The B.A. or B.Sc. program in Psychology is intended to give students a general academic background. Those who are interested in practicing psychology professionally must obtain a graduate degree, typically the Ph.D.
Graduate school application process varies by school and by program, and students are advised to research available graduate study opportunities for each school individually.
Admission to most graduate programs in Psychology requires not only a record of high academic achievement but also an adequate performance on entrance examinations as well as several letters of recommendation.
Research Experience
Experience with psychological research is desirable for graduate school admissions. At McGill, ample opporunities for hand-on research experience are available.
Students Enrolled in the Major Program should consider taking either PSYC 450D1. Research Project and Seminar., PSYC 450D2. Research Project and Seminar., PSYC 395. Psychology Research Project 1., PSYC 494D1. Psychology Research Project., PSYC 494D2. Psychology Research Project. or PSYC 495. Psychology Research Project 2..
Consult Research courses website for more information and course application forms.
Students Enrolled in the Honors Program will complete at least one research projects in U2 and/or U3.
Handouts prepared by the Department of Psychology concerning applications to graduate school are available in the Department of Psychology Undergraduate Office, N7/9, Stewart Biological Sciences Building.
External Fellowship Funding
Obtaining external funding is important for graduate studies. In Canada, both provincial and federal granting agencies provide fellowship support for graduate studies in Canada and abroad. More information about graduate fellowships, as well as specific fellowship opportunities, and application deadlines is available on the Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies website.
Funding workshop sessions are held in Fall of each academic year.
Federal Agencies:
- Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC) offers graduate fellowships to Canadian citizens and permanent residents of Canada whose research is concerned with basic psychological processes.
- Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC) offers graduate fellowships to Canadian citizens or permanent residents who are already enrolled in or have completed at least 1 year of graduate studies and whose area of research concerns social sciences including social psychology, clinical psychology, and/or psycholinguistics.
- Canadian Institute of Health Research (CIHR) provides support to graduate students whose research spans different health aspects and those who have completed 12 months of a Masters, PhD, or other professional degree health-related fields.
Provincial Agencies:
Quebec provincial agencies (FQRNT, FRQSC, and FRSQ) provide postgraduate fellowship in support of Quebec residents. Please consult the individual agencies websites for more information on funding opportunities and application deadlines.