Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) Psychology - McGill University

Psychology is the scientific study of the human mind and behavior. As a social science, psychology studies humans in interaction with other members of the same species. As a biological science, it regards human beings as the product of evolution and emphasizes the biological perspective, comparing and contrasting human behavior with that of other species.

McGill's Graduate Department of Psychology is one of the oldest and best known in North America. The Department offers two full-time, research-intensive graduate program tracks, each ultimately leading to a Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) Degree.

Requirements

The nominal requirement for admission is an honour or major degree (B.A. or B.Sc.) with significant research experience. Such experience is usually obtained by completing an undergraduate research course, writing an undergraduate or Master's thesis, or working as a research assistant. 

Students applying to the clinical program are advised to complete 42 specific undergraduate credits in psychology as specified by the Ordre des Psychologues du Quebec.

Those 42 credits are distributed as follow:

• Biological Bases of Behavior (6 credits)
• Cognitive - Affective Bases of Behaviour (6 credits)
• Social-Cultural Aspects of Behaviour (6 credits)
• Human Development (6 credits)
• History and Systems of Psychology (3 credits)
• Psychometrics (3 credits)
• Research Methods (3 credits)
• Statistics (3 credits)
• Personality (3 credits)
• Psychopathology (3 credits)

Students missing any of the required 42 undergraduate credits must demonstrate proficiency in these areas by taking the required course(s) independently and passing a final exam. Students may complete these courses during the first two years of their graduate program.

All candidates for the Ph.D. degree must demonstrate broad scholarship, mastery of current theoretical issues in psychology and their historical development, and detailed knowledge of their special field. Great emphasis is placed on the development of research skills, and the dissertation forms the major part of the evaluation at the Ph.D. level.

Ph.D. students in Clinical Psychology must fulfill similar requirements to Ph.D. students in the Experimental Program and must also take a variety of specialized courses, which include practicum and internship experiences.

Course Structure

The Department of Psychology offers two full-time, research-intensive graduate program tracks: Clinical Psychology & Experimental Psychology, each ultimately leading to a Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) Degree. 

Required Course:

• PSYC 701 Doctoral Comprehensive Exam

Complementary Courses: (12-24 credits)

12 credits (one course per term in Year 2 and Year 3) chosen from the following list:

• PSYC 712 Compar&Physiological Psych 3 (3 Credits)
• PSYC 715 Compar&Physiological Psych 6 (3 Credits)
• PSYC 722 Personality&Social Psychology (3 Credits)
• PSYC 723 Personality&Social Psychology (3 Credits)
• PSYC 724 Personality&Social Psychology (3 Credits)
• PSYC 725 Personality&Social Psychology (3 Credits)
• PSYC 727 Personality&Social Psychology (3 Credits)
• PSYC 728 Ethics and Professional Issues (3 Credits)
• PSYC 729 Theory of Assessment (3 Credits)
• PSYC 730 Clinical Neuroscience Methods (3 Credits)
• PSYC 732 Clinical Psychology 1 (3 Credits)
• PSYC 733 Clinical Psychology 2 (3 Credits) 
• PSYC 734 Developmental Psych & Language (3 Credits)
• PSYC 735 Developmental Psych & Language (3 Credits)
• PSYC 736 Developmental Psych & Language (3 Credits) 
• PSYC 740 Perception & Cognition (3 Credits)
• PSYC 741 Perception & Cognition (3 Credits)
• PSYC 742 Perception & Cognition (3 Credits)
• PSYC 743 Perception & Cognition (3 Credits)
• PSYC 744 Perception & Cognition (3 Credits)
• PSYC 746 Quantitative&Indiv Difference (3 Credits)
• PSYC 747 Quantitative&Indiv Difference (3 Credits)
• PSYC 748 Quantitative&Indiv Difference (3 Credits)
• PSYC 749 Quantitative&Indiv Difference (3 Credits)
• PSYC 752D1 Psychotherapy&Behaviour Change (3 Credits)
• PSYC 752D2 Psychotherapy&Behaviour Change (3 Credits)
• PSYC 753 Health Psychology Seminar 1

0-12 credits from the following (students without a master's degree from McGill need to take all 12 credits):

• PSYC 650 Advanced Statistics 1 (3 Credits)
• PSYC 651 Advanced Statistics 2 (3 Credits)
• PSYC 660D1 Psychology Theory (3 Credits)
• PSYC 660D2 Psychology Theory (3 Credits)

Note: The Department of Psychology does not ordinarily require an examination in a foreign language however, all students planning on practicing clinical psychology in the province of Quebec will be examined based on their proficiency in French before being admitted to the professional association.

Tuition Fees

Tuition fees for international students at the Ph.D. program in Psychology are a total of $15,234 per year distributed as follows:

• Tuitions: $12,994
• Student Service Fees: $1,170
• Health Coverage: $1,070

Scholarships

Tunisian Students Sponsorship:

On September 19th, 2019, McGill signed an agreement with the Tunisian Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research (TMHESR) to co-sponsor Tunisian students enrolled in a Master's thesis or Ph.D. program at McGill University. The agreement aims at attracting top Tunisian students to pursue graduate studies at Canada’s leading research-intensive university.

TMHESR will provide annual funding of $12,090 to cover the following:

• McGill's program and ancillary fees
• Health insurance
• Annual living expenses

McGill, in turn, will cover the full amount of tuition.

Funding is provided for a maximum period of two (2) years for Master’s students, and for up to four (4) years for Ph.D. students.