Psychology: Bachelor of Applied Arts (also: Honours)
Description
The Bachelor of Applied Arts degree program is geared towards helping students gain the skills and experience necessary to be job-skills ready. The Bachelor of Applied Arts also emphasizes research skills, and gives students a bit of the grad school experience and skills, without going to graduate school. The program is more rigorous and challenging than the more flexible Bachelor of Arts, but includes courses hand-picked by faculty and employers to target hard and soft job skills. The Bachelor of Applied Arts is ideally suited for students interested in workplace expertise, tests and measurements, and UX design.
Lower-level students establish a foundation of knowledge in psychology, before concentrating on applications of psychology to modern community and workplace settings for their upper-level work. Required courses provide students with general, transferable workplace skills (e.g., Interpersonal Relations), as well as specific knowledge and skills used in a variety of public and private sector jobs such as program evaluation and technical writing. Electives provide further training in additional areas selected by the student.
Students also participate in a workplace practicum coordinated by KPU and co-supervised by faculty and employers in relevant fields of employment. This practicum placement will assist students in gaining workplace experience and in meeting potential future employers.
Those interested in further study and graduate school or who prefer more extensive research experience may augment their knowledge and skills by taking the research-focused Honours program in Psychology. The Honours program affords students an opportunity to develop and report on a research project under the direct supervision of a faculty member within the Psychology Department.
Career Opportunities
The Bachelor of Applied Arts in Psychology was developed in consultation with employers throughout the Lower Mainland of British Columbia. These employers indicated that graduates of the BAA (Psychology) program are qualified for positions such as program evaluators, research analysts, project consultants, user experience designers, human resources advisors, and health planning consultants. Past graduates have found employment in such areas as health research, human resources, market research, psychological testing and crisis services, product usability research, autism intervention, education, and corrections. Graduates of the BAA (Psychology) with Honours have gone on to graduate studies in Clinical Psychology, Counselling Psychology, Gerontology, Education, School Psychology, Experimental Psychology, and Public Policy, to name only a few areas. Students in the program should consult with an Arts Degree Advisor to select courses best suited to their career objectives.
Admission Requirements
The Faculty's Admission Requirements, which consist of KPU's undergraduate English Proficiency Requirement, apply to this program.
Declaration Requirements
Students intending to graduate with this Faculty of Arts Bachelor’s degree must declare the credential by the time they complete 60 credits of undergraduate coursework. At the time of declaration, the student must satisfy all of the following requirements:
- In good academic standing with the University
- Completion of a minimum of 18 credits of undergraduate coursework, including the following with a minimum grade of “C”:
- 3 credits of ENGL at the 1100 level or higher
- 6 credits at the 1100 level or higher in the Major area
Curricular Requirements
Students pursuing a Bachelor of Applied Arts in Psychology degree must complete all requirements in the Bachelor of Arts Framework in addition to the requirements specified below.
Psychology Major
1000 and 2000 Level
All of: |
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PSYC 1100 | Introduction to Psychology: Basic Processes | 3 credits | |
PSYC 1200 | Introduction to Psychology: Areas and Applications | 3 credits | |
PSYC 2300 | Applied Statistics | 3 credits | |
PSYC 2315 | Brain and Behaviour | 3 credits | |
PSYC 2330 | Social Psychology | 3 credits | |
PSYC 2385 | Cognition | 3 credits | |
PSYC 2400 | Experimental Psychology: Research Methodology | 3 credits |
3000 and 4000 Level
All of: |
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CMNS 3100 | Technical Report Writing | 3 credits | |
PSYC 3200 | Industrial and Organizational Psychology | 3 credits | |
PSYC 3300* | Applied Statistics II | 3 credits | |
PSYC 3400* | Applied Research I | 3 credits | |
PSYC 3600 | Health Psychology | 3 credits | |
PSYC 4000 | Practicum | 3 credits | |
PSYC 4100 | Tests and Measurement | 3 credits | |
PSYC 4200 | Human Factors: Technology and Behaviour | 3 credits | |
PSYC 4400 | Research Methods II: Qualitative Methodologies | 3 credits | |
PSYC 4500 | Interpersonal Relations | 3 credits | |
PSYC 4700 | Culture and Psychology | 3 credits |
Note: * PSYC 3300 & 3400 are prerequisites for applying for the Honours program.
Honours
All of: |
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PSYC 5000 | Honours Thesis I | 6 credits | |
PSYC 5010 | Honours Thesis II | 6 credits |
Note: Honours Thesis courses may contribute to the 120 credits required for degree completion. Enrolment is competitive and requires the permission of the Psychology Honours Committee. In order to be considered, students are expected to achieve and maintain a cumulative GPA of 3.3, and a minimum grade of 'B+' in PSYC 3300 and 3400. Students must also obtain endorsement from a faculty member who will serve as their thesis advisor.
Credential Awarded
Upon successful completion of the honours program, students are eligible to receive a Bachelor of Applied Arts in Psychology (Honours).
Upon successful completion of the major program, students are eligible to receive a Bachelor of Applied Arts in Psychology.
At a Glance
Faculty of Arts
Psychology
Program Type:
- Undergraduate
Credential Granted:
- Baccalaureate Degree
Offered At:
- Langley
- Richmond
- Surrey
Start Date(s):
- September
- January
- May
Intake Type:
- Open intake
Format:
- Full-time
- Part-time
Minimum Credits Required:
- 120
Instructional Cycle:
- Semester-based
Curriculum Effective Date:
- 01-Sep-2018