Psychology Honours Program

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Psychology Honours Program
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Requirements

• 60 credit hours completed graded
• Complete all BA core requirements
• Minimum GPA of 75 in psych
• Minimum GPA of 70 overall
• Formal application
• Faculty of Arts Student Services Office

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You must also

• Find an advisor
• Look on website for faculty interests
• Talk to multiple faculty
• Be aware that potential topics may be limited by
  faculty advisors interests

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What is involved?

• Completion of a thesis
• Empirical
• Replication
• Theoretical
• Meta-analysis
• Secondary data analyses (e.g., StatsCan)
• Registration in honours seminar
• Additional course requirements

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Getting into grad school
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Outline

• Streams
• Reality
• Research experience
• GRE
• Funding
• Application process
• School selection
• Statement of interest
• Reference letters
• Alternatives
• Improving your chances

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Streams

• Clinical
• Experimental
• Both require a significant research component
• Social, developmental, cognitive, health,
  forensic, neuro, industrial/organization,
  stats/methods, counselling, school, community etc.

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Reality

• Getting in is tough
• Minimum GPA requirements
• Depends on the school
• Most programs admit 6-10 students each year
• Across entire psych dept.
• E.g.,
• 5 of applicants are admitted at SFU
• 15 of clinical applicants admitted to UofR

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Research experience

• Volunteer in a lab (or two)
• ANY lab
• Experience and letters
• Be willing to do very basic tasks
• Not likely paid
• Presentation/ publication possibilities

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GRE

• Subject
• Oct. 6 at U of S
• Nov. 3 at U of R
• Must sign up ahead of time
• General
• Only in Saskatoon
• Prometric testing centre
• Book ahead 306-978-0414
• STUDY!

These dates are for 2007 only
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Funding

• Apply!
• Check out FGSR website
• Call FGSR with questions
• NSERC
• Oct. 5 deadline to psych dept.
• SSHRC
• Nov. 15 deadline to psych dept.
• CIHR
• Jan. 10 to FGSR
• Check for department deadline
• Look for additional sources
• E.g., OGS

These dates are for 2007 only
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Application Process

• Costly!!!
• School selection
• Identify schools of interest
• E-mail for brochures
• E-mail potential advisors
• Your interests
• Inquire if taking students
• Start process summer before applications due

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Application Process

• Statement of interest
• Tailor to individual faculty members
• Have someone read it over
• Must be provided to your referees
• Do not write a lot of schmaltz about wanting to
  save the world.
• Show focused interest, with flexibility

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Application Process

• Reference letters
• Required materials
• Other guidelines
• Timeline
• Sending letters
• Adding schools to your list
• Make it easy for the letter writer!

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Alternatives

• Experimental
• Requires Ph.D.
• Clinical
• Can practice with MA in some provinces (may
  change)
• Registration process more difficult
• Consider
• Counselling, school psychology, social work

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Improving your chances

• Research experience
• Publish, publish, publish
• Attend conferences
• Even if not presenting
• Present when possible
• Introduce yourself to potential supervisors
• Funding