Doctor of Philosophy (Psychology)

Normally, students are admitted into the PhD program after completing either a bachelor’s or a master’s degree program.

Program Requirements

Coursework

Students entering the PhD program with a bachelor’s degree are normally required to complete a minimum of 17 units of graduate-level coursework as defined in the master’s programs in Psychology
Students entering the PhD program with a master’s degree from another university are required to take PSYCH 502 (2 units)
Additional course work may be required by the supervisory committee, in consultation with the Associate Chair for Graduate Studies, to ensure that a student is adequately prepared for research in the student’s areas of concentration

Thesis

Registration in 900-level THES. Students must complete a written dissertation proposal, due after successful completion of the candidacy exam.

First-Year and Second-Year Research Projects

Students entering the PhD program with a bachelor’s degree are required to complete a first-year research project by August 31 of the first year of their program, and a second-year research project during the second year in the PhD program.

Qualifying Exam

A written qualifying exam must be completed satisfactorily prior to scheduling the candidacy exam. The structure and format of the qualifying exam is determined by the supervisory committee.

Candidacy Exam

Students entering the PhD program with a master’s degree are normally expected to take their candidacy exam and to submit their dissertation proposal no later than the end of their first year in the PhD program. Students entering the PhD program with a bachelor’s degree are required to complete their candidacy exam by the end of the third year of their program.

Ethics requirement

The graduate ethics training requirement is met with PSYCH 502 . Students who met this requirement in their master’s program do not need to take it again.

Language Requirement

No language other than English is required for the degree.

Residence Requirement

For students entering the PhD program with a bachelor’s degree the minimum period of residence is three academic years of full-time attendance at the University of Alberta.

For students entering the PhD program with a master’s degree the minimum period of residence is two academic years of full-time attendance at the University of Alberta.

Length of Program

Students are normally expected to complete the program in four years when entering with a bachelor’s, three years when entering with a master’s from another institution, and two years when entering with a master’s from the University of Alberta. However, the time required to complete the program will vary with the individual candidate. Students are evaluated annually with respect to progress in the program.

The maximum time to complete the PhD program as set by the Faculty of Graduate Studies and Research is six years.