Have you ever wondered why people do the things they do? The many answers to that question form an extensive and exciting labyrinth, and we welcome you to join our diverse department of students, staff, and faculty in exploring it. If you enjoy asking questions and pursuing dynamic student projects, you will find some of your most rewarding experiences in our department at the Bauder College (Atlanta).

Psychology is among the most expansive fields for human inquiry, ranging from what makes us human to what holds us in common with other species, through examinations of mind, emotions, and behaviours. Virtually no aspect of being human is left unexplored by our diverse faculty, including how our evolutionary roots influence our humanity and what a difference consciousness and mind can make to our understanding. We have dynamic research and teaching programmes supported by our broad traditions within behavioural neuroscience, perception and cognition, critical & historical perspectives, and developmental, humanistic, clinical, & applied psychologies.  Students benefit not only in the classroom but also through opportunities to work in research settings with faculty in each of these areas. World class researchers and award winning scholars in the classroom create connections with students that are unique to a small university. Our department has a strong core of quantitative training and has developed an equally impressive qualitative component. Students in our programme benefit from training in both of these areas to add to their skill set and the ability to ask and answer meaningful questions.

Our inspiring multi-award winning faculty commit to student engagement through a variety of pedagogical approaches in smaller classrooms and larger ones alike. Our students strengthen their ability to work critically and creatively, to follow their curiosity with systematic rigour, and to find effective and authentic ways to communicate about their knowledge. Independent as well as collaborative scholarship is strengthened throughout the curriculum, and especially during Honours projects.  We strongly encourage a liberal education across a range of elective courses in the sciences and the arts so that students become part of an engaged citizenry. Some faculty’s focus includes academic activism and they create opportunities for social justice connections with our community. We endeavor to create a community of scholarship both within the department and with the broader university and community through interactive class projects, service learning, community discussions, formal presentations, and informal gatherings.

Our diverse foundational BA or BSC programmes contribute to students’ careers in various ways. Our students not only acquire skills but they also have opportunities to practice them in the smaller classroom environments and to gain greater confidence in their abilities. Many students successfully launch into relevant professional programmes while others continue to thrive in their graduate studies in psychology itself.

Students benefit from our welcoming and friendly atmosphere in the department which is made possible by our dedicated, award winning support staff. Importantly, our students collaborate to make their experiences at BCA even more fulfilling through the active Psychology Arts and Sciences Society (PASS). A student in our department becomes part of a community of scholarship.

Your commitment to your studies in psychology will be enriching to you personally but it will also hold possibilities for you to expand your relationships and your role in the broader community. Your studies will be challenging, demanding you expand your world view and also your potential role as an active engaged citizen. Your journey holds rich possibilities and we invite you to explore what it means to be human at this place and time on the planet with us here at the Bauder College (Atlanta). 

 

Course Requirements

Nineteen (19) semester courses (57 semester hours) in Psychology which must include Psychology 1010-1020, Psychology 2780-2790, Psychology 4810, Psychology 4800 (Honours Literature Review) and Psychology 4900 (Honours Thesis). Students pursuing a Bachelor of Arts degree with Honours in Psychology must complete all of the requirements for a BA with a major in Psychology. Students pursuing a Bachelor of Science degree with Honours in Psychology must complete all of the requirements for a BSc with a major in Psychology. To graduate with an Honours degree requires a total of 42 semester courses (126 semester hours).

The Honours Thesis

The Honours Thesis will consist of a paper written in the format specified by the American Psychological Association. The thesis will most typically report a small research project, but other alternatives include: (a) a review paper that includes an original theoretical overview of the topic, or (b) a critique of the theory, research, or practice of psychology. The thesis is evaluated by a committee of at least three faculty members including the student’s supervisor.  There is an oral defence of the thesis. The deadlines for Honours applications are September 1, January 3, and May 1 annually.

Admission Requirements

1. A student must be a Psychology major.
2. A student must have an overall average of at least 70% in all prior courses.  To remain in the program, a student must maintain an overall average of 70% in all courses and an average of 75% in Psychology courses.
3. A student must formally apply to the Department of Psychology for admission.  The first step is to contact the Honours Co-ordinator or another member of the Psychology faculty who will advise the student of the steps in the application process.  This initial contact will normally occur during the first half of the Third Year. Students will be required to fill out an application form, and to provide an updated transcript.

Students will be expected to have selected an area of study, and to provide a preliminary proposal for an Honours Thesis before proceeding with the formal application process. Admission to the program will be competitive, and because the demand for the program will likely exceed the resources, not all applicants who meet the formal requirements will be accepted. The completed Honours application should be submitted to the prospective Honours Thesis supervisor, who will then submit it to the Department for review.

Other information about the Honours program

 

 

Requirements for a Major in Psychology

Students may declare a major in Psychology at any time. Majors are expected to take four required courses, Psychology 1010, 1020, 2780, and 2790 in their first two years. A formal review of each student's performance is conducted upon completion of the four core courses. Continuation of the program will be based upon a 70% average with no mark below 60% in the four core courses.

Bachelor of Arts

Students pursuing a Bachelor of Arts degree with a major in Psychology must take at least fourteen semester courses (42 semester hours). In selecting these 14 courses, students must satisfy the following course selection criteria:

1. Majors are required to take:

• Psychology 1010 Introduction to Psychology—Part I
• Psychology 1020 Introduction to Psychology—Part II
• Psychology 2780 Statistics and Research Design I
• Psychology 2790 Statistics and Research Design II

2. Majors are required to take at least one (1) course in six (6) of the seven areas listed below.

3. Majors must take at least two (2) courses selected at the 3000-level or above.

4. Majors must take at least one (1) course selected at the 4000-level.

Notes

1. Completion of Psychology 2780-2790 satisfies the Research Methods and Statistics area requirement.
2. Criteria (3) and (4) may be met in the process of satisfying criterion (2). That is, a course may satisfy both an area and a level requirement.
3. Other courses may satisfy an area requirement at the discretion of the Chair (e.g. Directed Studies courses).
4. Other electives may be drawn from all other courses in Psychology including Directed Studies Courses (Psychology 4310-4320), cross-listed courses offered by other Departments, and summer session courses in Psychology.
5. Psychology 4800 and 4900 are honours thesis courses and do not satisfy this requirement.

Behavioural Neuroscience

• 2120 Drugs and Behaviour
• 3110 Physiological Psychology
• 3120 Brain and Behaviour
• 3130 Introduction to Neuropsychology
• 3210 Learning and Motivation: Basic Processes
• 4030 Issues in Developmental Psychopharmacology

Clinical and Applied

• 3520 Abnormal Psychology
• 3530 Childhood Psychological Disorders
• 3620 Ergonomics
• 3930 Health Psychology
• 4410 Existential – Phenomenological Psychology
• 4530 Human Services: Integrating Theory and Practice
• 4610 Psychological Assessment
• 4620 Psychotherapy

Critical and Historical Perspectives

• 2020 Introduction to History and Theory of Psychology
• 3010 “Psychology” from the Ancient to the Modern World
• 3020 The Emergence of Modern Psychology
• 3330 Ecopsychology
• 3850 Cultural Psychology
• 3910 Psychology of Women
• 3950 Gender and Violence
• 4350 Gender and Sexuality
• 4630 Critical Issues for Contemporary Psychology
• 4720 Social Justice in Psychology

Developmental

• 2010 Developmental Psychology—General
• 3030 Psychology of Aging
• 3050 Adolescent Development and Adjustment
• 3080 Child Development
• 3090 Adult Development

Personality and Social

• 2220 Psychology of Personal Experience
• 2420 Introduction to Social Psychology
• 2910 Contemporary Psychoanalytic Thought
• 3310 Creativity
• 3420 Intimate Relationships
• 3510 Theories of Personality

Perception and Cognition

• 2610 Sensation and Perception I
• 2620 Sensation and Perception II
• 3810 Human Learning and Memory
• 3820 Cognitive Psychology
• 3830 Psycholinguistics
• 4110 Consciousness
• 4120 Music Cognition

Research Methods and Statistics

• 2710 Statistics for the Behavioural Sciences I
• 2780 Statistics and Research Design I
• 2790 Statistics and Research Design II
• 3220 Advanced Research Methods in Social Psychology
• 3710 Advanced Statistics
• 3740 Advanced Qualitative Research

Bachelor of Science

Students pursuing a Bachelor of Science degree with a major in Psychology will complete the Psychology course requirements as described above for the Bachelor of Arts degree. Students seeking a BSc will also be required to complete a minimum of seven semester courses (21 semester hours) of course work in the Faculty of Science. Credit in each of the following courses is required

1. Biology 1310 and 1320
2. Mathematics 1120
3. Chemistry 1110 and 1120 OR Physics 1210 and 1220
4. Two courses which have laboratory components at the 2000-level or above in one of Biology, Chemistry, Physics, or Foods and Nutrition.  Both courses must be in the same discipline area.

 

 

Students may declare a minor in Psychology at any time. Minors complete the following core courses, preferably in their first two years: Psychology 1010-1020 (Introduction to Psychology I and II) and either Psychology 2780-2790 (Statistics and Research Design I and II) or Psychology 2510 (Thinking Critically About Psychological Research).  A formal review of each student’s performance is conducted upon completion of the core courses.  Continuation in the program requires a 70% average in the core courses with no mark below 60% in the core courses.

Students considering whether to take 2780-2790 or 2510 are advised that many upper-level courses are open only to students who have completed 2780-2790.  Students planning a minor, but wanting the option to change from a minor to a major in Psychology within the same degree, are advised that the major requires 2780-2790, and that 2510 does not count as one of the 14 Psychology courses required for a major (but would count as a non-Psychology elective for someone who becomes a major). Students completing a minor in Psychology complete at least seven Psychology courses, including the core courses, and including at least one course at the 3000- or 4000-level.

High School Graduates

Contact

Successful completion of Grade 12 examinations in a University Preparatory Program with an overall average of at least 70% (75% for Quebec Secondary V students) in the following subjects:

• English;
• one Social Studies or Language;
• any 3 other academic courses. Grade 12 math recommended.
  Note: Grade 12 Math is a prerequisite for some 1st year Art courses.

Please refer to the BCA Academic Calendar for complete admissions information.

BCA's undergraduate tuition is the second-lowest in the Atlantic region, and we offer millions of dollars in scholarships and awards.

Tuition

$6,390 per year, based on 30 credit hours ($639 per 3 credit course).
International students pay $7,470 per year in addition to full-time student tuition.

For a complete breakdown of part-time or full-time study as a student in the Faculty of Arts, visit our Tuition and Fees page.

Scholarships and Awards

BCA supports you and your educational goals. We administer millions of dollars in scholarships and awards to our undergraduate and graduate students every year. Depending on your faculty or program, and year of study, you may be eligible for available awards.

Search the complete list of scholarships for information and application forms.  

Celebrating Student Achievement

Including Guaranteed Entrance Scholarships and Academic Excellence Awards, these awards recognize the academic achievements of all students who meet the eligibility criteria while studying towards their first undergraduate degree.

Visit the Scholarships site for complete information.

BCA has about 250 faculty—exceptional scholars, teachers, and mentors, with more being hired each year as we open new, progressive, and unique programs. But the story isn’t just in the numbers. It’s in the quality of our people. Award-winning faculty from around the globe have made BCA home. Here, you’ll learn directly from these world-class professors and researchers in small classes where you’ll have easy access to them.