Psychology

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Meet your Advisors

Help is availabe for Psychology students. If you would like to speak to an advisor, please feel free to email us with your questions or to arrange an appointment. 

Faculty Advisor​: Professor Brett Beston
Office: Deerfield Hall room 4010
Telephone: 905-569-5697
Email: brett.beston@utoronto.ca 
Contact me for: career and academic advising; program admission and completion

Academic Counsellor: Jodie Stewart 
Office: Deerfield Hall room 4094
Telephone: 905-828-5414
Email: jodie.stewart@utoronto.ca
Contact me for: program/course admission; prerequisite waivers; missed tests, administrative procedures; scholarship opportunities; faculty contact information

Preparing for Psychology

At the Department of Psychology, we want to encourage you to participate in two opportunities created specifically for YOU: Psychology Orientation @ O-Week, and LAUNCH! We have seen how these programs have benefited our students in the past and cannot recommend them more. Be sure to register soon to reserve your spots.

Psychology Departmental Orientation:

Register for O-Week here!

Everyone is encouraged to attend this important orientation event. Meet other new students, first-year faculty and learn about academic expectations. 

utm102H5F LAUNCH: Science, Mathematics and Psychology

Date: Weekly during the Fall term
Time and Room: There are seven sections to choose from!
Register: Register for utm102H5F on ACORN.

Did you know that there is a hanging speech bubble at UTM? Do you know how to study effectively? Did you know that you can use up to 6GB of internet bandwidth per day while on campus?

Whenever starting a new journey, there are always tips and tricks to making that journey easier and more fun. Who's better at providing these tips and tricks than someone who has already been through the entire experience?

LAUNCH pairs you with a successful upper-year mentor in your academic discipline to assist you in transitioning successfully to UTM.

Here’s how LAUNCH can help you as a Psychology student:

  • Are you interested in research?
  • Do you want to meet people studying in your field?
  • Would you like to learn how to be academically successful?
  • Do you want to find out about campus resources available to students?
  • Do you want make friends and learn about ways to relax and have fun on campus?

LAUNCH is not-for-credit – there is no homework, assignments or tests! Instead, earn a notation on your Co-Curricular Record (CCR) for completing, in addition to learning some valuable skills, making friends and having a good time!

Don’t miss out on all the fun! LAUNCH into your UTM experience with us!

Program Entry Requirements

Choosing a Subject POSt

Students request their programs at the end of their first year, as all U of T students are admitted to a general first-year program (such as Life Sciences or Humanities). You need to complete a minimum of 4.0 credits as well as any other program enrollment criteria (such as CGPA) before you can be considered for entry into a program. Please refer to the Subject POSt Guide for more information.

Psychology Program Requirements

Before enrolling in any Program offered by the Psychology Department, students MUST have grade 12 4U Advanced Functions and 4U Biology or equivalent, and 4.0 full course equivalents (FCEs) for Minors and Majors, or 8.0 FCEs for Specialists, including PSY100Y. You must also meet the minimum grade criteria for Psychology courses, and a minimum CGPA, as described below for each program.

Once you complete 4.0 FCEs you will be required by the University to enrol in a Program of Study. Admission requirements for students completing their first year of study are provided below.

All Psychology Programs are 'Type 2' Program(s) of Study and as such require completion of specific courses, a minimum CGPA and minimum grades in specific courses for enrolment. There are three steps to enrolling in a Type 2 Program of Study. Refer to the UTM Registration Guide for further information and important deadlines.
 

**IMPORTANT NOTE**
First-year students newly admitted to the Psychology Stream are NOT yet in the Psychology Program. You must request the program upon completion of PSY100Y5 and 3.0 additional University credits.

Admission after first year – 4.0 FCE

Psychology Major

  • a grade of at least 64 per cent in PSY100Y5; and
  • a minimum CGPA of 2.0.

Exceptionality Major

  • a grade of at least 75 per cent in PSY100Y5;
  • successfully completed 1.0 credit from BIO152H5/153H5/204H5/205H5/206H5/207H5; and
  • a minimum CGPA of 2.7.

Psychology Minor

  • a grade of at least 61 per cent in PSY100Y5; and
  • a minimum CGPA of 2.0.

Courses

What Courses to Take: Core, Required, Pre-/Co-Requisite Courses

PSY100Y5 (Introductory Psychology) is one of the largest undergraduate courses at UTM (with up to 1,500 students). Every year Professor Graham and Professor Urbszat co-teach this course with Dr. Urbszat on Lectures and Dr. Graham on Computer Labs. There are three lecture sections (that meet weekly) and 18 lab sections (that meet every other week) over the course of two terms. Students must enroll in one Lecture section and one Lab section, and must have the mandatory software license registered to participate in the PSY100Y5 computer labs.

The PSY100Y5 computer lab practicals are coordinated with textbook readings and lecture topics in the first term. In the second term (this is a full-year course) we do an additional two labs on Memory, even though it is covered in first-term lectures, so that students have time to design their own experiment based on Lab 6 (Recall and Recognition Memory), meet with their partners, and then get a research design approved four weeks later in Lab 8.

The other PSY100Y5 labs cover topics that have been discussed earlier in lectures including Perception, Cognition, Learning, Positive Psychology, Social Psychology and Personality Psychology. This format works very well, since we believe that the student’s research project is a very important part of our first year curriculum and gives students hands-on experience conducting research and writing in a scientific APA style format. 

Getting Involved with Your Department

Psychology Department

There is a lot of exciting research in the area of psychology that happens right here on our campus. From neuropsychology and behavioural development to epilepsy and sexual development, psychology at UTM is vast, and they need our help! Our faculty and researchers are always looking for research assistance, whether that be on a volunteer or work-study basis. Learn about the projects and get involved at the Department of Psychology Research page: https://www.utm.utoronto.ca/psychology/research-0

Academic Society – P.A.U.S.E.

P.A.U.S.E. seeks to provide all students at UTM the opportunity to enhance their knowledge of the diverse field of psychology – and have fun! We seek to plan academic and social events, which highlight the role of psychology in everyday life.  

Visit the P.A.U.S.E. website

Get Help

Have more questions? Visit the Department of Psychology Website.

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