Future Undergraduate Students

Welcome to Psychology!

Admissions

First Step: How to apply to Western University: https://www.uwo.ca/future_students/index.html

Are you curious about...
• Why humans and animals think and behave the way they do?
• How we learn to perceive and make sense of our physical and social world?
• Why we have a strong need to form relationships with others?
• What accounts for differences in our interpersonal styles?
• Why we experience emotions and what effects they have on the decisions we make?
• How our early life experiences influence how we think, feel, and behave as adults?
• Why some people develop mental disorders and other forms of maladjustment, and how we can help them?

...then maybe Psychology is for you

People who study Psychology are interested in explaining normal and abnormal behavior. They search for clues about why we behave the way we do in our biology, feelings, thought processes, and social experiences. Using a variety of research strategies, they seek a scientific understanding of behavior at various levels ranging from micro (brain functioning, genes, hormones, drugs) to macro (peer groups, culture).

Research clusters in Psychology

The Psychology Department at Western has a diverse group of faculty members representing four clusters of research excellence.To learn more about the clusters and the topics each cluster encompasses please visit:
https://psychology.uwo.ca/undergraduate/future_students/whystudypsychologyatwestern.html

First Year Level Course requirements for Psychology Modules/Programs

Students may enter the Psychology programs as early as after their first year at Western. All Psychology Programs require a minimum grade of 60% in the two First Year Level Psychology courses: Psychology 1002 in one term, followed by Psychology 1003 in a following term. Psychology 1002 has no prerequisites, however the 2nd course, Psychology 1003, has Psychology 1002 as the prerequisite. Additionally, students wishing to complete a Psychology Major or a Psychology Honours Specialization B.A. or B.Sc. Program, must complete 1.0 credits (two 0.5 credits) in First Year level mathematics. Data Science 1000A/B is mandatory as one of the math credits, and the remaining 0.5 math credit may be chosen from amongst the following: Calculus 1000A/B, 1100A/B, 1301A/B, 1501A/B, Linear Algebra 1600A/B, Applied Mathematics 1201A/B, Mathematics 0110A/B, 1225A/B, 1228A/B, 1229A/B. We recommend that a student choose Mathematics 1228A/B to accompany the mandatory Data Science 1000A/B.

For the Honours Specialization modules, students must obtain a minimum grade of 60% in Data Science 1000 and in the additional math. For the Psychology Major module, students also need a minimum of a pass in first year math credits, but they may declare the Psychology Major without having yet done both maths. However, Psych Major students should complete the maths as soon as possible as they are a prerequisite for an important modular course, typically taken in Year 2, but which may be taken as late as Year 3.

Further, students wanting to apply for entry into one of our two Psychology Honours Specialization B.Sc. programs must also complete 1.0 credits (two 0.5 credits) of First Year level Biology courses, plus another 1.0 credits (two 0.5 credits) chosen from amongst our First Year level Chemistry or Physics or Computer Science courses.

The First Year level Mathematics, Biology, Chemistry and Physics courses have certain High School prerequisites. The First Year Level Computer Science courses do not. Please consult the Western Calendar at this link for the High School prerequisites for the First Year level Mathematics, Biology, Chemistry and Physics courses.

Admission to the Psychology Major or Minor modules is not competitive. They just require a minimum mark of 60% in the First Year Psychology courses.

However, admission to the Psychology Honours Specialization programs is limited and therefore competitive. For student who have just completed Year 1, admission into one of those modules is based on the average mark received in 3.0 First Year level Principal courses, including the two First Year level Psychology courses, the two First Year level math courses. They must also have completed fully 5.0 First Year Level credits. Please see the Official Western Calendar for the complete details for each program. Admission to the Psychology Honours Specialization programs in subsequent years is based on the average mark received in the last 10.0 courses, in addition to having completed the First Year level required courses (and required minimum grades) for that program. Because these are limited enrollment programs, the minimum average for entry as listed in the Western Calendar (75%) is not sufficient. The current cut-off average for the Psychology Honours Specialization modules is 81%. Once a student is in a Psychology Honours Specialization module they must maintain a minimum modular average of 75% to progress in their program.

High School Mathematics and Science Requirements

Students who plan to pursue a Psychology Honours Specialization module or a Psychology Major module at Western are required to successfully complete a 0.5 credit in Data Science 1000A/B as well as an additional 0.5 credit in a First Year level mathematics at Western.

Students must have at least one of the following Ontario High School maths (or an equivalency if they did not complete their High School in Ontario). It is preferable that they have completed one of the first three, which are Grade 12 maths:

MCV4U - Calculus and Vectors

MDM4U - Mathematics of Data Management

MHF4U - Advanced Functions

MCF3M - Functions

MCR3U - Functions and Relations)

Additionally, students wanting to apply for entry into one of our two Psychology Honours Specialization B.Sc. programs must also complete 1.0 credits of First Year level Biology courses, and another 1.0 credits chosen from amongst our First Year level Chemistry or Physics or Computer Science courses. The First Year level Biology, Chemistry and Physics courses also have certain High School prerequisites. The First Year Level Computer Science courses do not. Please consult the Official Western Calendar for the High School prerequisites for the First Year level Biology, Chemistry and Physics courses.

What Psych courses should I take if I want to be a . . .?

Please download a list of course recommendations for students interested in careers in Education, Law and Medicine.

Transfer Students - How to Transfer Credits

Psychology Transfer of Credit

Students seeking permission to take a Psychology course at another university in substitution for a UWO Psychology course should proceed as follows before consulting an Academic Counsellor in the Psychology Department:

1)    Obtain a description of the course you wish to take from a current version of the Academic Calendar issued by the other university. The description must include information on whether the proposed course is a full-year or a half-year course, and whether the course is a second, third, or fourth year offering.

2)    Obtain a "Letter of Permission" form which is available in the Social Science Academic Counselling Office (SSC 2105) or on the Social Science Academic Counselling web site (http://www.counselling.ssc.uwo.ca)

3)    Students seeking permission to take a course equivalent to any of the following UWO Psychology courses must also obtain a course syllabus from the other university. The syllabus, in turn, must be approved by the instructor of the UWO course. A note from the instructor granting this approval should be submitted to the Academic Counsellor in the Psychology Department along with the Letter of Permission form.

        Psychology 2080A/B (formerly 180A/B)
        Psychology 2800E (formerly 280E)
        Psychology 2810 (formerly 281)
        Psychology 2820E (formerly 282E)
        Psychology 2990A/B (formerly 290A/B)
        Psychology 3800F/G (formerly 380F/G)
        Psychology 4850E (formerly 485E)

4)    To obtain final University approval, the Letter of Permission form must be submitted to the Academic Counselling Office in the student's home faculty. Students registered in the Faculty of Social Science should submit this form to Room 2105 SSC.

Note: Students should allow sufficient time for the processing of this material, which may take several weeks or longer, depending on the time of year. It is the student's responsibility, and not the Department's responsibility, to gather the required material. For further information on the transfer of credit from another university, see the section entitled "Letters of Permission" in a current version of the UWO Academic Calendar.

Transfer Students – Transferring Credits toward your Western Degree

What is a Transfer Student?
A transfer student is a student who has been admitted to Western on the basis of academic performance at another post-secondary institution.

Step One – Admission to Western
The program to which a transfer student is admitted is determined by his/her application, the Admissions Office and the Faculty. The Admissions Office will review your transcripts to determine your eligibility for advanced standing . Your advanced standing will appear on your Admission Assessment Form. Generally, first-year students (those with fewer than three advanced standing credits) are admitted to Year I, general Social Science, Arts and Humanities or Science. Senior students (those with three or more advanced standing credits) are usually admitted to Year II of an unspecified B.A. program. To declare an Honors Specialization, Specialization, or Major Module, you must have permission from the appropriate Department and your Faculty.

Step Two – Review by the Department. Once you know what your advanced standing is, then Faculty and Department Counsellors will help you to determine how the credits can be used toward your Western degree. For instance, if you are given advanced standing for an introductory Psychology course, it may count as one of your five required first-year courses. If there is a possibility that the advanced standing credit could count as a principle or module course or it would satisfy the prerequisite requirement for a course you plan to take here, have the credit evaluated by the appropriate Department.

2. Please provide the Psychology Department with a copy of the course description/outline/syllabus in order to determine if the course can be considered equivalent to a particular course offered at Western. Information such as a breakdown of topics covered, evaluation methods, textbook used, etc. are items taken into consideration when determining equivalency.

Example: You wish to pursue a degree with a Major in Psychology. This program requires the equivalent of Psychology 1000 (formerly 020--an introductory course) and a first-year Mathematics course. You were given advanced standing for a Year I Psychology (introductory) course and for a Year I Mathematics course. You should make an appointment to see the counselor in the Psychology Department for a course evaluation of the Psychology course to ensure the course satisfies the Year I Psychology requirement. Also contact the Mathematics Department for an evaluation of the level of the Mathematics course. Then submit written recommendations from both Departments to your home Faculty Academic Counselling office for final approval and future reference.