Overview

Application Deadline

The admissions application deadline is 01 December of each year for entry at the start of the upcoming academic session beginning in September.

GRE Requirement
The GRE will NOT be required for students applying for studies beginning in September 2023.

Eligibility Requirements

Applicants to our MSc program are expected to have completed a bachelor’s honours degree in psychology, or in an appropriate adjacent area, such as cognitive science or social behaviour in order to be competitive. The appropriateness of degrees from adjacent areas varies widely by program; for instance, a cognitive science degree may be viewed more favourably in our Cognitive Neuroscience program than in our Clinical program.

In addition to these basic requirements, most successful applicants to our MSc program will have accumulated significant undergraduate research experience. This experience might include, among other things, having completed a senior honors thesis or some other major research project, or having worked as a research assistant or lab coordinator prior to applying. It is also desirable for students backgrounds and application materials to show evidence of excellent skills in writing, verbal reasoning, and quantitative reasoning (e.g., statistical analysis of data).  

The MSc program is designed as a 2-year MSc thesis-based degree, and many students transition from this program directly into our 4-year thesis-based PhD program, resulting in a 6-year commitment to the program. The background and eligibility of each applicant is judged by a department-wide admissions committee. For students judged to have an excellent background, it is also necessary that one of our faculty must be willing to supervise the student for the duration of their degree. To learn which faculty members are available to supervise please see Faculty Member Availability page.

Students who have completed a thesis-based MSc in Psychology (or appropriate adjacent area) at another institution, direct application to our PhD program is possible, with the same general guidelines as above.

TOEFL and IELTS Requirements
Applicants whose first language is not English or who have not recently studied for at least one complete year at a post-secondary institution where English is the official language of instruction, will be required to obtain satisfactory results in an English language proficiency test (e.g., TOEFL, IELTS), as part of the application process, and before their application will be considered complete. Please see: www. queensu.ca/sgs/graduate-calendar/admission-and-registration for relevant details. 

Transcript Requirements for your Application
You may load unofficial transcripts to your online application at the time of application. In keeping with the School of Graduate Studies’ application regulations, should you receive an official offer of admission, you will need to provide official transcripts at that time in order to receive that official offer.

ALL supporting documents, references, etc. must be received by 01 December in order to be considered.

The Government of Canada lists all institutions that have approved DLI’s on the Government of Canada official website. The website is updated regularly. Students traveling from international locations to Canada may use this site to prepare their travel plans after their study permit has been approved.

Students are also encouraged to download the ArriveCAN app for their trip back to Canada and enter their quarantine plan information to that app to make the arrival procedure faster.

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Not sure if you have everything you need to apply? Read below.

Graduate Programs Offered

How to Apply

Selecting Your Area of Study
Review the 4 graduate programs above to determine which area best suits your interest and background.

Connecting With A Potential Graduate Supervisor
After you have identified your area of interest, research faculty member profiles associated with the chosen area of interest. Determine which of these faculty are accepting students for the upcoming academic session by visiting the Available Faculty Supervisors page

How to Ask for a Reference Letter
You will need two academic references to complete your graduate application package. How to Ask for a Reference Letter (PDF, 22 KB) provides you with instructions on how to identify a potential referee and what information you can provide them with to assist them in preparing a strong reference letter.

How to Write a Great Statement of Interest
Applicants provide a statement of interest as part of the online application process. Be sure to write a Great Statement of Interest (PDF, 14 KB) which best summarizes your individual educational goals. Your statement will assist us in determining which area of study suits your educational goals and which potential supervisor would best guide your studies towards that goal.

Application Deadline
The Department of Psychology's application deadline is: 01 December by 11:59 pm.

Applications completed after 01 December will normally not be considered.

GRE Requirement
The GRE requirement has been suspended for application for admission to all programs beginning September 2022.  Updates for future admission years will be posted as the COVID 19 impact on students’ access to the test evolves.

You are ready to:

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Tuition Fees

Tuition Fees for domestic and international students are available via the Office of the Registrar Graduate Tuition Fees. Click on the Graduate and Professional Programs Fee Schedule. Tuition is listed by year, by term.

The Profession of Psychology

Psychology is a particularly diverse profession encompassing research, teaching and applied work. While the two former activities are relevant mainly, but by no means exclusively to universities, applied psychologists work in a wide variety of settings including: industry, management, the school systems, private practice, penitentiaries, and hospitals. Like members of all professions, the conduct of psychologists whether they are engaged in practice, teaching or research, is regulated by principles, standards and by statute

To learn more about the Profession of Psychology visit:

Career Opportunities with your Psychology Degree

Our graduate students go on to a variety of interesting employment opportunities following completion of their degree. 

Where Are They Now? (PDF, 192 KB)

Queen’s Psychology graduate students have their own Association.  Members of this student Association contribute to guiding the future of the graduate program at the Department of Psychology by serving on various departmental committees and also contribute to current graduate students’ success by serving as peer mentors.  Follow the link to AGSIP – The Association of Graduate Students in Psychology at Queen’s University to learn more.

The Association of Graduate Students in Psychology:  AGSIP

If you have general questions regarding our program, contact:

Graduate Program Administrator
Department of Psychology, 62 Arch Street
Queen's University
Kingston, ON K7L 3N6
Canada
Tel: 613-533-2872
Email: psycgrad@queensu.ca

If you have specific questions regarding our program, contact:

Mark Sabbagh, Ph.D.
Professor and Coordinator of Graduate Studies
Department of Psychology, 62 Arch Street
Queen's University
Kingston, ON K7L 3N6
Canada
Tel: 613-533-2873
Email: sabbagh@queensu.ca