Note: 91社区鈥檚 new Course Catalogue will replace the eCalendar. The Course Catalogue is expected to go live the week of April 22nd. When the new site is published, "mcgill.ca/study" will be redirected to the new Course Catalogue website.
Course information on this site is not reflective of offerings for the 2025鈥�2026 academic year. Some irregularities may occur as we move operations to the incoming Course Catalogue.
The aim of the Experimental program is to provide students with an environment in which they are free to develop skills and expertise that will serve during a professional career of teaching and research as a psychologist. Coursework and other requirements are at a minimum. Success in the program depends on the student's ability to organize unscheduled time for self-education. Continuous involvement in research planning and execution is considered a very important component of the student's activities.
The Clinical program adheres to the scientist practitioner model and as such is designed to train students for careers in university teaching or clinical research, and for service careers (working with children or adults in hospital, clinical, or educational settings). Most of our clinical graduates combine service and research roles. While there are necessarily many more course requirements than in the Experimental program, the emphasis is again on research training. There is no master鈥檚 program in Clinical Psychology; the Department offers direct entry to a doctoral degree for holders of an undergraduate degree, and students are expected to complete the full program leading to a doctoral degree.
Research interests of members of the Psychology Department include:
Facilities for advanced research in a variety of fields are available within the Department itself. In addition, arrangements exist with the Departments of Psychology at the Montreal Neurological Institute and Hospital, Allan Memorial Institute, Douglas Mental Health University Institute, Jewish General Hospital, Montreal Children's Hospital, and Montreal General Hospital to permit graduate students to undertake research in a hospital setting.
For inquiries about all programs and financial aid, and for application forms, contact the psychology.grad [at] mcgill.ca (Graduate Program Administrator).
Ph.D. Option in Behavioural Neuroscience
Information about this option is available from the Department and at mcgill.ca/psychology/graduate/program-tracks.
Ph.D. Option in Language Acquisition (LAP)
Information about this option is available from the Department and at and mcgill.ca/psychology/graduate/program-tracks/experimental/additional-program-opportunities.
| Master of Arts (M.A.) Psychology (Thesis) (45 credits) |
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Candidates must demonstrate a sound knowledge of modern psychological theory, of its historical development, and of the logic of statistical methods as used in psychological research. Candidates will be expected to have an understanding of the main lines of current work in areas other than their own field of specialization. |
| Master of Science (M.Sc.) Psychology (Thesis) (45 credits) |
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Candidates must demonstrate a sound knowledge of modern psychological theory, of its historical development, and of the logic of statistical methods as used in psychological research. Candidates will be expected to have an understanding of the main lines of current work in areas other than their own field of specialization. |
| Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) Psychology |
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Please contact the Department for more information about this program. |
| Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) Psychology: Behavioural Neuroscience |
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The Ph.D. in Psychology: Behavioural Neuroscience program emphasizes modern, advanced theory and methodology aimed at the neurological underpinnings of behaviour in human and non-human animals. This program is intended for graduate students in any area of Psychology who wish to obtain unique, intensive training at the intersection of psychology and neuroscience, thereby enhancing their expertise, the interdisciplinary potential of their dissertation research, and enabling them to compete successfully for academic or commercial positions in either field alone, or their intersection. It requires that students complete a dissertation that addresses Behavioural Neuroscience themes. |
| Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) Psychology: Language Acquisition |
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This unique interdisciplinary program focuses on the scientific exploration of language acquisition by different kinds of learners in diverse contexts. Students in the Language Acquisition program are introduced to theoretical and methodological issues on language acquisition from the perspectives of cognitive neuroscience, theoretical linguistics, psycholinguistics, education, communication sciences and disorders, and neuropsychology. |
Admission to the graduate program depends on an evaluation of students' research interests and their aptitude for original contributions to knowledge and, if applicable, for professional contributions in the applied field.
The usual requirement for admission is an Honours or Major degree (B.A. or B.Sc.) in Psychology. This usually includes an introductory course plus twelve courses in psychology (each equivalent to three term hours). Courses in experimental psychology, the theoretical development of modern ideas in psychology, and statistical methods as applied to psychological problems (equivalent to an introductory course) are essential. Applicants' knowledge of relevant biological, physical, and social sciences is considered. Students applying to the clinical program are advised to complete 42 specific undergraduate credits in psychology as specified by the (Ordre des psychologues du Qu茅bec).
Applicants who hold a bachelor's degree but who have not met these usual requirements should consult the Graduate Program Director to determine which (if any) courses must be completed before an application can be considered. Students with insufficient preparation for graduate work may register as Special Students (undergraduate level) in the Faculty of Arts or the Faculty of Science, and follow an appropriate course of study. Such registration requires the permission of the Department but carries no advantage with respect to a student's eventual admission to graduate studies.
Applicants should note that the deadline for many scholarships and fellowships is about four months earlier than the application deadlines and that applications for scholarships and fellowships should be submitted through their home university.
The General Test as well as the Psychology Subject Test are not mandatory, but if you wish to take either or both, your scores can be submitted to us and will be added to your application.
English Language Proficiency
For graduate applicants whose mother tongue is not English, and who have not completed an undergraduate or graduate degree from a recognized Canadian or American (English or French) institution or from a recognized foreign institution where English is the language of instruction, documented proof of English proficiency is required prior to admission. For a list of acceptable test scores and minimum requirements, visit mcgill.ca/gradapplicants/international/proficiency.
91社区鈥檚 online application form for graduate program candidates is available at mcgill.ca/gradapplicants/apply.
See Application Procedures for detailed application procedures.
The items and clarifications below are additional requirements set by this department:
For further details about these additional requirements, consult the Department of Psychology's website.
Application opening dates are set by Enrolment Services in consultation with Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies (GPS), while application deadlines are set by the Department of Psychology and may be revised at any time. Applicants must verify all deadlines and documentation requirements well in advance on the appropriate 91社区 departmental website; please consult the list at mcgill.ca/gps/contact/graduate-program.
Information on application deadlines is available at mcgill.ca/gradapplicants/how-apply/application-steps/application-deadlines.
Admission to graduate studies is competitive; accordingly, late and/or incomplete applications are considered only as time and space permit.
The M.A. in Psychology focuses on research in the field of psychology, culminating in the submission of a thesis. The program emphasizes the skills in critical reading, data collection, and scientific communication. This program typically takes 2 years to complete
For more information, see Master of Arts (M.A.) Psychology (Thesis) (45 credits).
All candidates for the Ph.D. degree must demonstrate broad scholarship, mastery of current theoretical issues in psychology and their historical development, and a detailed knowledge of their special field. Great emphasis is placed on the development of research skills, and the dissertation forms the major part of the evaluation at the Ph.D. level. ...
For more information, see Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) Psychology.
The Ph.D. in Psychology; Behavioural Neuroscience program emphasizes modern, advanced theory and methodology aimed at the neurobiological underpinnings of behaviour in human and non-human animals. This program is intended for graduate students in any area of Psychology who wish to obtain unique, intensive training at the intersection of psychology and neuroscience...
For more information, see Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) Psychology: Behavioural Neuroscience.
Students must satisfy all program requirements for the Ph.D. in Psychology. The Ph.D. thesis must be on a topic relating to language acquisition.
For more information, see Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) Psychology: Language Acquisition.
The Ph.D. thesis topic must be germane to psychosocial oncology and approved by the PSO coordinating committee.
A thesis for the doctoral degree must constitute original scholarship and must be a distinct contribution to knowledge. It must show familiarity with previous work in the field and must demonstrate ability to plan and carry out research, organize results, and defend the approach and conclusions in a scholarly manner. The research presented must meet current standards of the discipline; as well, the thesis must clearly demonstrate how the research advances knowledge in the field. Finally, the thesis must be written in compliance with norms for academic and scholarly expression and for publication in the public domain.
Note: The Department of Psychology does not ordinarily require an examination in a foreign language; however, all students planning on practising clinical psychology in the province of Quebec will be examined based on their proficiency in French before being admitted to the professional association.
Note: If the student has a non-91社区 master's then the following courses are also required:
| PSYC 650 | (3) | Advanced Statistics 1 |
| PSYC 651 | (3) | Advanced Statistics 2 |
| PSYC 660D1 | (3) | Psychology Theory |
| PSYC 660D2 | (3) | Psychology Theory |
