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Psychology Honours
間眅埶AV Requirements
Students who wish to pursue this honours program are first admitted to the major program and, once certain course work and grade requirements are met, then the student may apply for admission to the honours program.
To apply to the honours program, students must complete the application form located at
Application deadline: May 1.
Note that applicants who meet the minimum admission requirements are not assured of program admission. 間眅埶AV decisions are based on the student’s academic record, potential, and suitability for the program as assessed by a review of the application.
To be admitted, students must complete
- PSYC 100-3 Introduction to Psychology I
- PSYC 102-3 Introduction to Psychology II
and must obtain a final course grade of C (2.0) or better in each of the following courses
- PSYC 201W-4 Introduction to Research Methods in Psychology
- PSYC 210-4 Introduction to Data Analysis in Psychology
Prior to application to the honours program, the student must be declared in a psychology major. In addition, the following is required.
- completion of 75 units with a minimum 3.33 cumulative grade point average (CGPA)
- a minimum 3.33 CGPA on all 間眅埶AV courses
- completion of a minimum of 15 PSYC units at 間眅埶AV with a minimum 3.0 grade point average (GPA)
- completion of PSYC 300 and 301, both with a grade of B or better
- attendance at an honours information session
- approval and signature of a psychology department faculty member to supervise the honours project
- approval of a brief research proposal
Grades Required
To remain in the honours program, the following is required.
- maintain a minimum 3.0 CGPA for all courses completed in each term
- maintain a minimum 3.0 CGPA for all psychology courses completed in each term
- attend the appropriate graduate area research seminar while enrolled in PSYC 490/499.
Students not meeting the requirements may be dropped from the program, but may apply for readmission at a later date.
Course Selection
Students should complete PSYC 100, 102 and 201 as soon as possible to gain better access to upper division PSYC courses. Students who plan to major in psychology should also complete PSYC 210 and 300 as soon as possible.
The department strongly recommends that students do not leave any of these required courses to the end of their degree. If a student is unable to obtain the required grade in these courses, he or she will not be able to graduate with a major in psychology.
To enrol in psychology courses, students are required to meet the prerequisites or special instructions that may be stipulated for each. The listed prerequisites indicate the minimal background expected by instructors. See for details.
The department reserves one hundred per cent of all 300 and 400 division PSYC courses for approved psychology major, minor or honours students. Those who are not approved cannot enrol in these upper division courses until the open enrolment date.
Program Requirements
Students complete 132 units, as specified below.
Lower Division Requirements
Students complete all of
Acquaints the student with the major issues in contemporary psychology and considers the historical antecedents. Special attention is given to questions of methodology and research design in psychology. Topics in physiological psychology, perception, learning and motivation are considered. Students with credit for PSYC 101 may not take PSYC 100 for further credit. Breadth-Social Sciences. Breadth-Social Sciences.
Acquaints the student with major issues in contemporary psychology and considers their historical antecedents. Topics in learning, cognition, social psychology and abnormal psychology are considered. Recommended: PSYC 100 is recommended but not required. Students with credit for PSYC 101 may not take PSYC 102 for further credit. Breadth-Social Sciences. Breadth-Social Sciences.
An introduction to the procedures used in psychological research, and to the logic underlying them. Topics include the strengths and weaknesses of different approaches to research, the formulation of testable questions, the control of extraneous influences, the measurement of effects, and the drawing of valid conclusions from empirical evidence. Provides a background for senior psychology courses since it offers a basis for the critical evaluation and conduct of research. Prerequisite: PSYC 100 or 102 (or PSYC 101). See the Letters of Permission section within the undergraduate Department of Psychology. Students with credit for PSYC 201 may not take this course for further credit. Writing/Quantitative.
Covers basic descriptive and inferential techniques most appropriately applied to the various forms of data from psychological research. Should be completed by majors and honors before the end of term 4. Prerequisite: PSYC 201 and BC high school Math 11 with a minimum grade of B-. See the Letters of Permission section within the undergraduate Department of Psychology. Quantitative.
and one course from the following group A courses
Introduction to the study of cognitive and perceptual processes. Topics include memory, perception, attention, language, mental imagery, creativity, judgment and decision-making, and an introduction to cognitive disorders such as Alzheimer's disease, dyslexia, aphasia and attention-deficit disorder. Prerequisite: PSYC 100 (or PSYC 101). Students with credit for PSYC 320 may not take PSYC 221 for further credit.
Surveys the major areas in biological psychology. Topics include the basics of neuroanatomy and nerve cell function, the behavioral and physiological effects of drugs and hormones in the nervous system, evolutionary perspectives on the brain and behavior, and the biopsychology of vision, the chemical senses, hearing, movement, biological rhythms, sex, and cognitive processes. Prerequisite: PSYC 100 (or 101). Recommended: BISC 101. Breadth-Science.
and one course from the following group B courses
Introduces students to the area of abnormal psychology. Topics include the definition and classification of pathological behavior, factors involved in the development of pathology, and evaluation of therapy outcome. Prerequisite: PSYC 102 (or 101). Students with credit for PSYC 340 may not take PSYC 241 for further credit.
Considers the psychological and physical aspects of human development from conception through middle childhood. Topics include social, emotional, language, cognitive, perceptual and physical development. Prerequisite: PSYC 102 (or 101). Students with credit for PSYC 350 or 351 may not take this course for further credit.
Examines methodology and content in social psychology. Topics include: attitudes and values; social perception and cognition; group behavior; social includence; prejudice, discrimination, and sexism; aggression; altruism, interpersonal attraction and interpersonal relationships. Prerequisite: PSYC 102 (or 101). Students with credit for PSYC 360 may not take PSYC 260 for further credit. Breadth-Social Sciences.
An introduction to the area of law and psychology. The role and influence of psychology in the legal system will be discussed. Topics include: social psychology and law, developmental psychology and law, juvenile justice, experimental psychology and law, mental disability and law. Prerequisite: PSYC 102 (or 101). Students with credit for PSYC 369 may not take this course for further credit.
and a minimum of one additional course from either group A or group B (see above).
* with a final course grade of C (2.0) or better
Upper Division Requirements
Students complete a minimum of 50 upper division units with a minimum psychology cumulative grade point average (CGPA) and psychology upper division CGPA of 3.0 (calculated on 間眅埶AV PSYC courses only). These units must include
Trains students to evaluate critically important issues from the main area of Psychology (e.g. Biological, Cognitive, Developmental, Law and Psychology, Social, Theory and Methods) and to communicate their ideas clearly in written form. The content may vary in different offerings of the course. Prerequisite: PSYC 201. Students with credit for PSYC 300 may not take this course for further credit. Writing.
A continuation of PSYC 201 and 210. Provides extensions of the basic theory and methods of research design and data analysis. Includes discussions of the analysis of substantive problems, the choice of appropriate research designs, and special problems that arise in the analysis of psychological data. Prerequisite: PSYC 201 and 210 and a minimum CGPA of 2.67. See the Letters of Permission section within the undergraduate Department of Psychology. Quantitative.
Examines the development of modern psychology from the founding of the first laboratories in the late 19th century to the present. The development and revisions of the major theoretical systems of psychology are examined from a comparative and critical perspective. Prerequisite: PSYC 201. Students with credit for PSYC 207 may not take this course for further credit.
An in-depth investigation of a topic in psychology, culminating in a critical literature review and the formulation of a research proposal. Prerequisite: PSYC 300 and 301, both with a minimum grade of 3.0.
The research proposed in PSYC 490 is executed and the results are written up in thesis format. Prerequisite: PSYC 490.
* required for program admission
** together comprise the honours project and are completed only after completion of 90 units, with at least 20 units in upper division psychology courses
Psychology and Statistics
A level of statistical sophistication is required before undertaking independent research or evaluating research of others.
The department offers several courses in research methodology and data analysis:
An introduction to the procedures used in psychological research, and to the logic underlying them. Topics include the strengths and weaknesses of different approaches to research, the formulation of testable questions, the control of extraneous influences, the measurement of effects, and the drawing of valid conclusions from empirical evidence. Provides a background for senior psychology courses since it offers a basis for the critical evaluation and conduct of research. Prerequisite: PSYC 100 or 102 (or PSYC 101). See the Letters of Permission section within the undergraduate Department of Psychology. Students with credit for PSYC 201 may not take this course for further credit. Writing/Quantitative.
Covers basic descriptive and inferential techniques most appropriately applied to the various forms of data from psychological research. Should be completed by majors and honors before the end of term 4. Prerequisite: PSYC 201 and BC high school Math 11 with a minimum grade of B-. See the Letters of Permission section within the undergraduate Department of Psychology. Quantitative.
A continuation of PSYC 201 and 210. Provides extensions of the basic theory and methods of research design and data analysis. Includes discussions of the analysis of substantive problems, the choice of appropriate research designs, and special problems that arise in the analysis of psychological data. Prerequisite: PSYC 201 and 210 and a minimum CGPA of 2.67. See the Letters of Permission section within the undergraduate Department of Psychology. Quantitative.
Reviews the basic logic of controlled experimentation, and focuses on analysis of variance designs commonly used in psychological research. Particular emphasis is given to the relative merits of the several designs when there are multiple research questions to be answered. Prerequisite: PSYC 201, 210, 301, 60 units, and a CGPA of 3.0. Quantitative.
Focuses on multivariate regression and correlation models. Deals with ways of answering questions when direct experimental manipulation is not feasible, and demonstrates the utility of the principles involved for solving problems other than those for which they were first proposed.. Prerequisite: PSYC 201, 210, 301, 60 units, and a CGPA of 3.0. Recommended: PSYC 410. Quantitative.
Students who have a special interest in more extensive statistical training to facilitate their work in psychology should also consider courses from STAT 270 and above, and in particular,
Basic laws of probability, sample distributions. Introduction to statistical inference and applications. Corequisite: MATH 152 or 155 or 158. Students wishing an intuitive appreciation of a broad range of statistical strategies may wish to take STAT 100 first. Quantitative. Prerequisite: COREQ-MATH 152 or 155 or 158. Students wishing an intuitive appreciation of a broad range of statistical strategies may wish to take STAT 100 first. Equivalent Courses: STAT102 STAT103 STAT201 STAT203 STAT301. Quantitative.
The standard techniques of multiple regression analysis, analysis of variance, and analysis of covariance, and their role in experimental research. Prerequisite: Any STAT course (except STAT 100), or BUEC 232, or ARCH 376. Statistics major and honors students may not use this course to satisfy the required number of elective units of upper division statistics. However, they may include the course to satisfy the total number of required units of upper division credit. Students cannot obtain credit for STAT 302 if they already have credit for STAT 305 and/or 350. Quantitative.
Review of probability and distributions. Multivariate distributions. Distributions of functions of random variables. Limiting distributions. Inference. Sufficient statistics for the exponential family. Maximum likelihood. Bayes estimation, Fisher information, limited distributions of MLEs. Likelihood ratio tests. Prerequisite: STAT 285 and MATH 251. Quantitative.
A practical introduction to useful sampling techniques and intermediate level experimental designs. Statistics minor, major and honors students may not use this course to satisfy the required number of elective units of upper division Statistics. However, they may include the course to satisfy the total number of required units of upper division credit. Intended to be particularly accessible to students who are not specializing in Statistics. Prerequisite: STAT 302, 305 or 350. Students with credit for STAT 410 or 430 may not take STAT 403 for further credit. Quantitative.
An introduction to the major sample survey designs and their mathematical justification. Associated statistical analyses. Prerequisite: STAT 350. Quantitative.
An extension of the designs discussed in STAT 350 to include more than one blocking variable, incomplete block designs, fractional factorial designs, and response surface methods. Prerequisite: STAT 350 (or MATH 372). Equivalent Courses: MATH404. Quantitative.
Directed Studies Courses
Independent reading or research in topics selected in consultation with the supervising instructor. Prerequisite: PSYC 201, 210, 60 units, a CGPA of 3.0, and permission of the department. See the Directed Studies Courses section within the undergraduate Department of Psychology section.
Independent reading or research in topics selected in consultation with the supervising instructor. Prerequisite: PSYC 201, 210, 60 units, a CGPA of 3.0, and permission of the department. See the Directed Studies Courses section within the undergraduate Department of Psychology section.
Independent reading or research in topics selected in consultation with the supervising instructor. Prerequisite: PSYC 201, 210, 60 units, a CGPA of 3.0, and permission of the department. See the Directed Studies Courses section within the undergraduate Department of Psychology section.
Enrolment enables an individual or small group to work with a faculty member on a reading or research project of mutual interest. Common reasons for a student requesting such a course are
- to continue a reading or research project begun in a 400 division seminar
- to cover material not included in regular courses
The minimum requirement is a B (3.0) average, at least 60 units and department permission. Directed studies students complete an application form (available at ) with the intended instructor.
Letters of Permission
See Courses at Other Institutions/Letters of Permission for information. The department does not normally approve letters of permission for enrolled 間眅埶AV students to complete PSYC 201, 210 and 301 at a different institution. Such permission may be granted for other courses. Enquire of the psychology undergraduate advisor.
Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences Honours Requirements
For all bachelor of arts (BA) honours programs, students complete 132 units, which includes
- at least 60 units that must be completed at 間眅埶AV
- satisfaction of the writing, quantitative, and breadth requirements
- students complete at least 60 upper division units, which must include at least 50 units in upper division courses in a Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences honours program; no more than 15 upper division units that have been transferred from another institution can be used toward this requirement
- Students complete lower division requirements for at least one Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences honours program
- students are required to achieve an overall cumulative grade point average (CGPA) and upper division CGPA of at least 3.0, and an honours program CGPA and upper division CGPA of at least 3.0
Writing, Quantitative, and Breadth Requirements
Students admitted to 間眅埶AV beginning in the fall 2006 term must meet writing, quantitative and breadth requirements as part of any degree program they may undertake. See for university-wide information.
WQB Graduation Requirements
A grade of C- or better is required to earn W, Q or B credit
| Requirement |
Units |
Notes | |
| W - Writing |
6 |
Must include at least one upper division course, taken at 間眅埶AV within the student’s major subject | |
| Q - Quantitative |
6 |
Q courses may be lower or upper division | |
| B - Breadth |
18 |
Designated Breadth | Must be outside the student’s major subject, and may be lower or upper division 6 units Social Sciences: B-Soc 6 units Humanities: B-Hum 6 units Sciences: B-Sci |
|
6 |
Additional Breadth | 6 units outside the student’s major subject (may or may not be B-designated courses, and will likely help fulfil individual degree program requirements) | |
Residency Requirements and Transfer Credit
The University’s residency requirement stipulates that, in most cases, total transfer and course challenge credit may not exceed 60 units, and may not include more than 15 as upper division work.
Elective Courses
In addition to the courses listed above, students should consult an academic advisor to plan the remaining required elective courses.
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