Undergraduate Curriculum
Through a comprehensive selection of courses, students study experimental and clinical research methodologies and focus on the program’s core areas – cognition and neuroscience, developmental and social psychology, clinical and health psychology and advanced research specialization. The Psychology curriculum builds on 1 year of predominantly social science foundations followed by 3 years of specialized study in Psychology.
See below for our curriculum overview and program policies.
Future Students
Curriculum
View our curriculum outline here (opens in new window) >
Curriculum Overview
Year 1
In the first year - which is shared with the Criminology, English, Environment and Urban Sustainability, Geographic Analysis, History, Language and Intercultural Relations, Philosophy, Politics and Governance, and Sociology programs - you will learn the fundamentals of psychology in Introduction to Psychology I and II, along with courses from the other areas in the shared platform. You can also choose courses from a variety of other fields, such as French, History, Philosophy, Business and the natural sciences (such as Biology, Chemistry and Physics).
Year 2, 3 & 4
In the upper years, you will develop a sharper focus on psychological theories and research methods. You will complete a broad range of courses that encompass topics such as aging and memory, childhood and adult psychological disorders, drugs and addictions, the history of psychology, cultural diversity, gender, sexuality, psychology and law, neuroscience, and more.
You will also continue to explore other subject areas, and you may choose professionally related electives that lead to a broad range of minors, such as Human Resources Management, Information Systems, Politics, Marketing, Family Supports and Community Practice, Sociology and others. Through a range of courses in all 4 years, you will develop essential skills, including how to think critically, communicate effectively, interpret and conduct research, negotiate and work in teams, and understand written, graphic and computer communications.
Students interested in pursuing graduate studies in Psychology will have the option of taking advanced courses from the Advanced Methods and Independent Study Group and will have opportunities to conduct supervised research with a faculty member.
Program Policies
Transfers Within the Faculty of Arts
Students who have been admitted into the Bachelor of Arts without declaring a program choice (Undeclared Arts, Entry Option Only) must seek admission to one of the Arts Common Foundation programs in second semester.
Students must declare their program online via MyServiceHub by the first week of February. All program transfers are considered on a competitive basis and are subject to program capacity.
Program-to-Program Transfer
Students admitted to the Bachelor of Arts in any of Criminology, English, Environment and Urban Sustainability, Geographic Analysis, History, Philosophy, Politics and Governance, Psychology, or Sociology, may transfer from their current program and plan to any one of the other eight plans for the Fall term of their second year of studies. Applications are available through the Program Office. Transfer applications are considered on a competitive basis subject to program capacity, and therefore program choice cannot be guaranteed.
Students intending to transfer to Psychology for second year from any of Criminology, English, Environment and Urban Sustainability, Geographic Analysis, History, Philosophy, Politics and Governance, or Sociology, are encouraged to present a cumulative grade point average of 3.00 (B) in their first semester studies at Toronto Metropolitan University to maximize their chances for consideration, subject to competition and available second-year spaces. Possession of the minimum cumulative grade point average does not guarantee program transfer. Students must have successfully completed PSY 102 (opens in new window) in order to transfer to Psychology for the Fall term of their second year of studies. It is strongly recommended that students complete both PSY 102 (opens in new window) and PSY 202 (opens in new window) in first year. Psychology does not accept applications following the program transfer deadline in the first week of February. Students wishing to apply after the first week of February must wait until the next program transfer cycle in the following year.
Whether you are concerned with avoiding the pitfalls that might lead to unintentional academic misconduct, want to understand what academic misconduct is, or are just looking for a comprehensive guide to learning at Toronto Metropolitan University (TMU), this page (opens in new window) on Academic Integrity will give you all the information you need to ensure you’re on the right track.
Students must take two lower level liberal studies courses and four upper level liberal studies courses to graduate. For more information on Liberal Studies, visit the Liberal Studies (opens in new window) page of the current Undergraduate Calendar.
Students are able to combine courses outside of Psychology to earn a Minor in several disciplines that will uniquely complement a degree in Psychology and broaden their career preparations. Students may pursue most Minors offered by Toronto Metropolitan University (TMU) (with some exceptions), and where possible, a student may take more than one Minor. For a complete list and description of available Minors and information on individual Minor requirements and restrictions, please see the Minors Policy (opens in new window) section of the current Undergraduate Calendar.
Toronto Metropolitan University (TMU) undergraduate students who have confirmed their Offer of Admission are eligible to submit Transfer Credit Applications for courses completed at accredited Ontario colleges and universities. Visit the Transfer Credit (opens in new window) website for more information, instructions, and forms.
Please visit Toronto Metropolitan University's (TMU) page on Admission Procedures and Policies (opens in new window) for more information on this topic. Information on various other TMU policies may be found on the Senate Policies Page (opens in new window) .
