Psychology, Anthropology and Sociology (PAS) Building on Waterloo's South Campus, across from Laurel Creek.
Dive into our PhD program and turn your curiosity in experimental psychology into groundbreaking research.
Work side-by-side with expert faculty, creating research that matters. Along the way, expand your knowledge and skills through diverse courses and projects and gain the skills needed to succeed in academia and industry.
Research areas and degree options
- Clinical: receive training in research and clinical practice for professional roles in clinical research, psychological assessment, clinical supervision, and more.
- Cognitive: investigate how the mind works and the mental processes that underlie how people acquire, store, transform, and communicate information.
- Cognitive neuroscience: combine the areas of brain science and cognitive psychology to map higher-level cognitive functions and investigate brain architecture and neuronal processing.
- Developmental: study the systematic change across the lifespan and focus on cognitive, social-cognitive, and language development in infancy and early childhood.
- Industrial-organizational: focus on the impact of government influences, consumer awareness, and the changing nature of the workforce on individuals and organizations.
- Social: examine social movements, injustice, racism, and cultural divides to highlight how social context and individual differences shape human behaviour.
Program overview
Department/School: Psychology
Faculty: Faculty of Arts
Admit term(s): Fall (September - December)
Delivery mode: On-campus
Program type: Doctoral, Research
Length of program: 48 months
Registration option(s): Full-time
Study option(s): Thesis
Application deadlines
- February 1 (international applicants)
- March 15 (domestic applicants)
Key contacts
Evan Risko
Associate Professor; Associate Chair Graduate Affairs
efrisko@uwaterloo.ca
Admission limitations
Due to funding restrictions, the Faculty of Arts is currently limiting the number of international students we can admit. Please contact the department's Associate Chair, Graduate Studies prior to applying to discuss your interest in this program.
I found the internship to be extremely valuable not only in a gaining perspective on how to apply the concepts that I learned in courses, but also because it gave me the opportunity to work in the HR department of a large organization. This experience helped me to gain perspective on my career path. I felt that I was able to make a contribution to the HR initiatives that I was involved with and I was treated as a valuable member of the HR department.
Supervisors
All students admitted to the Psychology PhD program must have a supervisor at the time of admission.
Review finding a supervisor resources to learn how to reach out to potential supervisors. While it is not required to reach out to potential supervisors prior to applying, it is strongly recommended to ensure that the faculty member you are interested in working with is accepting new students and your research interests align.
Admission requirements
- A four-year honour's Bachelor's degree with an overall 83% average from a Canadian university (or its equivalent)
- An interview and diagnostic test may be required
Degree requirements
- Review the degree requirements on the Graduate Studies Academic Calendar, including the courses that you can anticipate taking as part of completing the degree
- Check out Waterloo's institutional thesis repository - UWspace to see recent submissions from the Department of Psychology graduate students
Application materials
- Resume
- Supplementary information form (SIF)
The SIF contains questions specific to your program, typically about why you want to enrol and your experience in that field. Review the application documents web page for more information about this requirement
If a statement or letter is required by your program, review the writing your personal statement resources for helpful tips and tricks on completion - Transcript(s)
- References
Three references are required; academic or professional sources - Proof of English language proficiency, if applicable
TOEFL 90 (writing 25, speaking 25), IELTS 7.0 (writing 6.5, speaking 6.5)
Tuition and fees
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Visit the graduate program tuition page on the Finance website to determine the tuition and incidental fees per term for your program
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Review living costs and housing
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Review the funding graduate school resources for graduate students