Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) Counselling Psychology

About this programme

On this page: Overview | Admission Requirements | Applying | Tuition & Fees Application deadline: December 1 annually (Fall admission only). Please read the program’s admission requirements fully. Please note that the Department no longer accepts deferrals, except under extraordinary circumstances. NEW for Fall 2027 admissions: Applicants with an undergraduate degree in psychology can apply directly to the PhD and PsyD in Counselling Psychology. Applicants with an undergraduate degree in psychology and a masters degree can also apply to the PhD and PsyD in Counselling Psychology. Overview The program is built on the scientist-practitioner model. It is currently accredited by the Quebec Order of Psychologists (OPQ) and the Canadian Psychological Association (CPA). The PhD program aims to develop graduates who: Contribute to the advancement of knowledge in the field of counselling psychology. Practice from a strong evidence base. Take a leadership role in community, professional and university organizations in counselling psychology. Read more The PhD in Counselling Psychology detailed program information page contains additional information about the program: (Our Mission - Our Expectations - Our Clinical Training Resources - Our Support Systems - Our Students - Our Graduates at a Glance - Our Faculty - Our Accreditations - Program Outcomes). Admission Requirements Academic background & CGPA PhD in Counselling Psychology applicants are advised that, in accordance with the Quebec Order of Psychology (OPQ), Canadian Psychological Association (CPA), and American Psychological Association (APA) criteria for doctoral program accreditation, all doctoral candidates must have a solid grounding in the history of psychology, biological basis of behaviour, developmental psychology, abnormal psychology, the social-cultural aspects and determinants of behavior, cognitive-affective psychology, psychological measurement and assessment, research methods, statistics, and personality. This is evaluated using the PhD Pre-Admission Academic Checklist (See the document links on the right menu). Applicants accepted to this program who do not have such courses in their undergraduate training must complete the missing requirements prior to starting their degree. Those applicants missing courses from their Master's level education equivalent to the MA in Counselling Psychology - Research Project Concentration, will be required to complete these courses after entering the doctoral program. In addition to the information provided on this website, all applicants should also visit the Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies Office website for information on admissions and funding, as well as the requisite standardized tests (for example: TOEFL/IELTS). To be eligible applicants must hold: 1) A baccalaureate degree consisting of 42 credits of core courses in specific Psychology domains: View a list of 42 undergraduates credits of core courses and complete the PhD Pre-Admission Academic Checklist (see links available on the right) prior to applying. Consult the Counselling Psychology Pre-Admission Academic Domain Guide (see links available on the right) to determine how to categorize courses when completing the Pre-Admission Academic Checklist. IMPORTANT NOTES: Due to our high volume of applicants, Departmental Faculty and Staff do not review an applicant's academic history in order to help the applicant complete the Pre-Admission Academic Checklist. Applicants are asked to thoroughly consult the Pre-Admission Academic Domain Guide (link above) and use course descriptions and other course materials from completed courses, to complete the checklist to the best of their abilities. Successful applicants who are offered admission will be advised of any conditions of acceptance on their letter of admission (which may include fulfilling any pre-requisite course requirements). At the time of application, applicants can be missing up to 6-credits of courses from their Pre-