"New" Honours BSc Requirements

"New" Honours Psychology (BSc) (regular system of study or departmental co-op)

The requirements below are for students admitted to the Faculty of Science Fall 2016 or later or students admitted prior to Fall 2016 who choose to opt into the new requirements.

Legend:

  • BSc = Bachelor of Science
  • 1.0 academic units = 2 terms courses worth .5 credit weights each
  • FAQ = frequently asked questions.

The official statement of degree requirements is in the undergraduate calendar. The information on this website is supplementary.

It is your responsibility to ascertain that all requirements for graduation have been met.

Notes about Psychology course enrolment:

Note: Please discuss any plans to deviate from the course sequence below with the Psychology Undergraduate Advisor. Completion of core courses such as PSYCH 291 and 292 are required to be completed in the year of admission to the Psych major.

Discipline core courses:

  • It is recommended to complete at least 4 discipline core content courses (PSYCH 207, 211, 257, 261, and either 238 or 253) before PSYCH 391. Plan to take the following:
    • Before 3A:
      • PSYCH 211
      • PSYCH 257
      • one of PSYCH 253 or 238
    • Before 3B:
      • PSYCH 207
      • PSYCH 261

PSYCH 291:

  • PSYCH 291 must be taken in the same calendar year as admission to the Psychology Major.
  • PSYCH 291 is only offered in the Fall term.

PSYCH 292:​

  • PSYCH 292 is only offered in the Winter term.

PSYCH 391:

  • See priority enrolment for PSYCH 391.
  • PSYCH 391 is offered fall and winter terms. However, we expect Psych majors (non-co-op) to take PSYCH 391 during the fall term.

Advanced Research courses (PSYCH 389 and 390):

  • See priority enrolment for  advanced research methods courses
  • PSYCH 389 is only offered in the Fall
  • PSYCH 390 is only offered Winter and Spring. Spring sections have priority enrolment for co-op students.

Senior Research Seminar courses:

  • See priority enrolment for research seminars.

    PSYCH 4XX transfer credits count towards the research seminar requirement.

PSYCH courses at the 300 level or above

PSYCH 492

  • PSYCH 492 will be offered once a year (next offering Winter 2017).

Courses such as PSYCH 291, 292, 391, 392 to 399, 420, 451 to 463 are not offered in the evening or online.

Other requirements

  • at least 19.0 of the 21.0 academic units for the degree must be lecture units
  • no more than 2.0 lab units allowed (i.e., no more than 8 lab courses worth .25 units each)
  • 75% cumlulative psychology average. See FAQs for information regarding the psychology average.
  • 60% cumulative overall average
  • 60% cumulative overall Science Faculty average.
  • Must satisfy the English Language Proficiency requirement (see the undergraduate calendar for details).
  • For those in the co-op system of study, see co-op requirements elsewhere on the Psychology Department website.

Residency requirements:

  • must not exceed the amount of allowable transfer credits (including internal and external transfer credits) and you must satisfy the residency requirements for the Faculty of Science.
  • must satisfy the residency requirements for the psychology Major dictated by the Faculty of Arts as well as the Psychology Department (see Psychology Department policies for details).

Double counting restrictions:

  • If psychology courses are needed for another program (e.g., Social Development Studies Minor), see the double counting restrictions in the undergraduate calendar and consult with each of your academic advisors.
  • 'Triple counting' is not allowed under any circumstances. This means that a single psychology course cannot be used to satisfy Psychology course requirements in more than 2 programs (e.g., Major plus 2 Minors).

General advice

Student success

Joint Honours Psychology

Psychology course load recommendations

Psychology course availability

  • If not doing an honours thesis (PSYCH 499A/B/C) you can substitute one of PSYCH 465 or PSYCH 467 either PSYCH 389 or 390 on condition that you take either PSYCH 389 or 390.
    • Note that PSYCH 465 and 467 are discontinued until further notice.
    • An application form is required for enrolment in PSYCH 465 (Applied Apprenticeship) or PSYCH 467 (Human Resources Apprenticeship), and those are only offered in the Winter term. The next offering of PSYCH 465 and 567 is unknown.
  • If you choose Science Faculty courses wisely, you should be able to include one of the Minors offered by the Faculty of Science (e.g,. Minor in Biology, Chemistry, Earth Sciences, or Physics) without having to take more than 21.0 units for the degree.
  • Psychology courses are offered by the Faculty of Arts. Therefore, final grades for psychology courses are not included in the cumulative overall Science average.
  • If considering professional programs (e.g., medical school) or graduate programs in science for the future, ensure that you have the appropriate first year and upper year labs associated with courses needed for admission.
  • Students should note that Year-One Physics is a pre-requisite for some professional or graduate programs and is relevant to material covered in some professional and graduate admission tests (e.g., MCAT, OAT). Some upper year, non-Physics courses, require completion of one or more first year Physics courses, including:

Downloadable requirement checklist

New Honours BSc Psych downloadable checklist (PDF)

Course sequence tips from the Faculty of Science

See the undergraduate calendar for the recommended course sequence.

Psychology course sequence tips

This is the recommended course sequence. If you're concerned about deviating from this sequence, please contact the Psychology Academic Advisor.

Year one (1A/1B):

  • PSYCH 101 (Fall)
  • 1 of the 6 discipline core content courses (Winter)

Year two (2A/2B):

  • PSYCH 291 (Offered Fall term only)
  • PSYCH 292 (Offered Winter term only)
  • 3 of the 6 discipline core content courses

If PSYCH 291 or PSYCH 292 cannot be taken in year 2 (e.g., late admission to the Psychology Major), see the supplementary course planning information.

Year three (3A/3B):

  • 1 of the 6 discipline core content courses
  • 1 PSYCH any level
  • 1 PSYCH at the 300-400 level
  • PSYCH 391:
    • Regular system of study: Strongly recommend that you take PSYCH 391 Fall term instead of the Winter term.
    • Honours BSc Psychology Co-op (Faculty of Science): You are required to take PSYCH 391 in the Fall 3A (year/level) term.
  • PSYCH 389
  • PSYCH 390

PSYCH 389, 390, and 492 cannot be taken before PSYCH 391. Must have at least 3 (preferably 4) of PSYCH 207, 211, 253, 257, 261 before PSYCH 391.

If PSYCH 391 cannot be taken in year 3 (e.g., late admission to the Psychology Major), see the supplementary course planning information.

Year four (4A/4B):

  • 3 PSYCH at the 300 or 400 level (or take PSYCH 499A/B/C)
  • 1 psychology research seminar
  • PSYCH 492
  • Note: the research seminar and PSYCH 492 can be taken in third year and cannot be taken before PSYCH 391.

Contacts

Contact a Psychology Advisor

The academic advisor for the Faculty of Science requirements is Stephen Woods.

Last updated: March 10, 2016