Advisors: See Faculty of Science, academic advisors.
Continuing in Honours Psychology (BSc) regular and co-op, requires a cumulative average of at least 60% in Science subjects, a cumulative overall average of 60%, and a cumulative average of at least 75% in Psychology courses.
Successful completion of this program requires:
21.0 units that include the following:
- 1.0 MATH unit: MATH 127 and MATH 128
- 1.0 BIOL unit at 100- or 200-level (exclusive of BIOL 101, BIOL 225, and BIOL 280) plus any associated labs
- 1.5 CHEM units: CHEM 120, CHEM 120L, CHEM 123, CHEM 123L
- 5.5 Science elective units that include:
- no more than 2.0 SCI-labelled units
- no more than 1.5 lecture units at the first-year level (i.e., courses other than the Year One BIOL and CHEM)
- no more than 1.5 lab units, inclusive of first year BIOL lab units
- at least 2.0 units at the 300- or 400-level, exclusive of SCI units
- 9.0 PSYCH units distributed as follows:
- 5.5 PSYCH units: PSYCH 101/PSYCH 101R, PSYCH 207, PSYCH 211, PSYCH 257/PSYCH 257R, PSYCH 261, PSYCH 291, PSYCH 292, PSYCH 389, PSYCH 390, PSYCH 391, and PSYCH 492
- 0.5 PSYCH unit chosen from: PSYCH 238 or PSYCH 253/PSYCH 253R
- 0.5 PSYCH unit chosen from: PSYCH 420, PSYCH 451, PSYCH 453, PSYCH 454, PSYCH 455, PSYCH 457, PSYCH 458, PSYCH 459, PSYCH 461, PSYCH 462, PSYCH 463, or PSYCH 485
- 2.0 PSYCH elective units at the 300- or 400-level
- 0.5 PSYCH elective unit at any level
- 0.5 ENGL unit: ENGL 193/SPCOM 193
- 2.5 elective units
Additional Program Requirements:
Students in the co-op program must also complete the co-operative education requirements which include:
Notes
- Science electives include BIOL, CHEM, EARTH, MNS, PHYS, or SCI labelled courses.
- Students should note that Year One Physics is a prerequisite for some professional or graduate programs and is relevant to material covered in some professional and graduate admission tests (e.g., Medical College Admission Test (MCAT), Optometry Admission Test (OAT)). Some upper-year, non-Physics courses, require completion of one or more first year Physics courses, including:
- PSYCH 291 and PSYCH 292 must be completed in Year Two.
- PSYCH 391 must be completed in Year Three (fall).
- PSYCH 211, PSYCH 257/PSYCH 257R, and one of PSYCH 238 or PSYCH 253/PSYCH 253R must be completed before taking PSYCH 389 and PSYCH 391.
- PSYCH 207, PSYCH 211, and PSYCH 261 must be completed before taking PSYCH 390.
- Normally, both PSYCH 389 and PSYCH 390 (Advanced Research Method courses) will be completed in Year Three.
- Typically only one section of PSYCH 390 is offered in the spring term and priority enrolment that term is given to those in the co-op system of study.
- Normally PSYCH 492 is only offered in the winter term.
- Psychology courses are offered by the Faculty of Arts.
- Students considering applying to professional or graduate programs should ensure that they have the appropriate labs associated with courses needed for admission.
- Transfer students should note the transfer credit maximums listed on the Faculty of Science Admission page, and at least half of the PSYCH courses must be taken at the University of Waterloo with a numeric grade.
- Refer to the Psychology Programs section on the Psychology undergraduate website for further course sequence information and class enrolment instructions.
Honours Thesis
The Honours Thesis (PSYCH 499A/PSYCH 499B/PSYCH 499C) course (1.5 units) is optional but recommended for students who:
- are considering graduate or professional programs that may require a completed honours thesis for admission, or
- have a strong interest in, and commitment to, conducting original research.
The Honours Thesis will count for three of the four PSYCH electives required at the 300-level or above. Please consult the Honours Thesis Handbook (course outline for PSYCH 499) on the Psychology Undergraduate website for further details regarding PSYCH 499A, PSYCH 499B, and PSYCH 499C.
Recommended Course Sequence for Regular and Co-op
Year One
Two 100- or 200-level courses in BIOL and any related labs (exclusive of BIOL 101, BIOL 225, and BIOL 280)
CHEM 120 Physical and Chemical Properties of Matter
CHEM 120L Chemical Reaction Laboratory 1
CHEM 123 Chemical Reactions, Equilibria and Kinetics
CHEM 123L Chemical Reaction Laboratory 2
MATH 127 Calculus 1 for the Sciences
MATH 128 Calculus 2 for the Sciences
PSYCH 101/PSYCH 101R Introductory Psychology
One of ENGL 193/SPCOM 193 Communication in the Sciences
One elective (0.5 unit)
One of:
PSYCH 207 Cognitive Processes
PSYCH 211 Developmental Psychology
PSYCH 238 Organizational Behaviour
PSYCH 253/PSYCH 253R Social Psychology
PSYCH 257/PSYCH 257R Psychopathology
PSYCH 261 Physiological Psychology
Year Two
PSYCH 291 Basic Research Methods (fall)
PSYCH 292 Basic Data Analysis (winter)
Two of PSYCH 207, PSYCH 211, PSYCH 257/PSYCH 257R, PSYCH 261
One of PSYCH 238 or PSYCH 253/PSYCH 253R
Science electives (2.0 to 2.5 units) Note the 5.5 additional Faculty of Science unit requirements
One elective (0.5 unit)
Year Three
One of PSYCH 207, PSYCH 211, PSYCH 238, PSYCH 253/PSYCH 253R, PSYCH 257/PSYCH 257R, or PSYCH 261
PSYCH 389 Social Science Advanced Research Methods Topics (fall)
PSYCH 390 Natural Science Advanced Research Methods Topics (winter if regular, spring if coop)
PSYCH 391 Advanced Data Analysis (fall)
Two PSYCH electives at the 300- or 400-level (1.0 unit)
Science electives (1.5 to 2.0 units) Note the 5.5 additional Faculty of Science unit requirement
One elective (0.5 unit)
Year Four
PSYCH 492 Psychological Measurement: Foundations of Research and Practice (winter)
Two PSYCH electives at the 300- or 400-level (1.0 unit)
One PSYCH elective at any level (0.5 unit)
One honours seminar in PSYCH from PSYCH 420, PSYCH 451, PSYCH 453, PSYCH 454, PSYCH 455, PSYCH 457, PSYCH 458, PSYCH 459, PSYCH 461, PSYCH 462, PSYCH 463, or PSYCH 485 (0.5 unit)
Science electives (1.5 units) Note the 5.5 additional Faculty of Science unit requirements
Two electives (1.0 unit)