Honours
The psychology honours program is an undergraduate capstone experience. It’s taken in your final year of study, from September to April. You’ll complete an original research project under the supervision of a faculty member. You’ll go from developing a research question to writing a thesis and giving a poster presentation.
Get exposed to state-of-the-art issues in psychology research and practice. While you complete your research, you’ll also attend the PSYC 499 honours seminar. The seminar will support you through each step of your honours thesis. You’ll develop key academic professional skills and a portfolio.
An honours degree shows that you met selective criteria and completed advanced training. It’s a plus if you plan to apply for graduate school. It enhances professional skills and the impression you’ll make on prospective employers.
Course requirements
Psychology BA or BSc major
- all requirements of the BA or BSc major in psychology
- PSYC 400A (Advanced Statistics)
- PSYC 499 (Honours Seminar)
- 3 400-level seminar courses (excluding PSYC 400A, 490, 492, 499)
Combined biology and psychology BA or BSc honours
You can complete either PSYC 499 or BIOL 499A/B. If you complete PSYC 499, we recommend you also take PSYC 400A (and best to take PSYC 300A/B). You do not require any additional 400-level seminar classes in psychology.
Finding a supervisor
Start looking for a supervisor in the fall of your third year, or earlier. Check out what types of research our faculty members conduct.
Select 2 or 3 potential supervisors. If some turn you down, you can reapply to others. Visit their research websites to learn about their work. Prepare a few questions for your meeting.
When you meet, bring your transcript (unofficial is fine) and a sample of your written work. Usually, the supervisor will set the thesis topic with your input. If you have research ideas, offer them.
Application requirements
- a minimum GPA of 7.0 (A-) in all psychology courses taken at post-secondary institutions within the last 5 years (including transfer classes)
- a minimum GPA of 5.0 (B) in all non-psychology courses taken at post-secondary institutions within the last 5 years
- a minimum grade of A- (80%) in both PSYC 300A and PSYC 300B
If your grades are in the 9-point system (A+=9, A=8, etc.), add them up. Divide the total by the number of courses (assuming each course is worth 1.5 units; count double for any 3-unit course). Calculate the average across all psychology courses. Do another calculation for the average across all other courses.
Applying
- register online on the UVic (this is a Microsoft forms restricted to UVic users, so you will need to be logged in to UVic in order to access it)
- applications open Feb 5 at noon and close March 15
- submit a brief statement of interest and a resume
- you may select up to 3 potential supervisors from the list
- applicants should know their status by the first or second week of April (provisional until final marks are in)
Accepted, now what?
- Ask your supervisor how to prepare. They may recommend some reading or an independent study course with them.
- Attend the honours poster session during the Making Waves conference in early April.
- Consider taking a course or 2 during the summer to free up time next year. A PSYC 390 or 400-level seminar course is a good idea.