Master of Arts
Table of Contents
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:
- 1.0 credit in PSYC 5410 and PSYC 5411
- 0.5 credit in professional development courses: PSYC 5002, PSYC 5003, PSYC 5004, PSYC 5802 or PSYC 5903
- 1.0 credit in PSYC at the 5000-level in Content courses – OR – 0.5 credit in PSYC at the 5000-level from Content courses and 0.5 credit in Elective Stats or Professional Development
- 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
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| * In addition to PSYC 5410 and PSYC 5411, 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), OR a combination of 0.5 credit Content Course and 0.5 credit in Elective Stats or Professional Development Courses; 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. Students interested in a Specialization or Concentration should consult the above section titled “Specializations/ Concentration”. | |||
Specializations & Concentrations
Students admitted to the MA in Psychology may decide to pursue a Specialization or Concentration.
Specialization in Data Science
Students interested in pursuing a Specialization in Data Science should contact the Department by the beginning of the third term of their program.
5.0 credits are required to qualify for the degree:
- 1.0 credit in PSYC 5410 * and PSYC 5411 * (recommended to complete during the first two terms of your program)
- 0.5 credit in Data 5000 *
- 0.5 credit in professional development courses: PSYC 5000, PSYC 5002, PSYC 5003, PSYC 5004, PSYC 5802 or PSYC 5903
- 0.5 credit course work in PSYC at the 5000 level, excluding professional development courses and excluding the elective statistics courses
- 2.5 credits – Thesis – must be in the area of Data Science, and 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 must receive at least an A grade in each of the courses included in the Specialization.
Specialization in Climate Change
5.5 credits are required to qualify for the degree:
- 1.0 credit in PSYC 5410 and PSYC 5411
- 1.0 credit in CLIM 5000
- 0.0 credit in CLIM 5800
- 0.5 credit in professional development courses: PSYC 5002, PSYC 5003, PSYC 5004, PSYC 5802 or PSYC 5903
- 0.5 credit course work in PSYC at the 5000 level, excluding professional development courses and excluding the elective statistics courses
- 2.5 credits – Thesis – must be in the area of Climate Change, and 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)
Concentration in Mental Health and Well-Being
5.0 credits are required to qualify for the degree:
- 1.0 credit in PSYC 5410 and PSYC 5411
- 0.5 credit in PSYC 5209 * or health-oriented course approved by the Graduate Supervisor
- 0.5 credit in PSYC 5107 or PSYC 5208 or PSYC 5804 or PSYC 5900 or PSYC 5901
- 0.5 credit in PSYC 5904 Community Mental Health and Well-Being Practicum {This practicum serves as the capstone for the Concentration. It provides students an opportunity for experiential learning that can be applied to their future career in mental health and well-being}
- 0.0 credit in PSYC 5905 Applied Community Mental Health and Well-Being
- 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 must receive a minimum grade of A- in PSYC 5410, PSYC 5411, and PSYC 5209 or its approved replacement in order to complete the concentration.
Upon completion of PSYC 5905 with a SAT grade, students must request an in-program change to the Concentration. Students who fulfill the requirements for the Concentration in Mental Health and Well-Being may request the designation appear on their transcript up until the second last term in their MA program.
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.