Graduate Studies and Postdoctoral Affairs (GSPA)
Needles Hall, second floor, room 2201
Program information
| Department/School | Psychology |
|---|---|
| Faculty | Faculty of Arts |
| Admit term(s) | Fall (September - December) |
| Application and document submission deadline(s) |
December 1 (for admission in September of the following year)* *NOTE: all relevant documents pertaining to your application must be uploaded by December 1. See the Department of Psychology - Application procedures page for detailed information. |
| Delivery mode | On-campus |
| Program type | Master's, Research |
| Length of program | 24 months |
| Registration option(s) | Full-time |
| Study option(s) | Thesis, Master's Research Paper |
| Research field(s) - Graduate research fields are used to better define a student’s research concentration* |
Clinical Psychology Cognitive Neuroscience Cognitive Psychology Developmental Psychology Social Psychology |
Watch the How to apply to Waterloo graduate studies video
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.
What does it take to get in?
Minimum admission requirements
- Normally an Honours Bachelor's degree or its equivalent in Psychology with at least a 80% overall standing, in the last two years, or equivalent.
- Completion of the Department of Psychology Application.
- Candidates applying to the Cognitive Neuroscience and Cognitive Psychology graduate research fields within the program may submit results from the Graduate Record Examination (Verbal, Quantitative, and Analytic scores), though this is not a requirement.
- Candidates with an Honours Bachelor's degree or equivalent preparation may be admitted to a Master's program or directly to a Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) program.
- Qualified candidates are admitted to either a MA or a PhD program (in which a Master's degree may be obtained along the way). The program to which candidates are admitted to varies by program Area (e.g., Clinical and Social applicants are typically accepted into an MA program, while Cognition, Cognitive Neuroscience, Developmental, and Industrial Organizational students are typically accepted to a PhD program). Candidates accepted to the MA program are expected to continue to a PhD program.
Supervisors
- Review the finding a supervisor resources
Application material
- Personal statement (Letter)
- 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 academic references are required
- Proof of English language proficiency, if applicable
- TOEFL 90 (writing 25, speaking 25), IELTS 7.0 (writing 6.5, speaking 6.5).
How much will it cost?
- Use the student budget calculator to estimate your cost and resources
- Visit the graduate program tuition page on the Finance website to determine the tuition and incidental fees per term for your program
- Review the study and living costs
- Review the funding graduate school resources for graduate students
What can you expect at Waterloo?
- 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 profiles of current graduate students to learn about their experience at Waterloo
- Check out Waterloo's institutional thesis repository - UWspace to see recent submissions from the Department of Psychology graduate students
- Check out the Waterloo campus and city tours
- Review the Department of Psychology website to see information about supervisors, research areas, news, and events
This program page is effective September 2023; it will be updated annually. Any changes to the program page following this date will be indicated with a notation. *Edited December 2023
We strive to provide you with the necessary information on each of our program pages. Was there something you found helpful? Was there anything missing? Share your thoughts.