Psychology (MA)

M.A. in Applied Psychology

Criteria for consideration for the MA in Psychology

BA or B.Sc. in psychology, with an academic standing of B+ (75%) or better, or a successfully completed qualifying year in psychology. Those with an academic background other than psychology will have their qualifications examined and may be required to complete additional coursework or a qualifying year. Academic references, a personal statement of interest, and identification of potential research supervisors are required. For the Applied students, a vulnerable sector criminal background check at your local police department will be required once admitted to the program. The general regulations of the Faculty of Graduate Studies will apply unless otherwise stated. Please note that the application deadline for September admission is February 1st.

The graduate Psychology program in Applied Psychology with a clinical emphasis is designed to prepare students for work in schools, mental health, or other applied settings or to pursue Ph.D.-level studies.  In addition to coursework and research, students must complete a practicum.  Graduates are eligible to pursue registration with the College of Psychologists of Ontario (other conditions may apply).  For information on how to become a psychological associate, visit the website of the College of Psychologists of Ontario.  

Application Process

Step 1. Contact the Graduate Coordinator and/or individual faculty member about the possibility of becoming a student.  Students are encouraged to consult the faculty list on the Faculty Members tab in order to identify a potential supervisor (i.e. a faculty member they would like to work with).  Please remember to list your preferred potential supervisors on your Application Checklist.

Step 2. Click here to submit the online application. Once students have applied, they will receive instructions (typically within 48 hours) from the Office of Admissions leading them to the MyLaurentian portal. Students can access the portal at my.laurentian.ca; sign-in credentials will be provided in the correspondence received from the Office of Admissions upon successful completion of an application. The following documents will be required in order to complete an application.

Documents:

•  Two letters of reference from the field of academics are required.  The third letter of reference from a non-academic person may be submitted but is not required. 
• Statement of Interest; what strengths do you bring to the program, and what do you expect from the program (to be uploaded via MyLaurentian).
• Questionnaire for Students Applying to the Applied Stream (available once you have applied at my.laurentian.ca) 
• Psychology Application checklist (available once you have applied at my.laurentian.ca) 
• Official Academic Transcript(s) from all post-secondary studies* (Please note that current or prior Laurentian University students do not need to request transcripts).
• No Graduate Record Examination (GRE) is required for this program.

*Please note that official transcripts or WES course-by-course (for institutions attended outside of North America) must come directly to the Office of Admissions from the previous post-secondary institution by requesting at the time of your application or by contacting the institution's Registrar's Office.

Step 3. Once the Admissions Office receives all information and the application is deemed complete, the application will be forwarded to the department.  An Admissions Committee meets to review the applications.

Step 4. The Admissions Committee will review all applications on file and make a decision regarding the suitability of each applicant. 

A shortlist of applicants to the M.A. in Applied Psychology will be required to participate in a phone interview to discuss their applied and research experience.  Only students with some applied experience (ie: volunteer, work or academic experience) will be admitted to the program.

The Admissions Committee will then make a recommendation to the Dean of the Faculty of Graduate Studies at Laurentian University. The Graduate Studies office will verify the file and if satisfactory, the Dean of Graduate Studies will forward the recommendation to the Office of Admissions at Laurentian University for admission. 

Step 5: If approved for admission, the Office of Admissions will send the student an Offer of Admission via MyLaurentian.  Applicants wishing to accept the offer of admission must indicate their response on MyLaurentian within 3 weeks of receiving the offer. Once the student has accepted the offer, a transition to the registration process occurs.

If you have program-related questions, please contact the Graduate Coordinator of the Psychology Program, at Laurentian University using the contacts provided above.

1. Check your program requirements

You can find your program requirements on this page, under admission requirements. For some Graduate programs you will need to secure a supervisor as part of your application process. You can find if you need to contact a supervisor on the how to apply to graduate programs page.

2. Complete your Application

Once you have reviewed your program requirements you can apply through the graduate application portal. This will take you to an external site, hosted by OUAC. Within 48 business hours of submitting your application you will receive an email with further instructions.

3. Setup your myLaurentian account and upload your documentation

Once your application has been received by Laurentian University, you will receive an email that contains information on accessing your myLaurentian Portal where you will continue the application process. To activate your account, visit the myLaurentian Portal and click the yellow bar "New to Laurentian".

Please note that the submission of items on the “My Checklist” is solely the obligation of the applicant. Please review this list carefully in order to complete your application.

Learn more on our how to apply to graduate programs page.

The degree options listed below are for the upcoming academic year, not the current academic year. If you are a current student looking for which courses to take in order to complete your degree options from a previous academic year's curriculum, please consult with an academic advisor.

Students must follow these regulations while in the Faculty of Graduate Studies.

Approved Fields of Study:

• Applied Psychology

Applied Option

PSYC-5000E     Thesis

PSYC-5005E     Master's Applied Practicum

PSYC-5106E     Applied Multivariate Statistics

One course from the two following courses:

          PSYC-5306E     Psychodiagnosis and Assessment of Children I 

          PSYC-5336E     Psychodiagnosis and Assessment in Adults

PSYC-5316E     Psychological Disorders

One course from the three following courses:

          PSYC-5326E     Counselling and Behavioural Interventions for Children and Their Families

          PSYC-5327E     Counselling and Behavioural Interventions for Adults 

          PSYC-5346E     Child-Focused Consultations

PSYC-5356E     Psychology of Individual Differences

PSYC-5406E     Ethical and Professional Issues

ONE 3-Credit Elective in Psychology

All Applied students are advised to take as many required courses as they can in their first year because their second year will be busy with the Practicum and their research, and some required courses may only be offered every other year.

Elective Graduate Courses

One elective can come from graduate program courses outside Psychology with agreement from the supervisor and the graduate committee.

All first year students need to register for PSYC-5000EL - Thesis and PSYC-5106EL - Applied Multivariate Statistics.