How to Apply to Graduate Studies in Psychology

Log into or create an account for the Ontario Universities' Application Centre (OUAC) to begin the initial online application for the University of Guelph.

Read and follow the instructions in the OUAC application very carefully.

You do not need to complete the Statement of Academic Intent or Professional Background sections within OUAC.

You have the option of ordering official (sealed) transcripts through OUAC for a fee. This is not required as we accept unofficial transcripts uploaded to WebAdvisor in the next step.

An official copy of your transcript is only required if you accept an offer of admission.

If your first language is not English and this will be your first time completing a degree in the English language, you will be required to submit the results of a standardized language test.

If your first language is not English but you have completed prior post-secondary studies in English, contact csahs.admissions@uoguelph.ca to see if you are eligible to have the test requirement waived.

The Graduate Record Examination (GRE) is no longer required for any of our psychology graduate programs.

Provide contact information for two academic referees. An email is automatically sent to the referee listed, so ensure that you have entered the correct email address.

Choose referees who are familiar with your skills in research, critical thinking, background preparation, originality, perseverance, and communication. An honours thesis supervisor or course instructor who knows you well would be good choices.

See the FAQ for guidelines on requesting references.

References are due on the Supplemental Documents Deadline listed above, so ensure you give your referee plenty of time to complete your reference.

After entering and verifying all required information, complete the application fee payment.

A non-refundable application fee of $125 CAD is required for each program/field you apply to.

Download and complete the Psychology Cover Page.

Upload to "Supplemental Document"

Upload an unofficial transcript for each university you have attended.

An official copy of your transcript is only required if you accept an offer of admission.

Transcripts requested through OUAC will be automatically uploaded to your account. If you request an official transcript through OUAC, do not upload an unofficial copy of the same transcript to WebAdvisor.

Ensure all your relevant research, volunteer and employment experience is listed and described in detail, including any awards, scholarships, publications, conference papers, technical reports, and university committee work.

Upload to "Resume/CV"

For students applying to Clinical Child and Adolescent Psychology:

If a referee is able to speak to your ability/potential as a clinician, forward them a copy of the CCAP Supplemental Letter of Recommendation.

Please have them email this completed form to csahs.admissions@uoguelph.ca.

Write a statement that outlines your interests in pursuing graduate study.

Length: Up to 2 pages

Include these four components in your statement:

1. A description of your potential research interests
2. An ordered list of faculty members you would like to work with and an explanation of your fit with their research
3. Any relevant research, volunteer, or work experience
4. Your career objectives and long-term goals

Upload to "Statement of Interest/Research"

Calculate your admission average using your grades from the final two years of full-time equivalent study (4-6 semesters) of your undergraduate degree.

For the typical bachelor's degree, this will be 20 courses, but you'll need a minimum of 16 courses in your calculation. If you took a double weight course, that grade is counted twice.

You must also include the grade from each course you completed in a given semester (i.e., do not split a semester). If you failed a course, do not include it in your calculation. If you repeated a course, only take the higher grade.

If your transcript uses letter grades, look up your university's grading scale and convert the letters to percentage grades. If the grading scale provides a range of percentage values, use the midpoint of the range.

For example, at the University of Guelph, a B grade equates to 73-76%, so you would use 74.5% in your calculation. Keep in mind that the conversion may be different at other universities.

Consider using a GPA calculator tool like Scholaro for assistance.

When you apply, we recalculate your average, so don't worry if your self-declared average isn't perfectly accurate.

Yes. If you are still completing your undergraduate degree, calculate your admission average using the most recent final grades available.

You may be admitted to the program on the condition that you complete all requirements for your undergraduate degree by April 30 of the entrance year.

An honours thesis or equivalent is usually an independent research project that occurs over a full academic year (two semesters). This will typically involve a literature search and synthesis, data analysis (and sometimes data collection), interpretation of findings, and writing a full APA report.

If your experience falls in line with this, please discuss it in your Statement of Interest. Your referees can also address this in their letters.

Even though applicants are encouraged to identify potential supervisors, admission is based on area review and is not at the sole discretion of the potential supervisor.

Each application is reviewed by at least two CCAP faculty, including faculty named in the application and faculty not mentioned as potential supervisors. Each applicant receives an overall evaluation by each faculty reviewer.

These scores are then used to identify the most competitive applications. Approximately half of those interviewed are offered admission. This typically results in cohorts of 5-7 students per year.

Please note that due to the volume of applications to CCAP, the department cannot offer feedback to applicants who do not receive an offer of admission.

References are a critical component of any application to graduate school. The following guidelines will help you through the process:

• Request references early. Allow at least three weeks for your referee to complete the form.
• Prepare your referee with information that will help them complete the form. Share your draft Statement of Interest with them. You can remind them of your key strengths and accomplishments that they can attest to.
• Choose faculty carefully. First approach thesis advisors and professors who have taught you in senior-level courses and ask if they can provide you with a strong reference. References from non-professors are also acceptable as long as they can speak to your academic ability.
• Inform your referee of the application deadline and ask them to confirm that they have completed your reference.

Yes! For more information, check out the International Student Guide. Connect with a Global Pre-Arrival Support Advisor if you have concerns around visas and immigration.

We strongly encourage you to only apply to one field. If you are considering more than one field of study, discuss your research interests with the faculty to determine the field you are best suited for.

Note than admission to one field does not preclude conducting research with faculty members in other fields.

The graduate admissions committee reviews all complete applications that meet the minimum admission requirements. We then invite candidates for interviews throughout January and February.

Please note that we only contact candidates who are selected for an interview.

Offers of admission are sent out via email between March and April. Non-admission notifications are sent as soon as all outstanding offers of admission have been finalized.