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Academic Advising
Each of the departments in the Faculty of Science is committed to providing the best possible information and guidance to students for their academic programs. We strongly encourage students enrolling in Year 1 of any Psychology programs to find more information on the Laurier 101 website.
Continuing students in Psychology programs seeking course and program advice should contact the department's academic advisors.
- Undergrad students with last names beginning with A to L: Assoc. Professor Todd Ferretti
- Undergrad students with last names beginning with M to Z: Professor Kim Roberts
Contact (regardless of last name):
- Email: psychadvising@wlu.ca
To book an appointment or for general inquiries, contact Undergraduate Program Assistant
- Email:
Information about the academic advising available in the Faculty of Science through the dean's office and the other departments in the faculty can be found at Faculty of Science Academic Advising.
First, however, check the program requirements and frequently asked questions below to see if they answer your queries.
Frequently Asked Questions
Most graduate schools (even medical schools) look for an honours degree rather than requiring one degree over the other. For example, medical schools require a degree plus certain science courses, which can be done as electives in either degree. Your best strategy is to research the types of schools/careers you want to find their requirements before you choose your degree. You will likely see that most graduate schools will accept either degree, and as such, choose the degree you have confidence you will do well in – if you compromise your GPA by choosing a degree you might not necessarily need, you risk your acceptance into graduate school anyway.
Yes, if you have the correct course requirements and GPA. During program selection time in March and April (see Enrolment Services for exact dates), you will be able to select the program you want on LORIS. Then when final grades have been submitted and requirements are checked, Enrolment Services will officially switch you.
If you were in Psychology but were placed into the General No Designation degree due to unmet GPA requirements, you will not be able to take PS295, PS296 or third-year courses until you have met GPA requirements and have been readmitted into the program. You can take other second-year Psychology courses to mirror the degree as much as possible until you are readmitted.
If you were in Psychology but were placed the Honours Science program due to unmet Psychology progression requirements, you will not be able to take PS295, PS296 or third-year courses until you have met GPA requirements and have been readmitted into the program. You can take other second-year Psychology courses to mirror the degree as much as possible until you are readmitted.
See the GPA calculator. More useful grading information is in the academic calendar.
That depends on over how many credits you're spacing the GPA of 7.0. The maximum credits in Psychology you can have is 11.0. So a GPA of 7.0 over 11.0 credits is 7 x 11 grade points = 77. In other words, 77 grade points is your goal. Then calculate how many grade points you have, which is your GPA (found on LORIS, or use the GPA Calculator) times the number of credits you have.
For example, if you have a 6.15 GPA over 6.5 credits, you currently have 39.97 grade points. Subtract what you have from your goal: 77 - 39.97 = 37.03. In other words, you have to attain 37.03 grade points over an additional 4.5 credits (11-6.5=4.5). So you'd need a little over 4 grade points per course, assuming each course is weighted as a half credit (4.5 credits = 9 courses). So you divide the grade points you need by the number of courses you have left to take (37.03/9=4.11).
Most students enter Psychology in the Honours BA Psychology program. You will remain in this program for two years. In March of your second year (see Enrolment Services for information on program selection dates), you will indicate on LORIS (by selecting the "Student Services" tab, then "Registration," then "Program Change Request") whether you want to remain in Honours BA Psychology or change to Honours BA Psychology: Research Specialist. Your eligibility will be reviewed by Enrolment Services and the Psychology Department, and you may view your program in LORIS (click on “Registration,” then “Display Student Programs”) at the end of May or early June. At other times, program changes can be made via the Program Selection Form.
You must meet the progression requirements to get into either program. The Honours BA Psychology program requires GPAs of at least 6.0 (C+) in Psychology and 5.0 (C ) overall. The Research Specialist program requires a GPA of 7.0 (B-) in Psychology, grades of at least C- in each of PS295 and PS296, and an overall GPA of at least 6.0 (C+).
Many students who complete the Honours BA Psychology degree move directly into the workforce after graduating, whereas others apply to professional programs that do not require an honours thesis (e.g., social work, speech pathology, medical school, law school, college Graduate Certificate programs, etc.).
With the Honours BA Psychology: Research Specialist degree, you will complete additional research and seminar courses and have the opportunity to do an honours thesis. This degree provides you with the widest range of opportunities as it trains you in a wider skill set (logic, research, advanced statistics, presentation skills) and allows the opportunity to do an honours thesis, which is required for most graduate schools in psychology.
See the program requirements. Also, we have created printable program outlines that you can use to keep tabs on what requirements you have met and which you still need to complete.
You need to find the course outline (not just the description, but the whole outline. If it’s not easily available online, contact the department or professor for a copy. The previous year’s outline is sufficient if the current one is not available) and attach it to the Letter of Permission Form to be submitted to Enrolment Services.
For more information, or if you'd like to take a course at the University of Waterloo, see Taking Courses at Another University.
A full course load is normally 2.5 credits a term. If you would like to take more than this, you will have to fill out the Course Overload Request Form: Faculty of Science.
Normally, the Psychology Department does not waive course prerequisites. Exceptions are made only for courses requiring UU150 (for students who started a Laurier program in 2015/16 or before) or when students have the prerequisite course(s) as transfer credits or equivalent Laurier courses.
If you would like to take a course for which you are missing a prerequisite, or are in the wrong year level or major, you will have to complete the Psychology Override Form (Waterloo). Filling out the form does not guarantee entry into the course.
That depends on the school. The Canadian Psychological Association provides the requirements for every graduate school in psychology in Canada. Search this document for programs you might be interested in and their requirements, then make sure you are getting those requirements while completing your program here. The Career Centre (on campus) can also help with graduate school.