Eager to study personality, social behaviour, development, cognition, perception and/or behavioural neuroscience? As a Psychology student at UTM, you join a dynamic community of globally-ranked researchers who are continually re-defining our understanding of human and animal behaviour.
Psychology programs emphasize the scientific method and its application to the study of behaviour and thought processes in humans and animals. Courses in a wide range of areas are taught by outstanding faculty, many of whom conduct leading edge research in areas such as child development, social behaviour, cognition, perception, personality and the biological basis of behaviour. You can engage in ongoing research and/or applied field work under the supervision of faculty members.
On this page:
- What makes this Psychology program unique?
- Psychology, global: the worldwide impact of this discipline
- Skills you'll develop
- Career opportunities
- Our students' perspectives
- Additional resources
What makes this Psychology program unique?
Psychology is one of University of Toronto's largest undergraduate programs, which includes a diverse faculty and world-ranking graduate research profile.
In addition to the program itself, as a Psychology student at UTM, you'll be immersed in a truly distinctive campus experience. You'll be attending informative lectures, tutorials and labs taught by the world-class educators that you'd expect from Canada's largest and most acclaimed university. At the same time, you'll also enjoy the down-to-earth sense of community that a campus – situated on 225 acres of lush, protected greenbelt – can provide.
Psychology, global: the worldwide impact of this discipline
Many psychologists maintain that the importance of psychology is even more profound since the dawn of the global COVID-19 pandemic. As noted in a global statement by the American Psychological Association:
"Psychology is an autonomous scientific discipline that applies to nearly every aspect of our boundless experience. Psychologists work in a broad range of settings—effectively any place where human functioning is relevant. [...] Psychologists have a role in supporting health and well-being globally within a human rights framework with the ultimate goal of improving lives."
From understanding motives and behaviour, to combating stress, discrimination, violence, climate change and more — psychology is a discipline with far-reaching global impact. For more information and further resources, visit the Global Psychology Alliance website.
Skills you'll develop
- Communication: formulate and defend positions; good listening, clarifying, questioning, and responding skills; write carefully reasoned reports; and sensitivity to cultural and ethnic diversity.
- Research: summarize complex materials; assess and analyze data; use criteria to evaluate and make decisions; and carry out tasks with thoroughness and precision.
- Critical thinking and problem-solving: understand complex problems and identify potential solutions; and approach problems from a variety of perspectives.
- Organizational: identify goals; manage time; multitask; and work independently and collaboratively with others.
Career opportunities
While not exhaustive, here's a list of career options that are available to you as a Psychology graduate (some require further education and experience):
Counsellor/Therapist/ Psychologist
- Addictions Counsellor
- Athletic Therapist
- Behaviour Therapist
- Mental Health Nurse
- Recreation Therapist
- Rehabilitation Counsellor
Academics and Teaching
- Educational Administrator
- Elementary School Teacher
- ESL Teacher
- Speech-Language Pathologist
Business-Related
- Advertising Copywriter
- Entrepreneur
- Lawyer
- Public Policy Analyst
- Statistician
- Sport Psychology Consultant
Human Resources
- Corporate Trainer
- Labour Relations Specialist
- Industrial-Organizational Psychologist
- Human Resources Specialist
Social and Human Services
- Child And Youth Worker
- Clinical Manager
- Communications Specialist
- Correctional Officer
- Social Worker
For a full list of career opportunities, visit the Careers by Major - Psychology page.
Our students' perspectives
Here's what some of our Psychology students have to say about their experiences:
"UTM introduced me to the study of psychology as a science, elucidating my interest in pursuing research this field in the future. ~ Sophie Coelho
One of the best experiences I’ve had at UTM was collecting my thesis data. The process of collecting my data was complex and entailed many long days and late nights but I loved every second of it. ~ Erica Winks
The best experience I have had at UTM is the chance to participate in multiple ROPs in the Relationships and Wellbeing Lab. I learned a lot about research and got to work with amazing people! ~ Sarah Fahmi
Additional resources