First Year (0 – 23 Credits)
Welcome to your first year in York Psychology. The following information is for students coming into the program out of high school, or with no prior university education. Transfer students will find important information at the end of the page concerning credits and requirements.
A full course load at York is 30 credits per year: 5 full year (6 credit) courses, or a combination of full year and one term (3 credit) courses. However, it is not uncommon to take fewer courses in the Fall and Winter terms, especially if you are planning to take summer courses. The first year Psychology requirement is the same for BA and BSc students in all Psychology programs. However, the rest of the first year differs, depending on whether you are a BA or BSc student, so follow the link for your program to determine which additional courses you should take.
Required: PSYC 1010 6.00 – Introduction to Psychology
This course provides a basic introduction to each of the major sub-disciplines within Psychology exposing you both to the historical roots and to some of most important current trends in each area. We strongly advise you to devote a lot of time and effort in your first year to making sure you succeed in PSYC 1010, and to seek help early in the year if you are having difficulty.
Optional: PSYC 2020 6.00/PSYC 2021 3.00/PSYC 2022 3.0 – Introduction to Statistics
These courses provide an introduction to the analysis of psychological data (note that PSYC 2021 3.00 + PSYC 2022 3.00 taken in sequence are equivalent to PSYC 2020 6.00). By taking your Introductory Statistics course(s) in your first year, you will: 1) limit the amount of time since your last mathematics/statistics course (some of the material from high school math is relevant, such as solving equations, order of operations, graphing, probability, etc.); 2) give yourself more time and opportunity to complete extra methods courses (e.g., students may want to consider the Concentration in Applied Methods and Analysis, or the Certificate in Psychological Methods and Data Analysis; and 3) you will be better prepared to read research articles and understand the results of these studies when you move on to your second year Psychology courses.
Psychology Honours Program
Note that you can apply to the Psychology BA or BSc Honours Program after completing your first year.
Second Year (24 – 53 Credits)
This page provides tips for Psychology students who have completed their first year, which includes PSYC 1010 6.00, and have registered as Psychology majors.
Tips for Second Year Students:
- If you did not complete your required Introduction to Statistics Courses (e.g., PSYC 2020 6.00/PSYC 2021 3.00/PSYC 2022 3.00) in your first year, you should definitely complete these courses in second year
- It is highly recommended that you complete the following two required courses in your second year as well:
- PSYC 2030 3.0 (Introduction to Research Methods)
- PSYC 2010 3.00 (Writing in Psychology)
- In addition, all Psychology students must meet requirements from two different groups of courses, at least one focusing on the social and personality aspects of Psychology (21xx courses fulfill this requirement), and at least one on the biological and cognitive aspects of Psychology (22xx courses fulfill this requirement). These should also be completed in second year.
- All degree programs have requirements in terms of General Education courses which are electives from outside of Psychology and contribute to breadth of learning in university. These requirements differ for each program (BA and BSc degrees) so go to the Academic Calendar for specific requirements for your program to identify Gen Eds that fulfill your degree requirements. For questions about General Education requirements see OSAS Resources.
- Are you considering completing a Concentration or a Certificate? If so, please check the website for requirements and map out your desired curriculum early to ensure you take the prerequisite courses for later courses.
- If you haven’t already joined a student group (e.g., Undergraduate Psychology Students Association), we strongly recommend that you explore the associations and clubs that contribute to your sense of community at York.
Prerequisites
Note: Many upper year courses have prerequisites. That means that you cannot register in certain courses until you have taken other required (prerequisite) courses. For example, you can not register in PSYC 3640 3.00 (Psychology of Intimate Relationships) until you have completed PSYC 1010 6.00 (Introduction to Psychology) and PSYC 2120 3.00 (Social Psychology). More detail regarding prerequisites may be found here.
Psychology Specialized Honours Program
Note that you can apply to the Psychology Specialized Honours Program after completing your second year. Applications are accepted from May 1 to May 15 each year.
Third Year (54 – 83 Credits)
This page provides tips for students who have registered as a Psychology major or minor and have completed their first and second years of study (at least 54 credits complete).
Tips for Third Year Students:
- At this stage you should have completed PSYC 1010 6.00, and also your 2000-level statistics, research methods, and writing in psychology courses. You should also have completed some or all of your Group 1 and Group 2 2000-level (21xx/22xx) core foundational courses
- If you are planning to graduate with a BA (90 credit) degree in Psychology, please double check (e.g., consider making an advising appointment) that you will have completed all degree requirements by the end of your third year or by the time you wish to graduate
- Are you considering completing a Concentration or a Certificate? If so, please check the website for requirements
- If you haven’t already joined a student group (e.g., Undergraduate Psychology Students Association), we strongly recommend that you explore available groups.
- If you are in the Specialized Honours Program, be sure to identify and reach out to potential thesis supervisors for PSYC 4001; see Faculty Research Interests and Research Opportunities for Undergraduates.
- Don’t forget about course prerequisites and ensure that you have all the prerequisites that you will need for your desired upper-year courses
- Tutors are often needed for lower-level courses; please see the Undergraduate Psychology Students Association if you are interested in being a tutor, or Calumet College, if you would like to be a peer mentor
Fourth Year (84+ Credits)
This page provides tips for students who have registered as a Psychology major or minor and have completed their first, second and third years of study (at least 84 credits complete).
Tips for Fourth Year Students:
- As you near the completion of your degree, please double check that you have met all degree requirements; an academic advising appointment is a great idea
- Are you considering completing a Concentration or a Certificate? If so, please check that you have met all of the requirements and be sure you complete the proper applications/paperwork
- If you haven’t already joined a student group (e.g., Undergraduate Psychology Students Association), we strongly recommend that you explore available groups. Calumet College for example has a number of workshops and supports related to applying to post-graduate programs and improving your interview skills
- If you are in the Specialized Honours program, be sure to explore what ethics requirements apply to your thesis
- Tutors are often needed for lower-level courses; please see the Undergraduate Psychology Students Association if you are interested in being a tutor, or Calumet College, if you would like to be a peer mentor
This page is currently under construction. However, some information is provided below.
Welcome to York University.
This page is intended to provide information to students with Advanced Placement Psychology or who are transferring from other institutions. Please book an advising appointment our Academic Advisor for guidance on how to best achieve your goals.
Each transfer student is dealt with individually, based on the nature of the Psychology training you have received in AP or in your prior college or university program. Decisions about transfer credits and course equivalence are handled through the Admissions Office after you have accepted your offer of admission.
If you have taken a 6-credit introductory psychology course at another Canadian university and achieved a grade of C or better, you can safely assume that you will be exempted from PSYC 1010, but you will still have to go through the process of requesting specific transfer credits for this course. All others are considered individually on the basis of course content and grades.
You will need to submit a full course outline that includes the details of the textbook used, topics covered, number of class hours, and method of evaluation. This material along with the transcript on which your grades for your prior Psychology courses are listed will be used in determining your standing with respect to PSYC 1010.
I have 90 transfer credits and have come back to school as I wish to pursue a graduate degree in Psychology.
Each year we advise students who are pursuing their undergraduate degree in Psychology, often after completing another degree in a different field, because they have decided that they would like to pursuing a graduate degree in Psychology. Please be sure to take advantage of our workshops on pursuing graduate programs in Psychology to learn more about what you will need in order to be a competitive applicant.
If this is your goal, it is strongly recommended that you consider applying for our Specialized Honours program. You might also want to book an advising appointment with the Specialized Honours coordinator or our Academic Advisor for guidance on how to best achieve your goals.
This page is being updated. We will share additional information as soon as possible. In the meantime if you have questions, please feel free to take a look at our website and/or click on the advising link for more information about who to contact with questions.
Psychology Program Requirements
Your official degree requirements can be found in the Academic Calendar for the year in which you entered the program. For previous years calendars, please see “Other Calendars” tab on the Academic Calendar website.
Degree Progress Report (DPR)
The Degree Progress Report is an online self-serve tool that allows students to track their progress towards their degree. The Degree Progress Report checks the requirements that are needed for you to graduate in your degree program as per the Undergraduate Calendar.
It checks all of the courses on your official record that you have taken at York towards your degree. Based on this automated review, it shows you what requirements you have already completed, what requirements you still need to complete and what is currently in progress. If you have a question about your Psychology degree please contact us at psyc@yorku.ca.