New students
Welcome to UVic! You’ll find resources for new undergraduates and new graduate students on the main student website.
Advising
Our undergraduate, graduate, honours and co-op advisers are here to help with any questions about your degree. Learn about academic advising.
Psychology orientation
, the international psychology honour society, hosts an orientation event for all students new to psychology at UVic.
It’s held in early September and is a great opportunity to ask upper-level students anything about UVic Psychology.
New graduate students
There’s a lot to know in your first month. These tips will help you keep track.
Read and follow your clinical manual with your supervisor’s help.
Complete the undergraduate competency requirements (UCR) form. It will show if you need more courses to complete your UCRs. Decide with your supervisor how to complete them if you’re missing any UCRs. Do this ideally in your first year but for sure by the end of your second year.
1. Read your graduate training handbook.
2. Meet with your supervisor.
- find out about office space and get keys (see receptionist in the department office)
- plan out your first year of courses
- discuss research projects and your research apprenticeship (PSYC 502)
- discuss plans for applying for funding for your second year (if applicable)
3. Register for courses for all but 502. Complete a pro forma form with your supervisor to register for 502. It will be for 1.5 or 3.0 units, depending on your program.
- you need 3.0 units (i.e., 2 courses) per term to maintain full-time status
- you must register in both sessions (winter session: fall and spring terms plus summer session: May to August) to maintain your status as a grad student
- if you’re not taking courses or practicum in the summer, register for 599/699: thesis/dissertation or 693: candidacy exams (doctoral students only)
4. Begin thinking about committee members. You should set up your committee by the end of the first term.
5. Plan on being very busy doing research during the summer. Clinical students might also be doing practica. Graduate study is a 12-month program. You are expected to be here all year round.
- summer may be your best time to get research writing or data collection accomplished
- grad students get 2 weeks vacation each year (in addition to university closure days – e.g., Christmas/winter break) so be sure to check with your supervisor about when you can take time off
Dr. Frederick Grouzet, psycgadv@uvic.ca
Ask the administrative officer about teaching assistantships or other administrative issues related to grad students.
Charlene Hewitt, psycadmn@uvic.ca
Ask the graduate secretary about administrative concerns, pro formas, TA inquiries, registration questions or defence paperwork.
Karen Kienapple, psychgrd@uvic.ca
Contact the director of clinical training about issues related to the clinical program.
Erica Woodin, psycdct@uvic.ca
Contact the department chair about other important departmental issues.
Ulrich Mueller, psychair@uvic.ca
Representatives from the represent grad students in departmental faculty meetings. Watch for announcements from reps about issues of importance to graduate students.
Several other positions require student representatives (e.g., curriculum committee, graduate executive committee). Get information on the
Student groups
There are more than 150 clubs on campus dedicated to environmental, cultural, political, religious and recreational causes. Get involved with student clubs and organizations.Our department has active clubs for undergraduate and graduate students. Join your peers for fun and educational activities.
Psychology mailing lists
There are 3 email discussion lists in the department: Psychat, Psycgrad and CaBSSem. Messages posted to discussion lists are sent out to all members.
Psychat list members include faculty, grad students and staff. Messages are of department-wide interest. It's a great way to keep up to date with what’s happening in the department.
Psycgrad is a grad-student-only list. Students can post messages with social or academic content (e.g., organizing social events, job listings, asking for course information).
To subscribe, email psycgrad-request@lists.uvic.ca with the word subscribe in the email body and nothing else. If you are having trouble subscribing, email psycgrad-owner@lists.uvic.ca
The Cognition and Brain Sciences (CaBS) program hosts a weekly seminar series (CaBSSem) most Friday afternoons from September through April. About two thirds of the sessions are dedicated to presentations by faculty and/or grad students in our program. The remaining third feature talks by visiting researchers.
If you would like to receive the weekly CaBSSem announcement, which typically includes an abstract for the upcoming talk, and you are not already receiving it through the Psychat or Neuroscience mailing lists, you can subscribe to the
Get more details on the