Doctor of Philosophy
Table of Contents
About the Program
Our PhD program primarily consists of study and research in the psychology field. Program content is strongly research-oriented, although practical courses such as quantitative methods, testing and behaviour modification are available.
This degree does not offer training in applied areas (e.g., clinical, educational, counselling psychology, etc)
PhD Curriculum
3.0 credits coursework and a Ph.D. thesis are required to qualify for the degree:
- 1.0 credit in PSYC 5410 and PSYC 5411
- 0.5 credit in Elective Statistics courses: PSYC 5401, PSYC 5407, PSYC 5412, PSYC 5413, PSYC 5414, PSYC 5415, PSYC 5416, PSYC 5417 or PSYC 5801
- 0.5 credit in professional development courses: PSYC 5002, PSYC 5003, PSYC 5004, PSYC 5802, PSYC 6104, PSYC 6114 or PSYC 6903
- 1.0 credit in graduate level PSYC courses, excluding professional development courses and excluding the elective statistics courses
- 0.0 credits – Thesis – which must be defended at an oral examination
- PSYC 6906 and PSYC 6907 (Pro-Seminar in Psychology I & II are required non-credit courses; recommended to complete during the first 2 years of your program)
Equivalencies will be determined on a case-by-case basis through application to the graduate committee.
Students in our PhD program are also expected to:
- Achieve a weighted GPA of A- (10) after 2 terms of study or to maintain it subsequently
- Successfully defend a prospectus by the end of the 7th term of study for full-time students or 10th term of study for part-time students
- Successfully defend a thesis at an oral examination
- Maintain continuous registration in the thesis (PSYC 6909) after initial registration
PhD Program Progression Example
| Fall | Winter | Summer | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Year 1 |
|
|
|
| Year 2 |
|
|
|
| Year 3 |
|
|
|
| Year 4 |
|
|
|
| Year 5 & 6 |
|
|
|
| *PhD student must complete 6 courses: PSYC 5410, PSYC 5411, and 1 more advanced statistics course, as well as 2 Content courses (i.e., 1.0 credit), and one Professional Development course (i.e., 0.5 credit). If students have already taken PSYC 5410 and/or 5411, they do not need to re-take them, but they still must replace their credit value. For students interested in the Quantitative Methodology Concentration, please see the section below titled “Concentration in Quantitative Methodology” for program requirements. | |||
Concentration in Quantitative Methodology
Students admitted to the PhD in Psychology may decide to pursue a Concentration in Quantitative Methodology by completing 2.5 credits in graduate quantitative methods courses within their program. The quantitative methods courses include PSYC 5410, PSYC 5411, PSYC 6410 and an additional 1.0 credit from the Electives Statistics courses.
3.0 credits coursework and a PhD thesis are required to qualify for the degree:
- 1.0 credit in PSYC 5410 * and PSYC 5411 *
- 1.0 credit in Elective Statistics courses*: PSYC 5401, PSYC 5407, PSYC 5412, PSYC 5413, PSYC 5414, PSYC 5415, PSYC 5416, PSYC 5417 or PSYC 5801
- 0.5 credit in professional development courses: PSYC 5002, PSYC 5003, PSYC 5004, PSYC 5802, PSYC 6104, PSYC 6114 or PSYC 6903
- 0.5 credit in PSYC 6410*
- 0.0 credits – Thesis – which must be defended at an oral examination
- PSYC 6906 and PSYC 6907 (Pro-Seminar in Psychology I & II are required non-credit courses; recommended to complete during the first 2 years of your program)
* Students must receive at least an A grade in each of the courses included in the Concentration.
Registration in PSYC 6410 will occur after the 2.0 statistics credits have been completed and after a proposed research project has been approved by the Department.
Students will request an in-program change from a Ph.D. in Psychology to a Ph.D. in Psychology with a Concentration in Quantitative Methodology only after completion of the Concentration’s requirements.
Funding
There are two main sources of funding – external and internal. Some funding may be awarded to you upon entry to the program, some is based on recommendations from the Department. It is the student’s responsibility to apply for any additional funding, either through Carleton University or to an external funding agency.
Information on internal awards can be found on Graduate Studies’ Internal Awards site.
There are a number of prestigious external awards available from national and provincial agencies (i.e. OGS, Tri-Council). For information on applying for external awards from these agencies, visit Graduate Studies’ External Awards site.
Other Funding Resources