Psychology

FEATURES:

• Program eligible for financial aid

Gain a deeper understanding of yourself and other people by earning a Bachelor of Arts with a major, extended minor, or honours in Psychology.

As the scientific study of the mind, behaviours, and motivations of people, psychology is concerned with almost every aspect of our lives. In fact, this field of study has assumed an increasingly important role in understanding and addressing social and individual problems.

Psychology has developed as both a profession and a science. Its findings have applications not only in the field of clinical psychology and counselling, but also in related fields such as human resources, marketing, management, social services, and more.

Psychology major

In your first and second year, you are introduced to some of the major research areas within the field of psychology including: motivation, psychological disorders, neuropsychology, etc. You learn about research methods used in psychology and apply them yourself when you conduct your own psychological research study.

In your third and fourth year, you begin to specialize by selecting courses that inspire you such as:

• Perception
• Learning
• Music
• Memory
• Consciousness
• Health
• Child and adolescent psychology
• Language
• Neuropsychology
• Drugs and Behaviour

View the program outline for a major in psychology in the Academic Calendar.

Psychology extended minor

Interaction with people is a huge part of any degree, and having a knowledge of psychology can be a great benefit — equipping you with a greater understanding of how people think, feel, and act. Pair a Psychology extended minor with a major in Criminology, Sociology, or another Arts discpline of your choice.

Once you have taken the first and second year courses for the Psychology extended minor program, you have freedom to choose any upper-level psychology courses that spark your interest. View the course descriptions page in the Academic Calendar for a list of upper-level courses you can take.

View the extended minor in psychology program outline in the Academic Calendar.

Psychology Honours

The Psychology Honours program is designed for students who have performed at a high level throughout their studies and want to enhance their degree for employment or graduate studies. It requires that you develop a working relationship with a professor who will supervise your thesis and oversee your Honours project. They will also assist you with any questions that you may have in completing your project.

• See the entrance requirements for psychology honours
• See the program outline for psychology honours
• To get the Honours Application form, please contact the Psychology Department Coordinator.

Additional Features:

Get involved with the Student Psychology Association (SPA). SPA holds a variety of activities to support students in the psychology program and operates out of the Psychology Resource Room in D building, room D125. Meetings are held weekly, and all students are welcome to attend.

Take a directed studies course in Psychology. Directed Studies (DS) courses make it possible for one or more students to work under the guidance of a faculty member on a reading or research project of mutual interest. DS courses are not to duplicate material covered in other psychology courses, but bring an element of originality to a topic of interest.

The career of psychologist has been identified by WorkBC as a top opportunity profession, with favourable job prospects from now to 2028. To become a counsellor and practice as a registered psychologist in B.C., psychology undergrads need to complete graduate studies. A Bachelor of Arts with a Psychology major is a good foundation for further studies in psychology or counselling, or for other professional programs such as law, medicine, social work, and education.

You may also immediately apply your understanding of human behaviour, clear thinking, and communications skills to a career in the areas of human resources, labour relations, marketing, management, corrections, research, or social services.

The entrance requirements for the Bachelor of Arts degree will apply to the Psychology program.

View the Bachelor of Arts entrance requirements in the UFV Academic Calendar.

This program is open to international students

• How to apply

Students who do not meet the entrance requirements can upgrade in order to meet prerequisites for university classes.

Book an appointment with the Upgrading and University Preparation department to discuss your upgrading needs.

Psychology Major

1. Students will be able to identify psychological issues, develop positions on these issues, and critically evaluate evidence for and against these positions, when reading psychological literature.
2. Students will demonstrate an ability to orally communicate issue positions and evidence to an audience of peers without relying on a written script.
3. Students will be familiar with multiple sources of psychological research and other scholarly works including primary research journals, secondary text sources, online writing, and non-print media. They will gain this familiarity both by being presented with sources important in the history of psychology and by actively pursuing multiple sources through investigations of topics of their own individual interest.
4. Students will be able to demonstrate their ability to access these sources and to demonstrate skills required to critically appraise the scientific rigour presented by information in these sources.
5. Students will produce written reports of psychological subject matter using the organization, documentation style, and scientific language used by psychological professionals.
6. Students will demonstrate their ability to apply research methods and statistical techniques to develop a psychological research question into scientifically appropriate procedure and corresponding data. They will conduct at least one original empirical investigation in which these skills are used throughout the development of a research project.
7. Students will have an understanding of the basic ethical principles underlying psychological research, and will be able to use those principles to guide their research design.
8. Students will demonstrate an understanding of at least six major theoretical philosophies of psychological thought (cognitive, biological, psychodynamic, behavioural, humanistic, and socio-cultural), and show an appreciation for the need to apply multiple theoretical perspectives in the investigation of psychological phenomena.
9. Students will be able to describe psychological findings from a variety of subfields within psychology, and will be able to describe the potential relevance of these findings to the understanding of people and interpersonal situations.
10. Students will demonstrate an understanding that psychology is a study of human development, and will be knowledgeable of multiple developmental theories that study the interrelationships between the role of physiological development and the impact of environmental influences on the nature of human developmental change.
11. Students will be able to apply knowledge and process in psychology to self-knowledge and self-change.
12. Students will demonstrate effective group collaboration and leadership in discussions, projects, and presentations.

Psychology Honours

1. Students will be prepared to participate in the broader research community, including preparing findings for the purposes of dissemination and presenting findings to a broader audience.
2. Students will demonstrate complex thought and knowledge and develop competence at the skills required for success in graduate studies or careers.
3. Students in individualized programs of study (including Honours Program and Directed Studies) will experience a process of designing a path of inquiry, executing the logistics of the study of their selected topic, and being responsible for the presentation of the results for peer and/or faculty evaluation.
4. Students will apply specific scientific research methods and tools of statistical analysis to design and evaluate a psychological question. This experience will expose these students to the ethical and logistical demands of research protocols, the demands of professional peer review procedures, and the creative dimensions within scientific study.

Phone: 604-864-4674
Toll free: 1-888-504-7441, ext. 4674
Email: advising@ufv.ca
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