Ï㽶ÊÓƵ

Major Program

IMPORTANT NOTE: Effective as of Winter 2024, all all newly admitted PSYC majors must complete PSYC 204, despite any courses completed prior to McGill. If students receive a MATH 203 exemption (via advanced standing credits, another university, etc), this does not exempt them from PSYC 204 at McGill. Students will need to complete PSYC 204 at McGill and will receive credit for it.

***Please note that this webpage is undergoing maintenance. Please refer to the program checklist listed under "Advising Office Tips". For further inquiries, please contact undergrad.psych [at] mcgill.ca.***

Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) - Major Concentration Psychology(36 Credits)

    Offered by:Psychology
    Degree:Bachelor of Arts

Program Requirement:

Psychology is the scientific study of the mind and behavior. The B.A. Major Concentration in Psychology (36 credits) provides students with a basic overview, covering the core areas of psychological science as well as more advanced courses in specialized content areas. Students also have the option to complete a research course(s) (see Program Requirements for details). Note: this program may not provide sufficient undergraduate background preparation for certain graduate programs. Students who wish to go on to graduate training in psychology, and those who wish to complete the undergraduate credits in psychology as specified by the Ordre des Psychologues du Québec (which are required by some graduate psychology programs), are advised to take the supplementary Minor Concentration Behavioural Science. This specialization option will give students the space to take the additional courses they may need for such applications.

Program Requirements

The Major Concentration Psychology program is intended to provide students with a basic knowledge in psychology while completing a multi-track, interdisciplinary degree.

Note: The Major Concentration Psychology alone is not sufficiently focused to prepare students for graduate studies in Psychology, especially professional programs (eg. Clinical, Counselling and School Psychology) in Quebec. Nor does the program provide sufficient background for students to apply for membership in the Ordre des Psychologues du Québec, even once the additional graduate requirements of the Ordre have been completed. Thus, students planning to apply to professional psychology programs in Quebec are advised to consider a Bachelor of Science, Major Psychology or a Bachelor of Arts, Major Concentration Psychology with a Minor Concentration Behavioural Science (Note: The Minor Concentration Behavioural Science is not available to students in the Bachelor of Arts and Science).



    Program Prerequisites (0-6 credits)

    Students planning to enter the Major Concentration Psychology program should have completed an introductory course in general psychology and biology in CEGEP. Otherwise, they can complete them in their first year at Ï㽶ÊÓƵ (see below).

    Introduction to Psychology or General Psychology in CEGEP is equivalent to PSYC 100 at McGill. Students who have not completed either of those courses are advised to take PSYC 100 in their first year.

    Students who have completed General Biology 1 or 2 in CEGEP would have the recommended biology background. Students who have not completed one of those courses are advised to complete BIOL 111 or BIOL 112 during their first year.

    McGill Freshman students are recommended to complete the following courses in their U0 year.



      0-6 credits from:


      • PSYC 100 Introduction to Psychology 3 Credits
          Offered in the:
        • Fall
        • Winter
        • Summer


      0-3 credits from:


      • BIOL 111 Principles:Organismal Biology 3 Credits
          Offered in the:
        • Fall
        • Winter
        • Summer

      • BIOL 112 Cell and Molecular Biology 3 Credits
          Offered in the:
        • Fall
        • Winter
        • Summer


      Required Courses (18 credits)

      U1


      • PSYC 204 Intro to Psychological Stats 3 Credits*
          Offered in the:
        • Fall
        • Winter
        • Summer

      • PSYC 211 Intro Behavioural Neuroscience 3 Credits
          Offered in the:
        • Fall
        • Winter
        • Summer

      • PSYC 212 Perception 3 Credits
          Offered in the:
        • Fall
        • Winter
        • Summer

      • PSYC 213 Cognition 3 Credits
          Offered in the:
        • Fall
        • Winter
        • Summer

      • PSYC 215 Social Psychology 3 Credits
          Offered in the:
        • Fall
        • Winter
        • Summer

      *Advising note for PSYC 204: CEGEP students are exempt from PSYC 204 if they have completed, with a minimum grade of 75%, the following two courses: 1) Quantitative Methods and either 2a) Advanced Quantitative Methods or 2b) Statistics for Social Science. CEGEP students are also exempt from PSYC 204 if they have completed Probability & Statistics or Statistics with a minimum grade of 75%.

      Bachelor of Arts and Science students exempt from PSYC 204 replace this course with 3 credits in Psychology (PSYC) at the 300 level or above.


      U1 or U2


      • PSYC 305 Statistics for Exper Design 3 Credits**
          Offered in the:
        • Fall
        • Winter
        • Summer

      **Note: Students who wish to apply to the Joint Honours program in Psychology must complete the required courses above, including PSYC 305 in their U1 year, to be eligible for admission. Also, all students must complete a minimum of 27 graded credits in the academic year prior to applying (fall and winter terms). For additional information about applying to Joint Honours, please refer to the Joint Honours program description.


      Complementary Courses (18 credits)

      3 credits in Psychology from List A - (Behavioural Neuroscience, Cognition and Quantitative Methods)
      3 credits in Psychology from List B - (Social, Health and Developmental Psychology)
      6 credits in Psychology at the 300 level or above.
      6 credits in Psychology at the 400 or 500 level.



        List A - (Behavioural Neuroscience, Cognition and Quantitative Methods)


        • NSCI 201 Intro. to Neuroscience 2 3 Credits
            Offered in the:
          • Fall
          • Winter
          • Summer

        • PSYC 301 Animal Learning and Theory 3 Credits
            Offered in the:
          • Fall
          • Winter
          • Summer

        • PSYC 302 Pain 3 Credits
            Offered in the:
          • Fall
          • Winter
          • Summer

        • PSYC 306 Research Methods in Psychology 3 Credits
            Offered in the:
          • Fall
          • Winter
          • Summer

        • PSYC 310 Intelligence 3 Credits
            Offered in the:
          • Fall
          • Winter
          • Summer

        • PSYC 311 Human Cognition and the Brain 3 Credits
            Offered in the:
          • Fall
          • Winter
          • Summer

        • PSYC 315 Computational Psychology 3 Credits
            Offered in the:
          • Fall
          • Winter
          • Summer

        • PSYC 317 Genes and Behaviour 3 Credits
            Offered in the:
          • Fall
          • Winter
          • Summer

        • PSYC 318 Behavioural Neuroscience 2 3 Credits
            Offered in the:
          • Fall
          • Winter
          • Summer

        • PSYC 319 Computational Models-Cognition 3 Credits
            Offered in the:
          • Fall
          • Winter
          • Summer

        • PSYC 329 Intro. to Auditory Cognition 3 Credits
            Offered in the:
          • Fall
          • Winter
          • Summer

        • PSYC 340 Psych of Language 3 Credits
            Offered in the:
          • Fall
          • Winter
          • Summer

        • PSYC 341 The Psychology of Bilingualism 3 Credits
            Offered in the:
          • Fall
          • Winter
          • Summer

        • PSYC 342 Hormones & Behaviour 3 Credits
            Offered in the:
          • Fall
          • Winter
          • Summer

        • PSYC 352 Res Mthds & Lab in Cog Psych 3 Credits
            Offered in the:
          • Fall
          • Winter
          • Summer

        • PSYC 353 Res Mthds & Lab in Hum Percept 3 Credits
            Offered in the:
          • Fall
          • Winter
          • Summer

        • PSYC 403 Modern Psych in Hist Persp 3 Credits
            Offered in the:
          • Fall
          • Winter
          • Summer

        • PSYC 406 Psychological Tests 3 Credits
            Offered in the:
          • Fall
          • Winter
          • Summer

        • PSYC 410 Sp Topics in Neuropsychology 3 Credits
            Offered in the:
          • Fall
          • Winter
          • Summer

        • PSYC 413 Cognitive Development 3 Credits
            Offered in the:
          • Fall
          • Winter
          • Summer

        • PSYC 415 EEG Laboratory in Psychology 3 Credits
            Offered in the:
          • Fall
          • Winter
          • Summer

        • PSYC 427 Sensorimotor Neuroscience 3 Credits
            Offered in the:
          • Fall
          • Winter
          • Summer

        • PSYC 433 Cognitive Science 3 Credits
            Offered in the:
          • Fall
          • Winter
          • Summer

        • PSYC 439 Correlational Techniques 3 Credits
            Offered in the:
          • Fall
          • Winter
          • Summer

        • PSYC 443 Affective Neuroscience 3 Credits
            Offered in the:
          • Fall
          • Winter
          • Summer

        • PSYC 444 Sleep Mechanisms and Behaviour 3 Credits
            Offered in the:
          • Fall
          • Winter
          • Summer

        • PSYC 470 Memory and Brain 3 Credits
            Offered in the:
          • Fall
          • Winter
          • Summer

        • PSYC 502 Psychoneuroendocrinology 3 Credits
            Offered in the:
          • Fall
          • Winter
          • Summer

        • PSYC 506 Cognitive Neuroscience of Attn 3 Credits
            Offered in the:
          • Fall
          • Winter
          • Summer

        • PSYC 513 Human Decision-Making 3 Credits
            Offered in the:
          • Fall
          • Winter
          • Summer

        • PSYC 514 Neurobiology of Memory 3 Credits
            Offered in the:
          • Fall
          • Winter
          • Summer

        • PSYC 522 Neurochemistry and Behaviour 3 Credits
            Offered in the:
          • Fall
          • Winter
          • Summer

        • PSYC 526 Advances in Visual Perception 3 Credits
            Offered in the:
          • Fall
          • Winter
          • Summer

        • PSYC 529 Music Cognition 3 Credits
            Offered in the:
          • Fall
          • Winter
          • Summer

        • PSYC 531 Structural Equation Models 3 Credits
            Offered in the:
          • Fall
          • Winter
          • Summer

        • PSYC 537 Adv Seminar in Psych of Lang 3 Credits
            Offered in the:
          • Fall
          • Winter
          • Summer

        • PSYC 538 Categoriz Communic & Consciou 3 Credits
            Offered in the:
          • Fall
          • Winter
          • Summer

        • PSYC 541 Multilevel Modelling 3 Credits
            Offered in the:
          • Fall
          • Winter
          • Summer

        • PSYC 545 Topics in Language Acquisition 3 Credits
            Offered in the:
          • Fall
          • Winter
          • Summer

        • PSYC 560 Machine Lrng Tools: Psychology 3 Credits*
            Offered in the:
          • Fall
          • Winter
          • Summer

        • PSYC 562 Measurement of Psych Processes 3 Credits
            Offered in the:
          • Fall
          • Winter
          • Summer

        * 1. Students who have taken COMP 202 or COMP 204 and who have taken freshman linear algebra and calculus might instead consider taking COMP 551.
        2. Students in both psychology and computer science are strongly encouraged to take COMP 551 over PSYC 560.


        List B - (Social, Health and Developmental Psychology)


        • PSYC 304 Child Development 3 Credits
            Offered in the:
          • Fall
          • Winter
          • Summer

        • PSYC 309 Postve Psych:Sci of Well-Being 3 Credits
            Offered in the:
          • Fall
          • Winter
          • Summer

        • PSYC 328 Health Psychology 3 Credits
            Offered in the:
          • Fall
          • Winter
          • Summer

        • PSYC 331 Inter-Group Relations 3 Credits
            Offered in the:
          • Fall
          • Winter
          • Summer

        • PSYC 332 Intro to Personality 3 Credits
            Offered in the:
          • Fall
          • Winter
          • Summer

        • PSYC 333 Personality & Social Psych 3 Credits
            Offered in the:
          • Fall
          • Winter
          • Summer

        • PSYC 337 Intro to Psychopathology 3 Credits
            Offered in the:
          • Fall
          • Winter
          • Summer

        • PSYC 339 Intro to Applied Psychology 3 Credits
            Offered in the:
          • Fall
          • Winter
          • Summer

        • PSYC 351 Res Mthds & Lab in Soc Psych 3 Credits
            Offered in the:
          • Fall
          • Winter
          • Summer

        • PSYC 408 Princip&Apps of Psychother 3 Credits
            Offered in the:
          • Fall
          • Winter
          • Summer

        • PSYC 409 Positive Psychology 3 Credits
            Offered in the:
          • Fall
          • Winter
          • Summer

        • PSYC 411 Discrimtn&Wellb:MargnlzdCommts 3 Credits
            Offered in the:
          • Fall
          • Winter
          • Summer

        • PSYC 412 Child Dev.: Psychopathol. 3 Credits
            Offered in the:
          • Fall
          • Winter
          • Summer

        • PSYC 414 Social Development 3 Credits
            Offered in the:
          • Fall
          • Winter
          • Summer

        • PSYC 436 Human Sexuality & Its Problems 3 Credits
            Offered in the:
          • Fall
          • Winter
          • Summer

        • PSYC 471 Human Motivation 3 Credits
            Offered in the:
          • Fall
          • Winter
          • Summer

        • PSYC 473 Social Cognition and the Self 3 Credits
            Offered in the:
          • Fall
          • Winter
          • Summer

        • PSYC 474 Interpersonal Relationships 3 Credits
            Offered in the:
          • Fall
          • Winter
          • Summer

        • PSYC 475 Neuroscience of Social Psych 3 Credits
            Offered in the:
          • Fall
          • Winter
          • Summer

        • PSYC 483 Sem. in Exp. Psychopathology 3 Credits
            Offered in the:
          • Fall
          • Winter
          • Summer

        • PSYC 491D1 Adv Study:Behaviour. Disorders 3 Credits
            Offered in the:
          • Fall
          • Winter
          • Summer

        • PSYC 491D2 Adv Study:Behaviour. Disorders 3 Credits
            Offered in the:
          • Fall
          • Winter
          • Summer

        • PSYC 507 Emotions, Stress, and Illness 3 Credits
            Offered in the:
          • Fall
          • Winter
          • Summer

        • PSYC 509 Diverse Clinical Populations 3 Credits
            Offered in the:
          • Fall
          • Winter
          • Summer

        • PSYC 512 Advanced Personality Seminar 3 Credits
            Offered in the:
          • Fall
          • Winter
          • Summer

        • PSYC 528 Vulnerability to Dep. and Anx. 3 Credits
            Offered in the:
          • Fall
          • Winter
          • Summer

        • PSYC 530 Applied Topics in Deafness 3 Credits
            Offered in the:
          • Fall
          • Winter
          • Summer

        • PSYC 535 Adv Topics in Social Psych 3 Credits
            Offered in the:
          • Fall
          • Winter
          • Summer

        • PSYC 539 Adv Topics in Social Psych 2 3 Credits
            Offered in the:
          • Fall
          • Winter
          • Summer


        Unclassified Courses

        Students may also select complementary courses from the research and topics courses below:


        • PSYC 385 Independent Research Project 1 3 Credits
            Offered in the:
          • Fall
          • Winter
          • Summer

        • PSYC 450D1 Research Project & Seminar 4.5 Credits
            Offered in the:
          • Fall
          • Winter
          • Summer

        • PSYC 450D2 Research Project & Seminar 4.5 Credits
            Offered in the:
          • Fall
          • Winter
          • Summer

        • PSYC 484D1 Independent Research Project 2 3 Credits
            Offered in the:
          • Fall
          • Winter
          • Summer

        • PSYC 484D2 Independent Research Project 2 3 Credits
            Offered in the:
          • Fall
          • Winter
          • Summer

        • PSYC 485 Independent Research Project 3 3 Credits
            Offered in the:
          • Fall
          • Winter
          • Summer

        • PSYC 492 Special Topics Seminar 1 3 Credits
            Offered in the:
          • Fall
          • Winter
          • Summer

        • PSYC 493 Special Topics Seminar 2 3 Credits
            Offered in the:
          • Fall
          • Winter
          • Summer

        • PSYC 499 Reading Project 1 Credits
            Offered in the:
          • Fall
          • Winter
          • Summer


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