Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) in Psychology

The program information below was valid for the spring 2017 term (May 1, 2017 - August 31, 2017). This is the archived version; the most up-to-date program information is available through the current Graduate Studies Academic Calendar.

The Graduate Studies Academic Calendar is updated 3 times per year, at the start of each academic term (January 1, May 1, September 1). Graduate Studies Academic Calendars from previous terms can be found in the archives.

Students are responsible for reviewing the general information and regulations section of the Graduate Studies Academic Calendar.

Fields (areas of research)

  • Clinical Psychology
  • Cognitive Neuroscience
  • Cognitive Psychology
  • Developmental Psychology
  • Industrial/Organizational Psychology
  • Social Psychology

Program information

  • Admit term(s) 
    • Fall
  • Delivery mode 
    • On-campus
  • Length of program 
    • The Department requires a minimum period of registration of 9 terms beyond an Honours Bachelor's degree or 6 terms beyond a Master's degree. While a PhD may be obtained within 9 terms of an Honours BA, a period of 12 to 18 terms is typical.
  • Program type 
    • Doctoral
    • Research
  • Registration option(s) 
    • Full-time
  • Study option(s) 
  • Additional program information 
    • Students admitted to the Clinical Psychology field (area of research) of the PhD program must supply a Criminal Record Check (Vulnerable Sector) to the Department of Psychology prior to being matriculated.

Admission requirements

  • Minimum requirements 
    • A 80% overall standing, or equivalent, in the last two years of study in the previous degree is the minimum requirement for admission.
    • Please note that in most areas a Master’s degree is not required for admission into the PhD program (the exception is Social Psychology and Clinical Psychology).
  • Application materials 
    • Graduate Record Examination (GRE)
    • Personal statement
    • Supplementary information form
    • Transcript(s)
  • References 
    • Number of references:  3
    • Type of references: 

      academic
  • English language proficiency (ELP) (if applicable)

Degree requirements

    Thesis option:

  • Graduate Academic Integrity Module (Graduate AIM)
  • Courses 
    • Students enrolled in the doctoral program must complete the Department's statistics requirements and comprehensive breadth requirements. The statistics requirements may be met by satisfactory performance in at least 1 of 2 core statistics courses: PSYCH 630 Advanced Analysis of Variance and PSYCH 632 Multiple Regression (or credit granted for evidence of a strong undergraduate statistics background) plus 1 additional
      statistics course. The additional course may be the remaining core statistics course or a different statistics course such as: PSYCH 800 Psychometric Theory & Structural Equation Modeling; PSYCH 801 Advanced Structural Equation Modeling; Psych 803 Statistical Reasoning & Advanced Experimental Analysis; PSCYH 804 Multi-Level Modeling Applications in Psychology.
    • To meet the Departmental breadth requirements, students will be required to take 4 one-term courses or their equivalent outside their areas/divisions. These courses must be taken in at least two different areas/divisions. For the purposes of this requirement
      the relevant areas are:
      • Clinical
      • Cognitive
      • Cognitive Neuroscience
      • Developmental
      • Industrial/Organizational
      • Quantitative Methods
      • Social
    • Extra departmental courses as well as transfer credits may also be considered. Usually no more than 2 one-term credits toward breadth requirements are granted from such sources.
    • To meet the Departmental core requirements, students will be required to take 6 courses in their area of research.
    • Below is a list of the programs fields (areas of research) and the required courses for each area:
    • Students specializing in Clinical Psychology must complete the following courses:
      • Year One
        • Coursework:
          • PSYCH 632 Multiple Regression
          • PSYCH 716 Adult Psychopathology
          • PSYCH 717 Psychological Assessment I
          • PSYCH 718 Psychological Assessment II
          • PSYCH 719 Ethics, Diversity, and Professional Issues in Clinical Psychology
          • Breadth Requirements
        • Clinical Practica:
          • PSYCH 720A Practicum in Interviewing & Cognitive Assessment I
          • PSYCH 720B Practicum in Interviewing & Cognitive Assessment II
          • PSYCH 721A Diagnostic Assessment Practicum I
          • PSYCH 721B Diagnostic Assessment Practicum II
          • PSYCH 722C Clinical Fieldwork Placement I
        • Research Activities:
          • PSYCH 621 1 Advanced Clinical Research Forum I
      • Year Two
        • Coursework:
          • PSYCH 723 Child Psychopathology and Psychotherapy
          • PSYCH 724 Personality and Measurement Theory
          • PSYCH 725 Cognitive Behaviour Therapy
          • Breadth Requirements
        • Clinical Practica:
          • PSYCH 726A Practicum in Integrated Assessment I
          • PSYCH 726B Practicum in Integrated Assessment II
          • Elective: PSYCH 738A, B, C Clinical Fieldwork Placement II (optional, by approval)
        • Research Activities:
          • PSYCH 621 2 Advanced Clinical Research Forum II
      • Year Three
        • Coursework:
          • PSYCH 727 Efficacy and Program Evaluation
          • PSYCH 728 Psychotherapy: Classical Roots & Contemporary Developments
          • Breadth Requirements
        • Clinical Practica:
          • PSYCH 729A, B, C Child and Adolescent Psychotherapy
            Practicum I, II, III
          • PSYCH 730A, B, C Adult Psychotherapy Practicum I, II, III
          • Elective: PSYCH 738A, B, C Clinical Fieldwork Placement II (optional, by approval)
        • Research Activities:
          • PSYCH 621 3 Advanced Clinical Research Forum III
      • Year Four
        • Coursework:
          • PSYCH 731 Emotion-Focused Therapy
          • Unfulfilled Breadth Requirements
        • Clinical Practica:
          • PSYCH 732A, B, C Child and Adolescent Psychotherapy Practicum I, II, III
          • PSYCH 733A, B, C Adult Psychotherapy Practicum I, II, III
          • Elective: PSYCH 737A, B, C Emotion-Focused Therapy Practicum
          • Elective: PSYCH 738A, B, C or PSYCH 739A, B, C Clinical Fieldwork Placement II (optional, by approval)
        • Research Activities:
          • PSYCH 621 4 Advanced Clinical Research Forum IV
      • Year Five (and beyond)
        • Clinical Practica:
          • PSYCH 734A, B, C Practicum in Supervision (required of all students)
          • PSYCH 735A, B, C Child and Adolescent Psychotherapy Practicum I, II, III
          • PSYCH 736A, B, C Adult Psychotherapy Practicum I, II, III
          • Elective: PSYCH 737A, B, C: Emotion-Focused Therapy Practicum
          • Elective: PSYCH 740A, B, C or PSYCH 741A, B, C or PSYCH 742A, B, C Senior Practicum II (optional, by approval)
    • Students specializing in Cognitive Neuroscience must complete the following 12 courses:
      • 1 mandatory statistics course: PSYCH 632 Multiple Regression
      • 1 other statistics and design course chosen from this list:
        • PSYCH 630 Advanced Analysis of Variance
        • PSYCH 800 Psychometric Theory & Structural Equation Modeling
        • PSYCH 801 Advanced Structural Equation Modeling
        • PSYCH 803 Meta-Analysis
        • PSYCH 804 Multi-Level Modeling Applications in Psychology
      • 1 Fundamentals of Cognitive Neuroscience: PSYCH 677A Fundamentals of Behavioural Neuroscience
      • 1 Human Neuroanatomy: PSYCH 784
      • 4 CNS core courses chosen from this list:
        • PSYCH 779A Cognitive Neuropsychology
        • PSYCH 781 Cognitive Neuroscience of Memory and Aging
        • PSYCH 782 Visual Neuroscience
        • PSYCH 783 Neuroimaging of Cognition
        • PSYCH 785 Attention and the Brain
        • PSYCH 788 Epidemiologic Methods in Aging Research
        • PSYCH 789 Mind Wandering and Inattention
        • PSYCH 790 Case Studies in Neuropsychology
        • PSYCH 791 Real and Virtual Spaces
        • PSYCH 792 Methods in Computational Neuroscience
        • PSYCH 794 Cognitive Neuroscience of Face Perception
      • 4 breadth courses from other research areas.
      • In addition, students must attend the weekly Cognitive Neuroscience seminar (PSYCH 707).
      • Note: it is expected that the Master’s thesis will be completed within the first two years in the program. The Master's degree will normally be required before studies for the doctorate have begun.
    • Students specializing in Cognitive Psychology must complete the following 12 courses:
      • 1 mandatory statistics course: PSYCH 630 Advanced Analysis of Variance
      • 1 other statistics course chosen from this list:
        • PSYCH 632 Multiple Regression
        • PSYCH 800 Psychometric Theory & Structural Equation Modeling
        • PSYCH 801 Advanced Structural Equation Modeling
      • 6 Cognition core courses chosen from this list:
        • PSYCH 758 Applied Practicum in Cognitive Psychology
        • PSYCH 759 Research Practicum in Cognitive Psychology
        • PSYCH 769 Causal Reasoning
        • PSYCH 770 Basic Issues in Cognition
        • PSYCH 771 Basic Visual Processes
        • PSYCH 774 Visual Cognition
        • PSYCH 775 Consciousness and Cognition
        • PSYCH 776 Problem Solving, Judgment and Decision Making
        • PSYCH 777 Human Memory
        • PSYCH 778 Attention
        • PSYCH 779 Language and Reading
        • PSYCH 650; Topic 2 Modelling Cognitive Processes
      • 4 breadth courses from outside of Cognition.
      • In addition, students must attend the weekly Cognitive Psychology seminar (PSYCH 747).
      • Note: normally students will be expected to have completed the Master’s thesis no later than the beginning of their fourth term in the program.
    • Students specializing in Developmental Psychology must complete a total of 12 courses:
      • 2 mandatory statistics courses from this list:
        • PSYCH 630 Advanced Analysis of Variance
        • PSYCH 632 Multiple Regression
        • PSYCH 800 Psychometric Theory & Structural Equation Modeling
        • PSYCH 801 Advanced Structural Equation Modeling
        • PSYCH 804 Multi-Level Modeling Applications in Psychology
      • 6 Developmental courses from this list:
        • PSYCH 680 Special Topics in Child Behaviour and Development
        • PSYCH 701 Foundations in Cognitive/Social Development: Basic
        • PSYCH 702 Foundations in Cognitive/Social Development: Social Cognitive Development
        • PSYCH 705 Foundations in Language Development: Basic Language Development
        • PSYCH 706 Foundations in Language Development: Pragmatics of Language
        • PSYCH 708 Reasoning about Ownership of Property
        • PSYCH 709 Reasoning about Beliefs and Desires
        • PSYCH 713 Theories of Pretence
      • 4 breadth courses from other research areas outside of Developmental.
      • In addition, students must attend the weekly Developmental seminar each term (PSYCH 710).
    • Students specializing in Industrial/Organizational Psychology must complete the following 12 courses:
      • 1 mandatory statistics course: PSYCH 632 Multiple Regression
      • 1 additional mandatory statistics course, e.g., PSYCH 630, PSYCH 800, PSYCH 801, PSYCH 804
      • 1 mandatory research methods course: PSYCH 887 Research Methods in Industrial/Organizational
      • 2 mandatory core I/O content courses:
        • PSYCH 875 Organizational Psychology
        • PSYCH 879 Personnel Selection
      • 3 I/O content courses. Some example offerings are:
        • PSYCH 877 Work Motivation
        • PSYCH 878 Job Performance
        • PSYCH 883 Organizational Development
        • PSYCH 876 The Psychology of Justice in the Workplace
        • PSYCH 886 Psychology of Training
        • PSYCH 888 Negotiation: Theory and Practice
      • 4 breadth courses from other research areas outside of I/O.
      • In addition, students must attend the weekly I/O seminar (PSYCH 885).
    • Students specializing in Social Psychology must complete the following 12 courses:
      • 2 mandatory statistics courses from this list:
        • PSYCH 630 Advanced Analysis of Variance
        • PSYCH 632 Multiple Regression
        • PSYCH 800 Psychometric Theory & Structural Equation Modeling
        • PSYCH 801 Advanced Structural Equation Modeling
        • PSYCH 804 Multi-Level Modeling Applications in Psychology
      • PSYCH 704A Social Psychology
      • 5 Social courses from the following list (PSYCH 690 Special Topics in Social and Personality):
        • Close Relationships
        • The Self
        • Stereotyping & Prejudice
        • Self-Regulation & Motivation
        • Cultural & Ethnic Conflict
        • Psych of Justice & Legitimacy
        • Conflict and Reconciliation
        • Personality in Social Context
        • Social Cognition
        • Social Judgement
        • Sources of Motivation
        • Moral Psychology
        • Cultural Psychology
      • 4 breadth courses from other research areas outside of Social.
      • In addition, students must attend the weekly Social seminar (PSYCH 714).
      • While many courses may be taken on a Cr/NCr basis, at least half the courses offered for a degree by the student must be graded.
  • Link(s) to courses
  • Academic Integrity Workshop
  • PhD Thesis
    • The Department requires a successful defense of the PhD Thesis.
Approved Doctoral Dissertation Supervisors (ADDS) list
Department of Psychology website
Discover Graduate Studies Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) in Psychology web page