Introduction to Psychology in Canada
To study psychology in Canada one must first get a bachelor’s degree, with usually lasts for 4 years. After that, there is a master’s degree which lasts for two years, and to complete the entire course, you must complete the PhD course, which lasts for a maximum of four years. You can choose one of the following branches:
Industrial or Organizational psychology
Experimental Psychology
Clinical Psychology
Counseling Psychology
Neuropsychology
Forensic or Correctional psychology
Developmental or Child psychology
To work as a psychologist, you must at least have a master’s or PhD degree, which a PhD degree is much more suitable for work, and people with a PhD degree can find a job much more easily. People who want to study in fields such as clinical psychology and counseling psychology, should know that in these fields, only 10% of people succeed in getting admitted into a PhD program.
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Studying Psychology in Canada
To get admitted to a bachelor’s degree program in psychology in Canada, you need to have a 12-year diploma, you must also have high marks/scores in courses such as biology, chemistry and physics. In many universities students who want to study psychology are required to have a minimum score of 3.5 out of 4 in order to be accepted. To study for a bachelor’s degree in psychology you are required to have an IELTS language certificate with a score of 6.5 or 7. To study for a master’s degree in psychology you are required to have an IELTS language certificate with a score of 7 or 7.5, depending on the type of the university. To become a psychologist, you need to have a master’s or PhD degree. After getting your bachelor’s degree it takes about 8 years to become a psychologist. Student who are studying for a master’s degree generally participate in research projects, and must also participate in statistical fields and prepare themselves to enter doctoral programs. In order to get admitted to a lot of Canadian universities, you are required to take GRE test. After obtaining a PhD degree in psychology, you can obtain a work permit and certification as a psychologist by passing a written and oral exam.
The cost of studying psychology in Canada
The amount of tuition fees for studying psychology in Canada varies depending on your destination university. But generally it can be said that, to study psychology in Canada you have to pay between 16,000 to 35,000 CAD per year. The University of British Columbia, for example, charges an annual tuition fee of C $ 30,000 per year, or the University of Toronto in Ontario charges an annual fee of approximately $ 20,000. The University of Calgary also charges about $ 17,000 a year to study. Since psychologists in Canada generally receive quite a high salary, the cost of studying in these fields is very reasonable for them.
Scholarships to study Psychology in Canada
To receive a scholarship in the field of psychology, one must show great interest in this field and by showing international published articles and participating in research and statistical programs must show that he/she has the experience of doing research activities. Most of these scholarships in Canada are available for doctoral studies and are less common for master’s and bachelor’s degrees. However, if the applicant has a high grade point average and also have published articles, he/she can apply for a scholarship to the destination university. In fact, it can be said that all universities have scholarships that are awarded to top students, and if the applicant is one of the top students by showing high marks/scores, he/she can get university scholarships.
The best Canadian universities to study psychology
Canada has been one of the best countries in the world for the education of international students and for several consecutive years it has been one of the top five countries in the world for the education of students in terms of high quality teaching. It has some of the best universities in the world to study for psychology. In the table below you can see the best universities in Canada for studying psychology along with their world and national rankings.
| National Ranking | World Ranking | University |
| 1 | =13 | University of British Columbia |
| 2 | =21 | University of Toronto |
| 3 | 35 | McGill University |
| 4 | 78 | University of Waterloo |
| 5 | 88 | Queen’s University |
| 6 | 101–125 | University of Victoria |
| 7 | 126–150 | University of Alberta |
| 7 | 126–150 | Dalhousie University |
| 7 | 126–150 | York University |
| 10 | 151–175 | McMaster University |
| 10 | 151–175 | Simon Fraser University |
| 12 | 176–200 | University of Montreal |
| 12 | 176–200 | Western University |
| 14 | 201–250 | University of Calgary |
| 14 | 201–250 | Carleton University |
| 16 | 251–300 | Concordia University |
| 16 | 251–300 | University of Regina |
| 18 | 301–400 | University of Guelph |
| 18 | 301–400 | Université Laval |
| 18 | 301–400 | University of Ottawa |
| 18 | 301–400 | Université du Québec |
| 18 | 301–400 | Ryerson University |
| 18 | 301–400 | University of Windsor |
| 24 | 401–500 | University of Lethbridge |
| 24 | 401–500 | Memorial University of Newfoundland |
| 24 | 401–500 | University of New Brunswick UNB |
| 24 | 401–500 | University of Saskatchewan |
Working conditions after studying psychology in Canada
Canada is one of the best countries that provides a lot of job opportunities to students after graduation. According to the Canadian law, students can obtain a Post-Graduation Work Permit (PGWP) for the duration of the program of studies, if they have been studying in Canada for more than eight months. For example, if a person gets a two-year master’s degree in psychology, he or she can look for a job in Canada for two years after graduation. This opportunity will be given for a maximum of 3 years. Psychologists have good job opportunities in Canada but people who have a PhD in psychology have better working conditions in this country. In fact, it can be said that a professional psychologist in Canada needs to have a PhD degree, and in order to get most of the job opportunities, it is better for the applicant to have a PhD degree. By having a master’s degree, you can work as a psychologist in some of the Canadian provinces such as Alberta and Saskatchewan, or work as a professor at some universities. According to the latest statistics the unemployment rate in Canada is around 8.5%, which is a moderate amount for finding a job. But since Canada needs psychologists, there are a lot of job opportunities for psychologists in the Canadian job market.
Psychologist Salary in Canada
Those who are interested in studying psychology in Canada should know that the amount of salary received by psychologists varies from province to province, and a person’s work experience as well as the type of degree can affect his or her income. Generally, it can be said that in Canada, a psychologist will earn an average of $ 99,000 a year, or in other words, a psychologist can earn about $ 50 per hour. In the early years of a psychologist’s career, his/her income may be around C $ 80,000, and as he/she gain more experience in the coming years, his/her income can be increased up to more than C $ 120,000 a year, which is a very reasonable income compared to many other disciplines.
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