research Methods) and PSYCH 292 (Basic Data Analysis, required courses for every Psychology plan, will introduce you to the scientific methods for understanding mind and behaviour.

The remaining Psychology courses provide a general overview of the body of knowledge that currently exists in the diverse and exciting field of Psychology.

A Three-Year General Bachelor of Arts in Psychology is usually not sufficient for admission to graduate studies in Psychology. However, a Three-Year General degree can provide opportunities to advance into career focused / post-graduate programs designed for those who have completed a Bachelor's degree.

Notes:

PSYCH 291 and PSYCH 292 must be completed in Year Two (2A/2B).

Normally, the Discipline Core courses are completed by the end of Year Two.

Students who have not successfully completed Math 4U (grade 12 university level), or a Grade 12 Math course in a province other than Ontario, or an approved equivalent will be required to take MATH 103 concurrently with PSYCH 291. For those required to take MATH 103, it counts as an "unspecified elective" toward the degree requirements.

Four-Year General Psychology

Features of Four-Year General Psychology

PSYCH 291 (Research Methods) and PSYCH 292 (Basic Data Analysis, required courses for every Psychology plan, will introduce you to the scientific methods for understanding mind and behaviour.

The remaining Psychology courses provide a general overview of the body of knowledge that currently exists in the diverse and exciting field of Psychology.

A Four-Year General Bachelor of Arts in Psychology is usually not sufficient for admission to graduate studies in Psychology. However, a Four-Year General majoring in Psychology will be of particular interest to those who require a Four-Year degree in order to pursue further studies that do not require an Honours degree for admission (e.g., admission to some Faculties of Education or post-degree / certification programs).

Notes:

PSYCH 291 and PSYCH 292 must be completed in Year Two (2A/2B).

At least five of the six Discipline Core courses must be completed by the end of Year Two.

Students who have not successfully completed Math 4U (grade 12 university level), or a Grade 12 Math course in a province other than Ontario, or an approved equivalent will be required to take MATH 103 concurrently with PSYCH 291. For those required to take MATH 103, it counts as an "unspecified elective" toward the degree requirements.

Honours Psychology (BA) - regular or co-op

Features of Honours Psychology (BA) (with/without ARBUS)

  • Please contact ARBUS advisor to discuss requirements for ARBUS
  • Available on a regular or co-op system of study.
  • Choose from a single Honours Major or an Honours Double major program.
  • Eligible for the Research Intensive Specialization.

PSYCH 291 (Research Methods) and PSYCH 292 (Basic Data Analysis, required courses for every Psychology plan, will introduce you to the scientific methods for understanding mind and behaviour.

Notes:

PSYCH 291 and PSYCH 292 must be completed in Year Two (2A/2B).

At least five of the six Discipline Core courses must be completed by the end of Year Two.

Students who have not successfully completed Math 4U (grade 12 university level), or a Grade 12 Math course in a province other than Ontario, or an approved equivalent will be required to take MATH 103 concurrently with PSYCH 291. For those required to take MATH 103, it counts as an "unspecified elective" toward the degree requirements.

For those doing an honours thesis (optional), PSYCH 499 A/B/C is worth 1.5 units and will count toward the five additional PSYCH courses to be taken at the 300-level or above requirement. See the Enrolment restrictions for PSYCH 499A.

Research Intensive Specialization (RI Spec)

Features of the Research Intensive Specialization

  • In-depth training in the analytic skills of experimental design.
  • Students address problems of human motivation, memory, social relations, communication, and many other human capacities and dispositions by translating them into solvable empirical problems. This also entails critical evaluation of the bases of claims about human abilities and inclinations.
  • Required courses include PSYCH 391 (Advanced Data Analysis), PSYCH 389 (Social Science Advanced Research Methods) and PSYCH 390 (Natural Science Advanced Research Methods), and PSYCH 492 which further expose students to advanced methods for analyzing, reviewing, and expanding upon data
  • Opportunities for experiential learningand to work one-on-one with faculty members through the capstone Honours Thesis course PSYCH 499A/B/C (optional)

Please note that the Research Intensive Specialization (RI Spec) is only available to students in the Honours Psychology (BA) / Honours Psychology, Arts and Business programs following the 2016/2017 or further calendar requirements. Honours Psychology (BSc) or Honours Psychology (BA) prior to 2016/2017 are not eligible to declare the specialization. This is because the required courses for the specialization are already a part of the Honours Psychology (BSc) or "Old" Honours Psychology programs.

In combination with the Honours Psychology (BA) plan-level requirements, students interested in pursuing the Research Intensive Specialization will be required to fulfil the following requirements:

  • A minimum Psychology major average of 75%.
  • Successful completion of four additional courses, for a total of 10 academic course units (20 courses) in Psychology:
  • Completion of a Research Seminar (PSYCH 420, 451-463, 485) instead of the PSYCH 470 requirement.

The process to declare the Research Intensive Specialization is through the Plan Modification form. If you are eligible to declare, please contact the Psychology Undergraduate Advisor.

Post-Degree Studies

This information is for students with an undergraduate or graduate degree from a recognized post-secondary institution who wish to take courses at Waterloo without earning a degree.

How To Apply

The application process will differ depending on if you are a returning UWaterloo student or an external applicant.

Do you have a UWaterloo degree of have already taken courses here before? If yes, you should submit an Application for Undergraduate Readmission. If not, you need to apply to Post-Degree Studies.

PSYCH course enrollment

Acceptance as a Post-Degree student does not guarantee a spot in courses. Students enrolled in a degree program have priority to enroll in PSYCH courses, and you will need to take the necessary steps to get into classes (e.g., find a supervisor if the course requires one, request an override etc).

Faculty of Science (BSc) Psychology Programs

Honours Psychology (BSc) - regular or co-op

Features of Honours Psychology, Bachelor of Science (BSc)

Honours Psychology (BSc) is particularly appropriate for students interested in cognitive neuroscience or cognitive psychology, or who plan to seek professional training in medicine, perhaps with specialization in neurology, psychiatry or pediatrics. A strong background in the 'natural science' areas of psychology would complement a student's preparation for research or graduate work in these fields of study.

  • Available on a regular or co-op system of study.
  • Choose from a single Honours Major or a Joint Honours major program.
  • PSYCH 291 (Research Methods) and PSYCH 292 (Basic Data Analysis, required courses for every Psychology plan, will introduce you to the scientific methods for understanding mind and behaviour.
  • Required courses such as PSYCH 391 (Advanced Data Analysis), PSYCH 389 (Social Science Advanced Research Methods) and PSYCH 390 (Natural Science Advanced Research Methods) further expose students to advanced methods for analyzing, reviewing, and expanding upon data.
  • Students address problems of human motivation, memory, social relations, communication, and many other human capacities and dispositions by translating them into solvable empirical problems. This also entails critical evaluation of the bases of claims about human abilities and inclinations.
  • Research Seminardiscussions covering topics in the forefront of the field of Psychology - PSYCH 420, 451-463.
  • PSYCH 492
  • Opportunities for experiential learningand to work one-on-one with faculty members through the capstone Honours Thesis course PSYCH 499A/B/C (optional)

Gain a broad perspective of psychological theory by taking courses from several areas in Psychology.

Develop distinctive skills including observation, numeric, analytic, computer, and written and oral communication.

Requirements for students admitted into Life Sciences in Fall 2021 (first year)

Requirements for students following the Fall 2018/2019/2020 calendar

Requirements for students following the Fall 2016/2017 calendar

Notes:

For Science requirement inquires, please contact the Faculty of Science Advisor.

PSYCH 291 and PSYCH 292 must be completed in Year Two (2A/2B).

At least four of the five Discipline Core (PSYCH 207, 211, 238 or 253, 257, 261) courses must be completed by the end of Year Two.

PSYCH 391 must be completed in Year Three. It is also a corequisite to PSYCH 389, 390, and the Research Seminars.

Normally, both PSYCH 389 and PSYCH 390 (Advanced Research Method courses) will be completed in Year Three.

For those doing an honours thesis (optional), PSYCH 499 A/B/C is worth 1.5 units and will count toward the 2.0 PSYCH elective units at the 300-400 level category. See the Enrolment restrictions for PSYCH 499A​.

Further notes can be found on the Honours Psychology (BSc) calendar page.

Joint Psychology

Science students who prefer not to take the first year Chemistry courses (CHEM 120/120L and CHEM 123/123L) or calculus courses (MATH 127/128) that are required for Honours Psychology (BSc) may enroll in Joint Psychology.

Joint Psychology students follow the same plan-level requirements as those in Honours Psychology (BA) and need 8.0 units of PSYCH courses.

Refer to Double/Joint Honours Psychology below for additional information about completing a Joint Honours major degree.

Any Faculty

Double/Joint Honours Psychology

A Double or Joint Honours degree allows students to study an Honours Majors in two different disciplines. Inside the Faculty of Arts, the term "Double Honours" is used for students pursuing two majors. Outside of the Faculty of Arts, this is referred to as a "Joint major." The requirements for both are the same.

Honours Psychology as the First major

The Psychology plan-level requirements for Double or Joint Honours Psychology are the same to those of Honours Psychology (BA).

Some students will find it necessary to delay the normal target for graduation (e.g., beyond 8 full-time school terms) in order to complete the requirements for Double or Joint Honours Psychology. Factors which potentially could affect the target for graduation include:

  • Course availability in the two majors for particular school terms.
  • Course time conflicts between required courses in the two majors.
  • System of study (e.g., regular versus co-op).
    • Those in co-op typically have greater challenges relating to course availability than those in the regular system of study.​​​
  • Delayed admission to Double or Joint Honours Psychology (e.g., can affect timing for taking required courses and corresponding requisites for enrolment).

Students whose first major is Psychology are not permitted to take antirequisite courses to PSYCH 291/292.

Honours Psychology as the Second major

The Psychology plan-level requirements for Double or Joint Honours Psychology are the same to those of Honours Psychology (BA).

Those not in the Faculty of Arts follow the degree requirements of their Faculty.

Those pursuing Honours Psychology as the second major (e.g., Honours Health Studies and Psychology) are not eligible for Psychology Departmental Co-op.

Double/Joint Honours students whose first major also has required research methods and statistics courses may be exempt from PSYCH 291 and PSYCH 292. However, students still need to take a minimum of 8.0 units of PSYCH courses to complete the Psychology plan-level requirements. This means that if you are exempt from PSYCH 291 or 292, you must replace those missing credits with two additional PSYCH courses at any level.

Students whose first major is Psychology are not permitted to take antirequisite courses to PSYCH 291/292.

Psychology Minor

The Psychology Minor is a fantastic option for those who want a general overview of the study of mind and behaviour.

Those who pursue a Psychology minor can take advantage of reserved space in PSYCH courses and priority on waiting lists for enrolment in PSYCH courses (when applicable).

Those interested should declare a Psychology Minor after successfully completing PSYCH 101/101R.

Declaring a Psychology Minor

Refer to the official policies of your home Faculty regarding enrolment in a Minor.

To add a Psychology Minor all of the following criteria must be met:

  1. satisfactory academic standing in the primary academic plan(s),
  2. successful completion of at least 4.0 academic units (at least level 2A),
  3. successful completion of PSYCH 101 or PSYCH 101R,
  4. cumulative Psychology course (PSYCH) average of at least 65%.

Submit a Plan Modification Form to the Psychology Minor advisor, Claudia Labahn, in PAS 3008. Forms can be submitted in person or via email to Claudia Labahn.

There is also a departmental drop box on the third floor of the PAS building, across from the elevator (3E waiting area).

Requirements as per the UG calendar (current)

Requirement checklist for the Psychology Minor (PDF)

Notes:

At least half (2.0 academic units) of the total number of psychology courses required (4.0 academic units) for the Psychology Minor must be successfully completed at the University of Waterloo on a numerical grading basis and the final grades for those courses must be included in the cumulative psychology average.

Please refer to your respective Faculty's policy on Double Counting courses.

BA or BSc Psychology programs prior to 2016

Questions?

Please contact the relevant Psychology advisor.