1. About the program
  2. MA Curriculum
    1. Specializations & Concentrations
  3. Funding
    1. Internal Funding
    2. External Funding
    3. Other Funding Resources:
  4. Interested In Applying?

About the program

Our MA 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)

MA Curriculum

5.0 credits are required to qualify for the MA degree:

  • 0.5 credit in PSYC 5410 (recommended to complete during the first term of your program)
  • 0.5 credit in one of the following stats courses: PSYC 5001, PSYC 5407, PSYC 5411, PSYC 5416, PSYC 5417, PSYC 5801
  • 0.5 credit in professional development courses: PSYC 5002, PSYC 5003, PSYC 5004, PSYC 5802 or PSYC 5903
  • 1.0 credit course work in PSYC at the 5000 level, excluding professional development courses and excluding the elective statistics courses
  • 2.5 credits – Thesis – which must be defended at an oral examination
  • PSYC 5906 (Pro-Seminar in Psychology) is a required non-credit course (recommended to complete during the first two terms of your program)

Students in our MA program are also expected to:

  • Successfully defend a prospectus before proceeding to the defense of their thesis
  • Successfully defend their thesis at an oral exam
  • Maintain continuous registration in the thesis (PSYC 5909) requirement

MA Program Progression Example

Fall Winter Summer
Year 1
  • PSYC 5410
  • Pro-Seminar
  • Stats course
  • Pro-Seminar
  • Course*
  • Thesis research
Year 2
  • Course*
  • Thesis research
  • Defend prospectus
  • Course*
  • Thesis research
  • Defend thesis
* In addition to PSYC 5410 and the mandatory stats course, M.A. students must take 3 additional courses. Two of these courses (i.e., 1.0 credit) must be a Course Content course (e.g., area-specific content courses, independent research and directed studies), and one (i.e., 0.5 credit) must be a Professional Development course (e.g., Practicum, Open Science), and may be taken in any term of the program. For students interested in a Specialization or Concentration, please see the section below titled “Specializations & Concentrations” for program requirements.

Specializations & Concentrations

Students admitted to the MA in Psychology may decide to pursue a Specialization or Concentration.

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.

Internal Funding

Information on internal awards can be found on Graduate Studies’ Internal Awards site.

External Funding

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:

Interested In Applying?

View the MA admissions requirements