The Carleton Advantage

Carleton University’s undergraduate programs in Psychology are designed to provide you with a better understanding of the world, a deeper appreciation of the complexity and diversity of human behaviour, and knowledge of the principles of systematic and empirical investigation. If you are interested in a career as a psychologist, our Honours programs prepare you for additional study at the graduate level. The insights you will gain from studying psychology will serve you throughout your life in virtually any career. Psychology is offered as a Bachelor of Science (Honours) program and as a Bachelor of Arts (Honours), (Bachelor of Arts) and (Combined Honours) program. Minors in Psychology are also available!

Program Summary

Psychologists study the mechanisms that underlie our thoughts, emotions, and behaviours. They examine a diverse range of topics, such as how we think and learn, how we interact with others, and how we can promote healthy development and wellness. This is accomplished by conducting research so that the knowledge gained can help us better understand the human mind, enhance well-being and performance, and generate additional research questions.

All of our programs provide opportunities to explore psychology’s major areas within the context of an active and diverse research environment. Our honours programs offer five concentrations for students wishing to focus on one of these major areas:

Remember that concentrations are not necessary to find a job or get admitted into any particular graduate program. They do allow students, however, to enjoy thematically related courses they are passionate about.

B.A. program 

The Bachelor of Arts comprises Carleton’s largest degree program and intends to provide you with both a solid introduction to one or more academic disciplines and a broad range of transferable skills that will help you succeed in whatever life brings after graduation.

The Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences offers a three-year program leading to a B.A. in Psychology.

The Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) in Psychology provides a good foundation for occupations that deal with psychological issues but is not intended to prepare you for a career as a professional psychologist.

Honours programs

If you are interested in becoming a professional psychologist, you should consider one of our Honours programs.

The Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences offers a four-year Honours program leading to a B.A. (Honours) in Psychology.

The Faculty of Science offers a four-year Honours program leading to a B.Sc. (Honours) in Psychology.

Both the B.A. (Honours) and the B.Sc. (Honours) in Psychology require 20.0 credits for the degree; nine of these credits are from psychology. In addition to a number of core courses in the fourth year, Honours students either design and carry out a supervised research thesis or participate in an honours project class.

The B.A. (Combined Honours) in Psychology program allows you to combine your studies in psychology with studies in another discipline.

Courses

Click here to view a list of currently offered undergraduate courses in psychology!

Minors

We are proud to announce that we are now offering a minor in Management and Human Resources for psychology students! The minor was created cooperatively by the Department of Psychology and the Sprott School of Business for students who wish to learn more about management, human resources, and marketing while also deepening their knowledge about psychology.

You may follow this link to view a list of major programs available as minors and a list of programs offered exclusively as minors.

Co-op

Experiential education has always been an important component of our program.

The Co-op option is available for B.A. (Honours) students in psychology and affords opportunities for students to:

  • Combine their academic studies with experience in applied environments.
  • Implement their psychological knowledge and skills across a variety of settings, including government departments, community agencies, and the private sector.
  • Become more engaged with the planning of life after graduation.
  • Achieve an enhanced knowledge of potential career paths.
  • Cultivate professional skills associated with success.
  • Contribute to an organization.
  • Establish valuable contacts in the community.
  • Actively reflect on their experiences at work and express these ideas via work term reports.
  • Facilitate the transition from university into the workplace.

Practicum

The primary purpose of a Practicum in Community Psychology is to provide students with the opportunity to combine their academic studies with experience in an applied environment. Some placements are research-based, while others are more applied in nature. The practicum provides students with an opportunity to cultivate the professional skills associated with success in the workplace, engage with the discipline outside the classroom, become more involved with the career planning process, and make valuable contacts in the community.

 A sampling of participating agencies includes:

  • The Ottawa-Carleton District School Board,
  • Correctional Service Canada,
  • RCMP,
  • Children’s Hospital of Eastern Ontario,
  • Vista Brain Injury Services, and many more.