Psychology (Bachelor of Arts degree)

A Waterloo psychology degree student answers questions from prospective students

Get inside other peoples' heads.

Explore the frontiers of the mind. Examine human behaviour from a variety of perspectives, including neuroscience, cognition, clinical, developmental, industrial/organizational, and social psychology.

Then deepen your understanding with complementary courses in other subject areas, such as legal studies, sociology, biology, and health studies.

Want to customize your program even further? Work with one of our award-winning professors to design a directed studies course around your specific interest. Or get some work experience by enrolling in the co-op stream.

Our graduates are treating mental illnesses, improving approaches to education, and creating more satisfying workplaces everyday.

What courses will you take in Psychology (Arts)?

First-year courses

As an Arts student, you’ll choose your major at the end of first year. You’re encouraged to explore a second major in first year to discover potential new interests.

You will also take an Arts First course in either the fall or winter term of your first year. Instead of going to a lecture hall, you and your classmates will work together to respond to an intriguing challenge. With only 25 students in each of the two first-year courses, you might address topics such as The Science of Happiness, Are We Erasing History?, Games and Culture, and Writing About Poems and Songs.

You can choose to study Psychology (Bachelor of Arts) through Honours Arts or Honours Arts and Business.

Honours Arts

September to December

  • PSYCH 101 – Introductory Psychology
  • Arts First requirement or elective
  • Prospective major #2
  • Two electives

January to April

  • Choose one course from
  • Arts First requirement or elective
  • Prospective major #2
  • Two electives

Honours Arts and Business

September to December

  • ARBUS 101 – Introduction to Business in North America
  • ECON 101 – Introduction to Microeconomics
  • Arts First Requirement or elective
  • PSYCH 101 – Introductory Psychology
  • Prospective major #2

January to April

  • ARBUS 102 – Accounting Information for Managers
  • ARBUS 202 – Professional and Business Ethics
  • Arts First Requirement or elective
  • Prospective major #2

Plus one course from

This is a sample schedule. Courses or when a course is offered may change depending on availability.

After first year

At least 40% of the classes you’ll take will be Psychology courses. With your remaining classes, you can choose electives from many of the 100 subject areas at Waterloo.

Sample upper-year courses

PSYCH 230 – Psychology and Law
PSYCH 317 – Child Psychopathology
PSYCH 307 – Human Neuropsychology
PSYCH 459 – Human Seminar - Close Relationships

Customize your degree

The optional Research Intensive specialization provides in-depth training in experimental design. You'll learn to address problems of human motivation, memory, social relations, communication, and many other human capacities by translating them into solvable problems.

You can also include one or more of the minors available to all Waterloo students. Popular choices for Psychology majors include Human Resource Management; Cognitive Science; Legal Studies; Economics; and Sexuality, Marriage, and Family Studies.

Faculty:
Faculty of Arts

Degree:
Bachelor of Arts in Psychology

Available as a co-op program?
Yes

Available as a regular program?
Yes

Available as a minor?
Yes

Serious experience. At Waterloo, you’ll get to conduct hands-on research in our state-of-the-art labs. Take advantage of EEG machines, eye-tracking equipment, virtual reality rigs, and more.

Learn from the best. Waterloo’s internationally renowned Psychology program consistently rates among the best in Canada.

Co-op = relevant paid work experience

Waterloo's co-op program, the largest in North America, is an amazing way to explore potential careers, learn to interview for jobs, graduate with up to two years of valuable experience —and make money!

Sample co-op job titles

  • Research assistant
  • Marketing and communications assistant
  • Policy and research assistant
  • Resource management coordinator
  • Human resource assistant
  • Junior user experience designer
  • Teaching assistant
  • Sustainability intern

Co-op work-study sequence

Starting in second year, you'll normally alternate between school and work every four months, integrating your classroom learning with real-world experience. You can return to the same employer for a couple of work terms to gain greater knowledge and responsibility or work for different employers to get a broad range of experience.

If you choose to study Psychology through Honours Arts and Business, your first work term will be halfway through second year (January to April 2027).

Year September to December (Fall) January to April (Winter) May to August (Spring)
First Study Study Off
Second Study Co-op Study
Third Co-op Study Co-op
Fourth Study Co-op Co-op
Fifth Study Study -

or after second year (which can be May to August 2027), if you choose Honours Arts

Year September to December (Fall) January to April (Winter) May to August (Spring)
First Study Study Off
Second Study Study Co-op
Third Study Co-op Study
Fourth Co-op Study Co-op
Fifth Co-op Study -

Learn more about co-op →

What can you do with a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology degree?

Graduates find a wide variety of career opportunities in areas such as counselling, various branches of therapy, mental health services, human relations, public education, speech pathology, research, education, and more.

Recent graduates

  • Teacher, Autism Spectrum Disorders Team - Kerry's Place Autism Services
  • Protection Support Worker - Children's Aid Society
  • Psychologist - Community Health Centre
  • Human Performance Manager - Bruce Power
  • Customer Implementation Specialist - MappedIn
  • Human Resource Generalist - ATS Automation Tooling Systems
  • Therapist - Surrey Place Centre

Learn about the future of careers in arts, humanities, social sciences, languages, and creative arts.

Hear from some recent graduates

Rahim Thawer (BA '08) talks about different courses in the program and how it lead to a career path. Hear more about what you can learn from a Psychology degree.

Tuition fees for programs in the Faculty of Arts

First-year tuition

Type of fees Tuition (8 months of school)
Domestic (Ontario residents) $9,000
Domestic (Out of province students) $9,000
International (visa students) $57,000
 
  • Estimated amounts listed include incidental fees. Fees based on 2024-25 tuition rates.
  • Visit our financing page to learn about scholarships, estimate your total expenses, and see how co-op can help pay for your education.
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Admission requirements

Ontario students: six Grade 12 U and/or M courses including

  • Any Grade 12 U English (minimum final grade of at least 70%)

Mathematics of Data Management is recommended.

Admission average: Low 80s (co-op and regular)

How to apply?

Apply to Honours Arts or Honours Arts and Business and choose Psychology as your major at the end of first year.

After applying you may choose to co-register through Renison University College or St. Jerome's University, both located on Waterloo's campus. You'll earn a Waterloo degree but have a smaller community as your home base.

Not studying in Ontario? Search our admission requirements for Honours Arts or Honours Arts and Business.

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Questions about courses, programs, requirements, careers?

From the Missing Manual

A double major in psychology and social development studies (SDS), Abby wasn’t afraid to say “yes” to an opportunity that helped her grow as a person. Read our article on...