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waterloo
Faculty of Science | Faculty of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies
Our Master of Arts (MA) in Psychology is offered within three fields: community psychology, developmental psychology and social psychology.
Be an Agent of Change
In our community psychology field, you’ll gain valuable work experience as a community consultant through our practicum placement. You’ll spend 200 hours in your practicum placement learning important practical skills as you critically reflect on your practicum experience using an Action, Theory, and Research (ART) model.
In community psychology, we’ll teach you to take a value-based, action-oriented and ecological approach to your research – focusing not only on the individual, but also on the social, physical and community environment in which that individual lives.
Advance Your Research Abilities and Interests
In developmental and social psychology, we believe that great researchers are trained in a supportive learning environment. As soon as you start either of these program fields, you’ll begin conducting research with a faculty adviser in your first year.
Over the course of two years, with the close mentorship of your adviser, you’ll learn how to develop a research program, how to use new research methodologies and statistical techniques, and how to communicate your research like an expert. You’ll generate new research that can advance basic knowledge in psychology, and you may have the opportunity to present your research at national or international conferences.
You’ll form close bonds with faculty and peers through small, intensive courses, research lab groups, and regular area meetings including seminars and journal clubs.
Program Options
This full-time program is normally completed in two years (six consecutive terms).
Program requirements vary by field:
- Community psychology: six half-credit courses, a practicum, and a thesis.
- Developmental and social psychology: five half-credit courses, a research seminar and a thesis.
Contact Us:
David White, Graduate Coordinator
General Inquiries
Funding
- Winners of major external awards (OGS, QEII and Tri-Council) may be eligible for top-up funding which includes the Dean’s Graduate Scholarship (total value exceeds $10,000).
- Eligible domestic students admitted to study on a full-time basis receive average financial support of $14,500–$17,500. This support may be made up of teaching assistantships, internal/external scholarships, and/or faculty-funded studentships or research assistantships.
- A list of all funding opportunities available to Laurier graduate students, including information about OGS, QEII and Tri-Council, is available on our graduate funding webpage.
Research Focus
Examples of research projects currently be conducted in the department include:
- Taking culture seriously in community mental health (Community).
- Housing, self-help/mutual aid, and community support projects for people with physical, developmental and/or mental health challenges (Community).
- Aging and intergenerational relationships (Developmental).
- Child memory and learning (Developmental).
- Self and social cognition (Social).
- Factors that affect women's and minority group's psychological and social responses to experiences of discrimination (Social).
Requirements
- A four-year (honours) undergraduate degree (or equivalent) in psychology or related field.
- A minimum B average in your last two years of study.
- Applications are reviewed by the graduate program committee, which considers all prior university grades, a writing sample and letters of reference.
Careers
Historically, our students have been placed in government departments, community agencies, schools, non-profit organizations and grassroots settings.
Examples of jobs held by our graduate include:
- faculty position at Carleton University
- Government of Canada
- researcher at a Kitchener non-governmental organization
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