Psychology: Bachelor of Arts Honours, Major, and Minor
Description
Distinct from the more specialized Bachelor of Applied Arts in Psychology which focuses on applied skills and research in the context of the workplace and community service, the Bachelor of Arts Major in Psychology is a more traditional degree focusing on core areas in psychology including biopsychology, cognitive psychology, developmental psychology, social/personality psychology and clinical/abnormal psychology. Students will have some flexibility to focus their studies in key areas of interest.
Those interested in further study and graduate school or who prefer more extensive research experience may augment their knowledge and skills by taking a separate one year 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. The Honours program requires 12 credits in addition to the 120 required for a four-year Bachelor degree.
Key features of the program include:
- The development of knowledge, core competencies, and skills characteristic of Bachelor of Arts programs in Psychology
- Incorporation of critical thinking skills into all psychology courses
- The opportunity of pursuing graduate studies in psychology by taking the Honours program
- Highly qualified, innovative faculty
- The opportunity to complete a Bachelor of Arts degree at Kwantlen where there is established emphasis on teaching, emerging emphasis on undergraduate research, long-standing connections to South Fraser communities, and accessibility for students in the expanding South Fraser region.
Career Opportunities
Although a BA in Psychology does not prepare graduates for specific occupations, the value of this degree has been documented many times and BA Psychology graduates can be found working in a variety of roles such as: group home coordinator, behaviour analyst, residential youth counselor, loans officer, and customer relations representative, to list but a few examples.
Careers in psychology generally require further study at the graduate level and to this end, the Honours program is available to students interested in pursuing graduate degrees.
Program Admission Requirements
In addition to Kwantlen's General university admission requirements, including the undergraduate-level English Proficiency Requirement, the following program admission requirements apply:
Year One Admission:
- English 12 with a 'B' (or equivalent)
- Mathematics:
- Minimum grade of 'C' in Pre-Calculus 11, Principles of Mathematics 11, or Applications of Mathematics 12 (or equivalent); or
- Minimum grade of 'C+' in Foundations of Mathematics 11 (or equivalent); or
- Minimum grade of 'C-' in Pre-Calculus 12 or Foundations of Mathematics 12 (or equivalent)
Year Three Admission:
- 60 credits with a cumulative GPA of 2.00 (including all 1100- and 2000-level major/minor program requirements).
- Grade of 'C' in all required 1000-and 2000-level courses, including the English writing requirement (ENGL 1100 and one of either ENGL 1202 or 1204, or equivalent).
- Two Quantitative courses (total of six or more credits).
- 12 credits of breadth courses
- Mathematics:
- Minimum grade of 'C' in Pre-Calculus 11, Principles of Mathematics 11, or Applications of Mathematics 12 (or equivalent); or
- Minimum grade of 'C+' in Foundations of Mathematics 11 (or equivalent); or
- Minimum grade of 'C-' in Pre-Calculus 12 or Foundations of Mathematics 12 (or equivalent); or
- Minimum grade of 'C+' in the above Two Quantitative courses (three credits of which must be from the Faculty of Science & Horticulture)
- Second language at the Grade 11 level or 6 credits of post-secondary language courses in the same language. Note: Students need only achieve a passing grade to fulfill this requirement. Beginner's or Introductory Language 11 courses are ineligible to meet this requirement. Students who can demonstrate competency in a second language may request an assessment to have this requirement waived.
Honours Admission:
In order to be admitted to the Honours program students are expected to achieve and maintain a cumulative GPA of 3.3 and to obtain a 'B+' grade in both PSYC 3300 and 3400. Students must also obtain endorsement from a faculty member who will serve as their thesis advisor, and be recommended by the Psychology Honours selection committee. Selections are made in May for the following September.
A limited number of seats are available each year for Honours students. Interested students can obtain a program application form from the Psychology Department during or after their third year of the degree.
Qualifying Year
Students who do not qualify upon initial application to Kwantlen may be eligible for entry to the Qualifying Year. Students who possess at least a 'C' in English 12 (or equivalent) and a passing grade in either Pre-Calculus 11, Principles of Math 11, Foundations of Mathematics 11, Applications of Math 12 (or equivalents) will be able to apply for entry to the BA Qualifying Year. Students will be admitted to the BA program in the second year provided they have successfully completed appropriate qualifying courses. Other applicants who do not qualify are encouraged to consult an Educational Advisor for the appropriate qualifying courses that satisfy the application criteria.
Program Continuance Requirements
Current BA students must meet the following requirements to continue into their 3rd year of study. Registration access to third or fourth year courses is first awarded to students who have completed the following:- 60 credits with a cumulative GPA of 2.00 (including all 1100- and 2000-level major/minor program requirements).
- Grade of 'C' in all required 1000-and 2000-level courses, including the English writing requirement (ENGL 1100 and one of either ENGL 1202 or 1204, or equivalent).
- Two Quantitative courses.
- 12 credits of breadth courses
- Second language at the Grade 11 level or 6 credits of post-secondary language courses in the same language. Note: Students need only achieve a passing grade to fulfill this requirement. Beginner's or Introductory Language 11 courses are ineligible to meet this requirement. Students who can demonstrate competency in a second language may request an assessment to have this requirement waived.
Program Requirements
Psychology Honours
In addition to the 120 credits required by the Bachelor of Arts, Major in Psychology degree (below), The Honours program consists of two 6 credit thesis courses (PSYC 5001 and PSYC 5010) that are offered in September and January respectively. For the BA, PSYC 5001 and 5010 must be taken in addition to the 120 credits required for degree completion.
Students must complete the following 2 courses in addition to their 120 credit degree requirement: |
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| PSYC 5001 | Honours Thesis I (BA) | 6 credits | |
| PSYC 5010 | Honours Thesis II | 6 credits | |
To qualify for the Psychology Honours degree, students must have been admitted to the Honours program prior to earning the Psychology degree. Students may receive either the Psychology degree or the Psychology Honours degree, but not both.
Psychology Major
Students must complete the following requirements for the Psychology Major.
1000 and 2000 Level
Students must complete the following requirements for the Psychology Major: |
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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 2400 | Experimental Psychology: Research Methodology | 3 credits | |
| PSYC 2315 | Brain and Behaviour | 3 credits | |
| PSYC 2385 | Cognition | 3 credits | |
And at least two (2) courses from the following list: |
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| PSYC 2308 | History & Systems of Contemporary Psychology | 3 credits | |
| PSYC 2320 | Developmental Psychology: Childhood* | 3 credits | |
| PSYC 2321 | Developmental Psychology: Adolescence* | 3 credits | |
| PSYC 2322 | Developmental Psychology: Adulthood* | 3 credits | |
| PSYC 2330 | Social Psychology | 3 credits | |
| PSYC 2350 | Psychopathology | 3 credits | |
* Note: Students may not take more than one of PSYC 2320, 2321, or 2322 towards this requirement. Students who complete more than one of PSYC 2320, 2321 and 2322 may use the additional course(s) as part of their electives that count towards 120 credits for BA degree completion.
3000 and 4000 Level
Students must take a minimum of 30 credits of 3000 and 4000 level psychology courses. This must include at least ONE course from each of the five core areas. The remaining 15 credits may be selected from the list of additional courses or from the core areas. |
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| 1. Biopsychology: | |||
| PSYC 3320 | Drugs and Behaviour | 3 credits | |
| PSYC 3910 | Neuropsychology | 3 credits | |
| PSYC 4315 | Neuroscience | 3 credits | |
| 2. Cognitive: | |||
| PSYC 3215 | Psychology of Memory | 3 credits | |
| PSYC 3303 | Psychology of Learning | 3 credits | |
| PSYC 3311 | Psychology of Consciousness | 3 credits | |
| PSYC 3800 | Evolutionary Psychology | 3 credits | |
| PSYC 4210 | Critical Thinking | 3 credits | |
| 3. Developmental: | |||
| PSYC 3316 | Infancy | 3 credits | |
| PSYC 3920 | Aging | 3 credits | |
| 4. Social/Personality: | |||
| PSYC 3210 | Attitudes and Persuasion | 3 credits | |
| PSYC 3220 | Group Dynamics | 3 credits | |
| PSYC 3307 | Historical and Philosophical Foundations of Psychology | 3 credits | |
| PSYC 3370 | Advanced Personality Theory | 3 credits | |
| PSYC 3451 | Psychology and Law | 3 credits | |
| PSYC 4700 | Cultural Psychology | 3 credits | |
| 5. Clinical/Abnormal: | |||
| PSYC 3350 | Advanced Topics in Psychopathology | 3 credits | |
| PSYC 3450 | Clinical Psychotherapy | 3 credits | |
| PSYC 3600 | Health Psychology | 3 credits | |
| PSYC 4350 | Developmental Psychopathology | 3 credits | |
| Additional Courses: | |||
| PSYC 3200 | Industrial and Organizational Psychology | 3 credits | |
| PSYC 3300 | Applied Statistics II | 3 credits | |
| PSYC 3400 | Applied Research I | 3 credits | |
| PSYC 3500 | Interpersonal Relations I | 3 credits | |
| PSYC 3930 | Consumer Psychology - Research & Applications | 3 credits | |
| PSYC 3940 | Adult Education | 3 credits | |
| PSYC 3950 | Cognitive Ergonomics | 3 credits | |
| PSYC 3970 | Community Psychology | 3 credits | |
| PSYC 3980 | Environmental Psychology | 3 credits | |
| PSYC 4100 | Tests and Measurement | 3 credits | |
| PSYC 4200 | Human Factors and Ergonomics | 3 credits | |
| PSYC 4350 | Developmental Psychopathology | 3 credits | |
| PSYC 4400 | Applied Research II | 3 credits | |
| PSYC 4500 | Interpersonal Relations II | 3 credits | |
| PSYC 4600 | Positive Psychology | 3 credits | |
| PSYC 4800 | Professional and Ethical Issues | 3 credits | |
| PSYC 4900 | Special Topics in Psychology | 3 credits | |
| PSYC 4910 | Rehabilitation | 3 credits | |
Psychology Minor
Students must complete the following requirements for the Psychology Minor:
1000 and 2000 Level
Students are required to complete all of the following courses: |
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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 2385 | Cognition | 3 credits | |
| PSYC 2400 | Experimental Psychology: Research Methodology | 3 credits | |
And at least 1 course from the following list: |
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| PSYC 2308 | History & Systems of Contemporary Psychology | 3 credits | |
| PSYC 2320 | Developmental Psychology: Childhood | 3 credits | |
| PSYC 2321 | Developmental Psychology: Adolescence | 3 credits | |
| PSYC 2322 | Developmental Psychology: Adulthood | 3 credits | |
| PSYC 2330 | Social Psychology | 3 credits | |
| PSYC 2350 | Psychopathology | 3 credits | |
| PSYC 2370 | Psychology of Personality | 3 credits | |
3000 AND 4000 LEVEL
Psychology courses at the 3000 level are accessible to all students who have completed Introductory Psychology 1100 and 1200, plus any additional prerequisite course indicated.
Students who have completed nine credits of required Psychology courses at the 2000 level (including Psychology 2300 and 2400), plus the BA entrance requirements, can apply for entry to the Bachelor of Arts, Minor in Psychology.
Courses at the 4000 level will require prerequisites at the 2000 and possibly 3000 level.
Students are required to complete at least one (1) course from each of the following five core areas: |
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| 1. Biopsychology: | |||
| PSYC 3320 | Drugs and Behaviour | 3 credits | |
| PSYC 3910 | Neuropsychology | 3 credits | |
| PSYC 4315 | Neuroscience | 3 credits | |
| 2. Cognitive: | |||
| PSYC 3215 | Psychology of Memory | 3 credits | |
| PSYC 3303 | Learning: Theory & Practice | 3 credits | |
| PSYC 3311 | Psychology of Consciousness | 3 credits | |
| PSYC 3800 | Evolutionary Psychology | 3 credits | |
| PSYC 4210 | Critical Thinking | 3 credits | |
| 3. Developmental: | |||
| PSYC 3316 | Infancy | 3 credits | |
| PSYC 3920 | Aging | 3 credits | |
| 4. Social / Personality | |||
| PSYC 3210 | Attitudes and Persuasion | 3 credits | |
| PSYC 3220 | Group Dynamics | 3 credits | |
| PSYC 3307 | Historical and Philosophical Foundations of Psychology | 3 credits | |
| PSYC 3370 | Advanced Personality Theory | 3 credits | |
| PSYC 3451 | Psychology and Law | 3 credits | |
| PSYC 4700 | Cultural Psychology | 3 credits | |
| 5. Clinical / Abnormal | |||
| PSYC 3350 | Advanced Topics in Psychopathology | 3 credits | |
| PSYC 3450 | Clinical Psychotherapy | 3 credits | |
| PSYC 3600 | Health Psychology | 3 credits | |
| PSYC 4350 | Developmental Psychopathology | 3 credits | |
Credential Awarded
Upon successful completion of the honours program, students are eligible to receive a Bachelor of Arts (Honours), Major in Psychology.
Upon successful completion of the major program, students are eligible to receive a Bachelor of Arts, Major in Psychology.
Upon successful completion of the minor program, students are eligible to receive a Minor in Psychology as part of a Bachelor of Arts program.
