UofC

Master of Science (MSc) in Educational Psychology with specialization in Counselling Psychology, thesis-based - on campus.

In addition to the Faculty of Graduate Studies requirements, entry requirements for the Counselling Psychology Master of Science program include:

a) A four-year undergraduate degree with a minimum grade point average of 3.00 over the courses taken during the last two years of study.

b) Normally, a minimum of 24 units in Educational Psychology and/or Psychology. This must include:

1. Two undergraduate statistics courses;
2. A senior undergraduate psychology or educational psychology course in the area of Communication Skills in Guidance and Counselling, or its equivalent, Working Alliance Formation;
3. A senior undergraduate Psychology or Educational Psychology course in each of cognitive psychology/learning theory, developmental psychology, social psychology, biological bases of behavior, and personality theory.

c) A curriculum vitae including information about previous employment and volunteer experience, and a concise rationale for the application (500 words or less) including a description of the applicant's research interests and potential supervisors from within the counselling psychology program area, if applicable.

d) Two academic references; one of which is from the undergraduate honours supervisor, if an honours degree was completed. Optionally, a third reference from someone who has supervised the applicant in counselling-related employment or volunteer work.

e) For applicants required to present proficiency in English, a minimum TOEFL (Internet-based) score of 97, an IELTS overall band score of 7.0 or a CAEL overall score of 70 (with no section less than 70). This requirement can also be met by completing the Academic Communication Certificate with a minimum grade of "A-" in each course.

The test must have been taken within the last two years. When requesting that official TOEFL test scores are forwarded to the University of Calgary, please indicate institution code 0813.

Note: A completed Pre-Admissions Checklist is required as part of the admissions process.

The deadline for the submission of complete applications is available on the Future Students webpage: ucalgary.ca/future-students/graduate/explore-programs/counselling-psychology-master-science-thesis-based.

The applicant must make advanced credit requests as part of the admission process. Credit will not be given for course work taken as part of another completed degree/diploma or for courses taken to bring grade point average to a required level for admission.

In addition to the Faculty of Graduate Studies requirements, the MSc Counselling Psychology program requires the following:

42 units of course work that includes:

i. Educational Psychology 600, 601, 609, 614, 615, 625, and 631;

ii. one of Educational Psychology 611 or 618;

iii. one of Educational Psychology 627 or 637;

iv. one of Educational Psychology 628 or 645;

v. one of Educational Psychology 617 or 620;

vi. Practicum: Educational Psychology 640 and 647. Note section 6 Police Information Check below.

Police Information Check

All successful applicants to the Werklund School of Education Counselling Psychology program are required to provide a current Police Information Check which includes a Criminal Record Check and a Vulnerable Sector Search. All successful applicants will be also required to acknowledge the requirement for a Police Information Check by submitting an "Acknowledgment of PIC requirement" declaration form prior to the start of the program. Students who are not residents of Calgary must arrange for a Police Information Check through their nearest police service or RCMP detachment in the area where they reside. In order to be considered "current", the Police Information Check must be completed no earlier than June 30, and students will be required to request a new Police Information Check every year in which they enroll in a practicum course (Educational Psychology 640, 647). The original Police Information Check must be presented to the administration in the Graduate Program Office in the Werklund School of Education before the start of Fall Term classes and to the organization hosting the student on or before the first day of the practicum.

Students who are concerned about the presence of a criminal record should contact the police department to discuss the process for eliminating or erasing such a record.

A current Police Information Check is required for all third-party and University of Calgary practicum placements. Failure to present a Police Information Check may result in the student being unable to complete their Practicum. Successful completion of Practicum is required for graduation.

Students are obligated to inform the Faculty immediately of any change in status of their criminal record.

Graduate Programs in Education do not normally accept undergraduate courses for credit toward graduate degrees.

The Master of Science requires two years of full-time study to complete. Maximum time allowed for completion of the Master of Science degree is four years.

An interim advisor is assigned to each first-year student in a thesis-based program. Students are responsible for initiating discussions with potential permanent supervisors and are expected to have finalized supervisory arrangements by their second annual registration.

A supervisory committee, approved by the Graduate Program Director, is required for MSc students choosing the manuscript-based thesis route. Normally, the committee will consist of the supervisor and two members (see Academic Regulations – Supervision)

Thesis Examination

In addition to the Faculty of Graduate Studies regulations for thesis examinations, the program requires:

Scheduling of the Examination
All members of the Supervisory Committee must have reviewed the student’s draft thesis document before an examination can be scheduled.

Composition of the Committee
The Internal Examiner may be internal to the home program.

Information on research proposals is available through the interim advisor/supervisor.

Ethics approval is required for all research projects involving the use of human subjects, before data collection begins. In order to submit an ethics application, students are required to complete the TCPS2 tutorial and upload the certificate of completion into their Researcher Profile in IRISS. Register on the TCPS2 website at tcps2core.ca/register.

To initiate the ethics approval process, the student, in consultation with the supervisor, must submit an application to either the Conjoint Faculties Research Ethics Board or the Conjoint Health Research Ethics Board. Applications to the CFREB or CHREB are created and submitted online using IRISS ucalgary.ca/iriss.

Financial assistance may be available to qualified students. For information on awards, see the Awards and Financial Assistance section of this Calendar.

Students applying for scholarships for September admission must submit their scholarship applications to the Graduate Programs in Education by the posted deadline dates for individual awards as noted at werklund.ucalgary.ca/graduate-programs/awards.

Graduate Programs in Education also provides assistance for students through teaching assistantships, graduate research scholarships and other scholarships. Application forms and deadline information for these awards can be obtained from Graduate Programs in Education.