¶¡ÏãÔ°AV

Psychology Undergraduate FAQs

Declaration and Academic Requirements

I applied for admission to ¶¡ÏãÔ°AV as a psychology major.  Do I still need to contact a psychology advisor?

Plan designations made on your ¶¡ÏãÔ°AV application form are ‘intentions’ only. As students are not automatically declared into Psychology programs, you must declare a psychology plan by contacting the Undergraduate Advisor after you have commenced studies at ¶¡ÏãÔ°AV.

How do I declare into a Psychology plan?

We declare students via the declaration form here. 

• You can declare into the PSYC Minor when PSYC100, PSYC102 and PSYC201 (C or better) are complete.
• You can declare into the PSYC Extended Minor, Joint Major and Majors when PSYC100, PSYC102, PSYC201 (C or better) and PSYC210 are complete.  Only PSYC201 has a grade requirement. 

NOTE - If you're waiting to declare into the PSYC Extended Minor, Joint Major or Major (PSYC210 currently incomplete) but have PSYC 100, 102 and 201* complete (*with a C or better), we recommend declaring into the Minor first and then switching to a Major. The reason why we recommend declaring into the Minor first is that upper division psychology courses are reserved for students declared in a psychology plan (eg. minor, major) until the beginning of the open enrollment period.

Finally, please note the deadlines for declaration are March 1 (Summer), July 1 (Fall) and November 1 (Spring). 

Do I need to take PSYC 201W if I have PSYC201?

No. You do not need to retake PSYC201W if you have transfer credit for PSYC 201 (C or better). For prerequisite and declaration purposes, they are the same.

May I use a course from another Department toward my requirements for my Psychology program?

No. The Department of Psychology does not allow courses from other departments to be used towards psychology plan requirements.

The requirements for my program changed this year. How do I know which requirements apply to me?

You would follow the requirements for the term you declared. If you want to follow the new requirements, you can contact us to update your declaration term. The ability to use requirements from the term you declared is limited to 6 years. More information on Requirment Terms can be found here. 

Course Repeats

How many repeat courses may I complete at ¶¡ÏãÔ°AV?

You are permitted a total of five repeats at ¶¡ÏãÔ°AV, and you may repeat a specific course only once.  Our department does not grant exceptions to this university policy.  Repeats taken at other institutions before arriving at ¶¡ÏãÔ°AV are not counted, however if you repeat a course at ¶¡ÏãÔ°AV which you already took elsewhere that does count as a repeat.  The course repeat policy can be found 

If I Repeat a course, how are my GPAs calculated?

The higher mark is used to calculate your GPAs. The other mark remains on the transcript, but is not calculated in GPAs. Note that a mark from another institution cannot replace an ¶¡ÏãÔ°AV grade.  The policy can be found .

Registrations and Withdrawals

If a course is full, is there a wait list?

The Psychology Department activates waitlists when the course is full.

When can I register in upper division psychology courses?

Registration in upper division psychology courses is restricted.  Students who have declared a psychology plan (eg. minor, major) can register on their registration date.  Students who have not declared a psychology plan can register when open enrollment begins.

May I register for a course if I do not have the prerequisites?

Some courses do not allow for prerequisite waivers, please refer to the class notes. Students may request a prerequisite waiver from the instructor teaching the course.  If you have requested the waiver by email, please forward the professor’s email as well as your advising transcript to the Undergraduate Advisor.  All prerequisite waivers are entered into go¶¡ÏãÔ°AV on the open enrollment date.  A prerequisite waiver does not guarantee students a seat in the course.

How do I add a course, or swap a tutorial, during week 1 of classes?

All adds, drops, swaps etc. are done by the student via go¶¡ÏãÔ°AV.  For help with go¶¡ÏãÔ°AV, click . 

How do I add a course, or swap a tutorial, during week 2 or week 3 of classes?

If a space becomes available in Week 2 and if you have been attending classes, you should contact the course instructor to ask if you can be added to the course late.

If the instructor approves of your late enrollment, please forward the approval email and your Advising Transcript to the PSYC Advisors (psycadvs@sfu.ca). We will enroll students on a first come, first serve basis (unless the instructor states otherwise).

How do I add a course, or swap a tutorial, during week 4 of classes?

¶¡ÏãÔ°AV does not permit registrations after Week 3.

How can I drop a course?

Students may be able to drop a course on the go¶¡ÏãÔ°AV during the first few weeks of classes.  Students must consult the current Undergraduate Schedule for the course add/drop deadlines, refunds, penalties, and notations.  Information on withdrawal due to extenuating circumstances can be found here.

Can I enroll in two remote courses that have a time conflict?

Students must receive instructor permission from both instructors if they want to enrol in a PSYC or COGS course that has a schedule conflict with a course in which they’re already enrolled. Conflicts are typically caused by time of lectures, tutorials, or exams. To complete the time conflict form, click 

Please make note of the registration  and review information regarding remote classes (synchronous/asynchronous) here.

Transfer Credit

How many credits can I transfer?

Under a Bachelor of Arts, students can have a maximum of 60 transfer credits, including a maximum of 15 upper division credits.  Refer to the  for further information regarding transfer credit. 

How can I find out whether a course will transfer to ¶¡ÏãÔ°AV?

The  is an accurate source for evaluated coureswork taken at BC institutions. Students who have completed courses at universities or colleges outside of BC can contact ¶¡ÏãÔ°AVs in Student Services to ask whether and how a course has been articulated at ¶¡ÏãÔ°AV.  Students transferring courses to ¶¡ÏãÔ°AV should be prepared to submit the detailed course syllabus for each course they wish to transfer to ¶¡ÏãÔ°AV.

What does it mean if I received transfer credit labeled PSYC 2XX? PSYC 3XX?

If a course did not have the same content as a course at ¶¡ÏãÔ°AV, you may still be able to obtain transfer credit. PSYC 1XX or 2XX means you have been given lower division credit, and PSYC 3XX or 4XX means you have been given upper division credit in the Psychology Department.

What does it mean if I received transfer credit labeled GE 1XX?

GE is general credit.  The course did not map into a department at ¶¡ÏãÔ°AV, but you have nevertheless been given lower division credit towards your degree.

May I take a course at another institution if I am already registered or have completed courses at ¶¡ÏãÔ°AV?

Yes. If you want the credit to transfer back to ¶¡ÏãÔ°AV, you must apply for a  before taking the course.  A Letter of Permission may take 6 to 8 weeks to process.  Many schools require that you have an approved Letter of Permission prior to allowing you to register at their school.  

Appeals

How do I appeal a grade?

Before commencing an appeal, you must read the  related to grades and appeals.  Please be aware that if you request a grade appeal, your course work may receive the same grade, a lower grade or a higher grade after re-evaluation.

Briefly, the steps are:

    1. Discuss your concerns with the course instructor.

    2. If you feel that the grade was unfairly awarded, you may submit an appeal in writing to the Associate Chair, Undergraduate Studies, Psychology Department (psyc_undergrad_chair@sfu.ca).  You must submit all original marked assignments.

    3. If you feel the Department’s decision was inappropriate, you may submit an appeal in writing to the Dean, Faculty of Arts & Social Sciences.  The decision of the Dean is final, subject only to an appeal to Senate.

What if I feel I’ve been treated unfairly for any reason?

For concerns regarding grade appeals or any other matter, you may wish to contact the  or the for further assistance.

Graduation

How do I apply for graduation?

Students can apply for graduation via go¶¡ÏãÔ°AV. If you have withdrawn your application, or if it has been denied, you must re-apply online.   Please see  information and student .

You would apply for graduation in your final term, assuming completion of all programs/courses you're currently enrolled into. At the end of the term, your application will be reviewed.

You can see your graduation application status by reviewing the .

How do I complete an official graduation check?

For course planning/graduation checks, please complete the following steps:

    1. Compare your advising transcript with the checklists found on the PSYC website here. The advising transcript only counts completed courses. 
    2. If you are declared into your PSYC programs, the Academic Progress Report (APR) on go¶¡ÏãÔ°AV is a fairly accurate tool for most students. Use this tool to cross reference/cross-check/double-check with your transcript and checklist. The APR assumes completion of all enrolled courses.

After completing the two steps above, if you have additional questions, we are happy to see you. To make an appointment with us:

    â€¢ Please confirm you have completed steps 1 and 2
    â€¢ You can book an appointment via 

Elective Grade System

For information about the P/CR/NC Elective Grade System, please refer to the general FAQ here.

If I am an intended or declared PSYC Minor, Joint Major, Major, or Honours, can I use the P/CR/NC grading system for PSYC courses?

You can not choose this grading system for PSYC courses.

If you chose the EGS before Fall 2022, you are unaffected.

How will post-graduate and professional programs assess a grade of P, CR, or NC on my transcript?

Unfortunately, we do not know how post-graduate programs, including professional schools, will assess a "P, CR, or NC" grade on a transcript. You will receive academic credit for any course with a "P" and "CR" grade, but it will not count towards your GPA. You will not receive credit for any course with a "NC" grade, and it will not count towards your GPA.

As such, we highly recommend you check with the specific program that you are applying to.