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The human mind is one of the most fascinating things in the universe. Even with advances in modern medicine, we do not completely understand the way our brain works. Why do we dream? Why are some people more susceptible to decline in mental health? Can mental conditioning be done to reduce criminal behaviour? Questions like these are partly answered by neuroscience, and partly answered by psychologists. Our interest as a species to understand ourselves, combined with increasing social awareness about mental health has led to growth in demand for psychologists. This in turn has led to better job prospects for those looking at a career in psychology.
In Canada, professional psychologists are regulated by provincial governments. Typically, students are required to earn a master’s and a PhD before they can get gainful work. According to Jobbank Canada, there will be a requirement of 15,700 psychologists in the country in the next 10 years – but only 13,700 of these spots are expected to be filled. This gap will lead to high chances of securing a high paying job as a Psychologist in Canada. Typically, Psychologists earn between CAD 80,000 – CAD 170,000 (Rs 48 Lakhs – Rs 1 Crore) annually depending on where they work, and what they specialize in. Psychologists can work in research, teaching or as a consultant. They have the option to work in universities, industry, the government or set up their own practice.
For most career options, students must earn a PhD and pass a certification exam conducted by the province they are practicing in. However, students can complete their master’s in psychology and take up a career in teaching in high schools and at the undergraduate level even without a PhD. However, Masters’ and PhD programs in Canada tend to be selective – so if students are looking for easier ways to start their career, they could pursue graduate certificate programs instead. While these are easier to get into, students do not get jobs as psychologists but do get jobs in administration, public policy or as consultants.
Students who still wish to pursue a master’s can enrol for either a research-based master’s program or a clinical training program. While the research-based program prepares students to pursue a career in research, the clinical training program trains students to become clinical psychologists. In either type of program, students can choose between different tracks like behavioural neuroscience, cognitive neuroscience, personality psychology, clinical psychology and quantitative methods.
To pursue a masters’ degree in psychology, candidates must hold an undergraduate degree in Psychology or a closely related discipline. Typically, a 4 Year Degree is needed but a 3 Year degree from a NAAC “A” grade college is ok too. For graduate certificate programs, 3-year degrees or diplomas from any college in India is sufficient.
Apart from academic eligibility, students must take an English language test (like the IELTS / TOEFL) and in many cases might be required to take the GRE too. Some of the top programs may also require students to directly apply to their PhD program
The top 10 Psychology programs at the postgraduate level in Canada, are below:
| QS World Subject Rank (Psychology) | University | Degree | Min Undergrad GPA* | GRE | English Language Test | Total Tuition Fee |
| 16 | University of British Columbia | MA, Psychology | B+ | Reqd for some specializations | TOEFL – 90
IELTS – 6.5 |
Rs 11 Lakhs |
| 19 | University of Toronto | MA, Psychology | A- | Not Required** | TOEFL – 93
IELTS – 7.0 |
Rs 13 Lakhs |
| 29 | McGill University | PhD,
Psychology |
B+ | Optional** | TOEFL – 86
IELTS – 6.5 |
Rs 23 Lakhs |
| 95 | University of Waterloo | MA, Psychology | 80% | GRE Required | TOEFL – 90
IELTS – 7.0 |
Rs 21 Lakhs |
| 101 – 150 | Western University | MSc, Psychology | B+ | Optional | TOEFL – 86
IELTS – 6.5 |
Rs 18 Lakhs |
| 101 – 150 | York University | MA, Psychology | B+ | GRE Required | TOEFL – 100
IELTS – 7.5 |
Rs 16 Lakhs |
| 151 – 200 | McMaster University | MSc, Psychology | B+ | Optional | TOEFL – 86
IELTS – 6.5 |
Rs 13 Lakhs |
| 151 – 200 | Queen’s University | MSc, Psychology | B+ | Optional | TOEFL – 88 | Rs 36 Lakhs |
| 151 – 200 | Simon Fraser University | MA, Psychology | 3.0 on a 4.0 scale | Optional | TOEFL – 93
IELTS – 7.0 |
Rs 5 Lakhs |
| 151 – 200 | University of Alberta | MA, Psychology | 3.2 on a 4.0 scale | GRE Required | TOEFL – 90
IELTS – 6.5 |
Rs 11 Lakhs |
*Indian universities typically score students on a 10 point GPA or on a percentage basis. Indian students should get their scores converted by organizations like WES to check the equivalent letter / 4 point GPA grade.
**Optional GRE means students can submit their score if they want to. Not Required GRE means that students cannot submit their GRE score.
Students are advised NOT to make their application decisions based on the tuition fee alone as most of the top universities provide graduate funding to students which exceeds the cost of tuition. This is especially true if students are applying for Thesis MA / MSc programs leading to a PhD or if students are directly applying to a PhD program.
The top 10 programs for Psychology in Canada are very selective. They accept only between 2% – 8% of the applicants.
If you are looking for quality postgraduate programs in psychology or programs related to psychology that are easier to get into, check out the following universities:
| University | Degree | Min Undergrad GPA* | GRE | English Language Test | Total Tuition Fee |
| University of Northern British Columbia | MSc, Psychology | 77% | Optional | TOEFL – 90
IELTS – 6.5 |
Rs 9 Lakhs |
| Lakehead University | MSc, Psychology | 70% | GRE Required | TOEFL – 100
IELTS – 7.0 |
Rs 28 Lakhs |
| Trent University | MSc, Psychology | 77% | Optional | TOEFL – 93
IELTS – 6.5 |
Rs 25 Lakhs |
| Laurentian University | MA, Psychology | 75% | Optional | TOEFL – 88
IELTS – 6.5 |
Rs 26 Lakhs |
| Mount Saint Vincent University | MA, Psychology | 77% | Optional | TOEFL – 93
IELTS – 7.0 |
Rs 22 Lakhs |
| Conestoga College | Graduate Certificate – Mental Health | 70% | Optional | TOEFL – 88
IELTS – 6.5 |
Rs 9 Lakhs |
| Mohawk College | Graduate Certificate – Mental Health | 50% | Optional | TOEFL – 83
IELTS – 6.5 |
Rs 15 Lakhs |
| Humber College | Graduate Certificate – Mental Health | 50% | Optional | TOEFL – 88
IELTS – 6.5 |
Rs 12 Lakhs |
| Fanshawe College | Graduate Certificate – Behavioural Science | 50% | Optional | TOEFL – 88
IELTS – 6.5 |
Rs 9 Lakhs |
| Cambrian College | Graduate Certificate – Mental Health | 50% | Optional | TOEFL – 84
IELTS – 6.5 |
Rs 8.5 Lakhs |
Visit Admit Abroad website to know more about Study Abroad – https://admitabroad.com/
Students who pursue Graduate Certificate programs typically do not get jobs in research or as practicing psychologists. Instead, they can work in allied fields. For example, such students can work as a:
Our hope is that this article gave you an overview of the different career paths and universities available to those who wish to pursue a career in Psychology in Canada. If you do have any further queries or questions, do reach out to our experts and get your study abroad journey started today.
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