Honours

Psychology Honours

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What is the Psychology Honours Program?An Honours degree provides a more extensive exposure to the knowledge and practice of the discipline. In addition to the core courses required to obtain a BA in Psychology, Honours students take several psychology courses that non-Honours students do not. Honours students will also complete an Honours thesis. The thesis provides an opportunity for the student to engage in research within a specific area of Psychology, apply the statistical and research methods skills they have acquired in previous courses, and provides the student with the opportunity to write a formal research report under the direct supervision of her/his supervisor. Completion of an Honours degree indicates that you have engaged in some form of independent learning, under the guidance of a Psychology faculty supervisor, over and above that required by regular degree-related course work.
Admission to the Honours ProgramIf you are considering an Honours Degree in Psychology, it is important to understand the application process and the admission criteria. Information specific to the BA Honours Degree in Psychology is presented in the Psychology Honours Handbook. It contains a detailed description of the application process, and other information for Honours students. If you are interested in the Psychology Honours program, most of the information you need is in this document.

If you would like to apply for the Honours Program, please apply between April 1st and May 1st.
Summary of the Requirements of an Honours Degree in Psychology

A) To be accepted into the Psychology Honours Program, students must have:

  1. completed PSYC 4412 Advanced Statistical Methods for Psychology - minimum B grade
  2. completed PSYC 4413 Research Methods II - minimum B grade
  3. achieved a minimum GPA of 3.5 across all the 2000, 3000 and 4000-level psychology courses taken, including psychology courses transferred from other institutions (or permission of the Psychology Honours Committee, if external circumstances exist)
  4. met the Faculty of Arts Criteria as described in the current Academic Calendar
  5. secured a qualified faculty supervisor by May 15. No student will be accepted into the Honours Program without a faculty supervisor.  You will need to fill out a Student-Supervisor Agreement, which can be found here.

B) In addition to satisfying the course requirements of the BA Psychology degree, and completing the above courses, to graduate with an Honours Degree in Psychology, students must:

i) complete the following courses:

  1. PSYC 5110: Honours Thesis I (taken during the Honours year)
  2. PSYC 5120: Honours Thesis II (taken during the Honours year)
  3. complete ONE of the following courses sometime during their degree:
    PSYC 3305: History of Psychology
    PSYC 4405: Psychometrics
    PSYC 4410: Introduction to Qualitative Research Methods for Psychology
    * Note: These courses are numbered among the Psychology courses taken to complete the BA in Psychology, so the total number of Psychology courses taken should not exceed 24, the maximum number of Psychology courses permitted in the BA Psychology program.

ii) complete four 4000 level courses, two of which include PSYC 4412 and PSYC 4413 (PSYC 4412 and 4413 must be completed prior to being accepted into the Honours Program, with a B grade)

iii) achieve a minimum average GPA of 3.5 in their 2000, 3000, and 4000 level Psychology courses. Any student who fails to maintain this minimum will lose their place in the Psychology Honours program, and they will revert to the Majors stream for their BA program.
Questions?If you have any questions please contact the Chair of the Psychology Department Honours Committee:
Dr. Carrie Scherzer
Email: cscherzer@mtroyal.ca