X. Degree Programs

Bachelor of Arts (B.A.)

Psychology (Co-op) (PSYC:C)

Department of Psychology, College of Social and Applied Human Sciences

The discipline of Psychology is normally associated with the social sciences, the biological sciences, and the health professions. Specialization in Psychology at Guelph is available as a B.A. Honours program major and minor and a B.A. General program area of concentration, all of which are described below, as well as a B.A. Honours program Co-op major (PSYC:C).

Through its different undergraduate programs, the Psychology Department provides: a) a broad general education emphasizing psychological theory and methodology, with an empirical basis in course work (e. g., experiments and projects); b) an appropriate background in psychology for those who leave the University with an undergraduate degree to embark on careers in related areas; and c) a sound preparation for graduate study in Psychology.

Program Requirements

The Co-op program in Psychology is a four and a half year program, including three work terms. Students must complete a Fall, Winter and Summer work term, and must follow the academic work schedule as outlined below (also found on the Co-operative Education website: https://www.recruitguelph.ca/cecs/). Please refer to the Co-operative Education program policy with respect to adjusting this schedule.

Psychology Academic and Co-op Work Term Schedule
Year Fall Winter Summer
1 Academic Semester 1 Academic Semester 2

COOP*1100

Off
2 Academic Semester 3

COOP*1000 Work Term I

Academic Semester 4

3 COOP*2000 Work Term II Academic Semester 5 COOP*3000 Work Term III
4 Academic Semester 6 Academic Semester 7 Academic Semester 8

To be eligible to continue in the Co-op program, students must meet a minimum 70% cumulative average requirement after second semester, as well as meet all work term requirements. Please refer to the Co-operative Education program policy with respect to work term performance grading, work term report grading and program completion requirements.

For additional program information students should consult with their Co-op Co-ordinator and Co-op Faculty Advisor, listed on the Co-operative Education web site.

Credit Summary (21.50 Total Credits)*

9.00 - Required Core Courses

1.50 – Humanities credits from at least two areas (BA distribution requirement)

0.50 - Social Science credit outside of PSYC (BA distribution requirement)

1.00 - Natural Science credits (BA distribution requirement)

8.00 - Electives

1.50 - Co-op Work Terms

Note: Three Co-op work terms including a Summer, Fall, and Winter are necessary to complete the Co-op requirement.

The recommended program sequence is outlined below.

Major (Honours Program)

Note: When selecting core and elective credits the student should keep in mind the prerequisites for their desired 3000- and 4000-level courses. When selecting courses beyond Psychology the student should keep in mind both their second specialization (if relevant) and courses appropriate for potential work-term placements.

Note on Honours Courses

Courses designated with (H) are for students in Psychology Honours programs. These include: B.A. Honours Psychology (PYSC, PYSC;C) major or minor, B.A. Information Systems and Human Behaviour (ISHB) major and the Neuroscience (NEUR) major or minor. A cumulative average of at least 70% in all course attempts in Psychology or registration in the ISHB major, NEUR minor, or PBC major or minor is required to enrol in H designated courses.

A total of 9.00 credits are required for the Psychology Co-op BAH. Students must complete 1.50 credits at the 1000 level and 3.00 credits at the 2000 level in Psychology. For those in the Honours Regular Stream, students must complete 3.00 credits at the 3000 level and 1.50 credits at the 4000 level in Psychology. For those in the Honours Thesis Stream, students must complete 2.50 credits at the 3000 level and 2.00 credits at the 4000 level in Psychology.

The maximum number of PSYC credits that students can take at each level is as follows:

  • 1000 level courses: no cap

  • 2000 level courses: 3.50 credits

  • 3000 level courses: 3.50 credits

  • 4000 level courses: 3.00 credits

Students wanting to move more quickly through the program are recommended to take two DE courses in the summer of their first year and/or one DE course during each work term. If they do so, the number of electives required in Semester 8 will depend on how many additional courses the student has taken throughout the program to meet the 20.00 credit requirement.

Graduate Studies Advisory Note: Most graduate programs require the student to have at least an A- average in order to be considered for admission. They also require students follow the Honours Thesis Stream. Students planning on applying to graduate school in Psychology will need to take the following courses in the semesters outlined below: PSYC*3250, PSYC*3290, PSYC*4780, PSYC*4870, and PSYC*4880.

Major (Honours Program)

A total of 9.00 credits are required for the Psychology major BAH.

Year 1
Semester 1 - Fall

Students should complete:

PSYC*1000 [0.50] Introduction to Psychology
2.00 additional credits
Semester 2 - Winter

Students should complete:

COOP*1100 [0.00] Introduction to Co-operative Education
PSYC*1010 [0.50] Making Sense of Data in Psychological Research
PSYC*1500 [0.50] Foundational Skills for Psychology
One of:
PSYC*2390 [0.50] Sensation and Perception
PSYC*2650 [0.50] Cognitive Psychology
One of:
PSYC*2020 [0.50] Abnormal Psychology
PSYC*2740 [0.50] Personality
0.50 additional credits
Summer Semester

If students want to progress more quickly through the program or plan to apply to graduate school, they should complete: 1.00 PSYC credits at the 2000 level. If not taken in the summer semester, they must be completed by the end of semester 4.

Year 2
Semester 3 - Fall

Students should complete:

PSYC*2070 [0.50] Teams, Leadership, and Professional Behaviour
PSYC*2360 [0.50] Psychological Methods and Statistics
One of
PSYC*2330 [0.50] Principles of Learning
PSYC*2410 [0.50] Behavioural Neuroscience I
One of:
PSYC*2310 [0.50] Social Psychology
PSYC*2450 [0.50] Developmental Psychology
0.50 additional credits
Winter Semester
COOP*1000 [0.50] Co-op Work Term I
Semester 4 - Summer

0.50 credits in PSYC at the 3000 level

2.00 additional credits

OPTION A – HONOURS REGULAR STREAM
Year 3
Fall Semester
COOP*2000 [0.50] Co-op Work Term II
Semester 5 - Winter
PSYC*3000 [0.50] Historical and Critical Perspectives on Psychology
PSYC*3290 [0.50] Conducting Statistical Analyses in Psychology
1.00 additional credits in PSYC at the 3000 level
0.50 additional credits
Summer Semester
COOP*3000 [0.50] Co-op Work Term III
Year 4
Semester 6 - Fall
PSYC*3250 [0.50] Psychological Measurement
0.50 additional credits in PSYC at the 4000 level
1.50 additional credits
Semester 7 - Winter
PSYC*4540 [1.00] Practical Applications of Psychology
1.50 additional credits
Semester 8 - Summer

2.50 credits

OPTION B – HONOURS THESIS STREAM
Year 3
Fall Semester
COOP*2000 [0.50] Co-op Work Term II
Semester 5 - Winter
PSYC*3000 [0.50] Historical and Critical Perspectives on Psychology
PSYC*3250 [0.50] Psychological Measurement
PSYC*3290 [0.50] Conducting Statistical Analyses in Psychology
1.00 additional credits
Summer Semester
COOP*3000 [0.50] Co-op Work Term III
Year 4
Semester 6 - Fall
PSYC*4780 [0.50] Advanced Research Methods and Statistics
PSYC*4870 [0.50] Honours Thesis I
0.50 additional credits in PSYC at the 3000 level
1.00 additional credits at the 3000 or 4000 level
Semester 7 - Winter
PSYC*4880 [1.00] Honours Thesis II
1.50 additional credits
Semester 8 - Summer

2.50 credits

University of Guelph
50 Stone Road East
Guelph, Ontario, N1G 2W1
Canada
519-824-4120