Application Information

Overview

If you are not already a University of Toronto student, please visit the University Admissions and Outreach website for information about applying to the University. Additional information for future students is available on the Faculty of Arts & Science website. 

If you are currently a student at the University of Toronto, please see the Admission Requirements for Psychology below for more information.

If you are a transfer student, please visit the Arts & Science Transfer Credit website, and the Transfer Explorer website for information on what courses are transferable.

If you are looking into applying to the Research Specialist Program, please see below.

Admission Requirements for Psychology 

Undergraduate students select their programs of study (Subject POSts) once they have completed a minimum of 4.0 full-course equivalents (FCEs) at the university level, whether from the University of Toronto or at another institution. Thus, students begin their selected program in their second year (the first year being a general exploratory year) or, for part-time students, after the completion of 4.0 FCEs. 

In addition to 4.0 FCEs, all Psychology Programs have additonal admission requirements, which are outlined below. The Psychology Department offers a Minor, Major, Specialist and Research Specialist in Psychology as well as a Minor in  Environment and Behaviour.  We also offer a Certificate in Psychology of Economics and Management that would mainly be of interest to Rotman Commerce and Economics students.

Please note that, due to space limitations and the large number of applicants, our programs are all designated "Limited Enrolment" which means that even if you meet/exceed the minimum requirements, admission is not guaranteed.  Be prepared with an alternate program plan should your request to be admitted to Psychology be declined. 

You should consider pursuing the Minor Program in Psychology if you are interested in Psychology as a part of your general education or as a compliment to your training in another profession (i.e., nursing, rehabilitation medicine, physical health and education, social work, etc.).

The Minor is a Type 2L program that can only accept a limited number of students. The quantity of applications received in a given year always far exceeds the number of spaces available in the program. Eligibility will be based on the following criteria, however, achieving or even exceeding the minimum marks listed does not guarantee admission to the Minor in any given year.  It is recommended that students have a back-up POSt in mind in the event that they are not invited into Psychology.

Applying with 4.0 - 8.5 FCEs completed

  1. PSY100H1 with a final mark of at least 73%* (AP and IB Psychology are not accepted)
  2. Gr. 12 high school courses in Calculus and Biology (passing grade)
  3. Completion of at least 4.0 full university courses (FCEs)

Applying with 9.0 or more FCEs completed

  1. Completion of PSY100H1 (AP and IB Psychology are not accepted) 
  2. Gr. 12 high school courses in Calculus and Biology (passing grade)
  3. Completion of at least 9.0 FCEs 
  4. PSY201H1 (or one of ECO220Y1/EEB225H1/GGR270H1/POL222H1/SOC202H1/STA220H1/STA248H1/STA288H1), plus at least 1.0 FCE from PSY210H1, PSY220H1, PSY230H1, PSY240H1, PSY260H1, PSY270H1, PSY280H1, PSY290H1, with an average of 70%* across all three courses (PSY201H1 + PSY2XXH1 + PSY2XXH1).  If more than two PSY 200-levels have been completed, we will take the two with the highest grades.

*In past admission cycles, the average grade cut-off for the Minor program was approximately 74-76%. 

You should consider pursuing the Major Program in Psychology if you want to concentrate in Psychology together with another discipline.

The Major is a Type 2L program that can only accept a limited number of students.  The quantity of applications received in a given year always far exceeds the number of spaces available in the program.  Eligibility will be based on the following criteria, however, achieving or even exceeding the minimum marks listed does not guarantee admission to the Major in any given year.  It is recommended that students have a back-up POSt in mind in the event that they are not invited into Psychology.  We also encourage students to apply for the PSY Minor program at the same time they apply for the Major. 

Applying with 4.0 - 8.5 FCEs completed

  1. PSY100H1 with a final mark of at least 75%* (AP and IB Psychology are not accepted)
  2. Gr. 12 high school courses in Calculus and Biology (passing grade) 
  3. Completion of at least 4.0 full university courses (FCEs)

Applying with 9.0 or more FCEs completed

  1. Completion of PSY100H1 (AP and IB Psychology are not accepted)   
  2. Gr. 12 high school courses in Calculus and Biology (passing grade)
  3. Completion of at least 9.0 FCEs 
  4. PSY201H1 (or one of ECO220Y1/EEB225H1/GGR270H1/POL222H1/SOC202H1/STA220H1/STA248H1/STA288H1), plus at least 1.0 FCE from PSY210H1, PSY220H1, PSY230H1, PSY240H1, PSY260H1, PSY270H1, PSY280H1, PSY290H1, with an average of 73%* across all three courses (PSY201H1 + PSY2XXH1 + PSY2XXH1).  If more than two PSY 200-levels have been completed, we will take the two with the highest grades.

*In past admission cycles, the average grade cut-off for the Major program was approximately 77-79%.

You should consider pursuing the Specialist Program in Psychology if you want a greater concentration in Psychology than provided by the Major Program. Please note that having a Specialist is not required in order to be admitted to a graduate program in Psychology later on.

The Specialist is a Type 2L program that can only accept a limited number of students. The quantity of applications received in a given year always far exceeds the number of spaces available in the program. Eligibility will be based on the following criteria, however, achieving or even exceeding the minimum marks listed does not guarantee admission to the Specialist in any given year. It is recommended that students have a back-up POSt in mind in the event that they are not invited into Psychology. We also encourage students to apply for the PSY Minor and Major programs at the same time they apply for the Specialist.

Applying with 4.0 - 8.5 FCEs completed

1. PSY100H1 with a final mark of at least 80%* (AP and IB Psychology are not accepted)

2. Gr. 12 high school courses in Calculus and Biology (passing grade)

3. Completion of at least 4.0 FCEs

Applying with 9.0 or more FCEs completed

1. Completion of PSY100H1 (AP and IB Psychology are not accepted)

2. Gr. 12 high school courses in Calculus and Biology (passing grade)

3. Completion of at least 9.0 FCEs

4. PSY201H1 (or one of ECO220Y1/EEB225H1/GGR270H1/POL222H1/SOC202H1/STA220H1/STA248H1/STA288H1) and PSY202H1 (or one of ECO220Y1/STA221H1/SOC252H1/SOC300H1), plus at least 1.0 FCE from PSY210H1, PSY220H1, PSY230H1, PSY240H1, PSY260H1, PSY270H1, PSY280H1, PSY290H1, with an average of 75%* across all four courses (PSY201H1 + PSY202H1 + PSY2XXH1 + PSY2XXH1).  If more than two PSY 200-levels have been completed, we will take the two with the highest grades.

*In past admission cycles, the average grade cut-off for the Specialist program was approximately 81-83%.

This program is designed for students who have demonstrated a particular interest and aptitude for research and who want to complete a thesis.

Students apply at the end of their second year and begin the program in their third.  Interested students should ideally apply for a PSY Major or Specialist (Non-thesis) at the end of their first year.  All students accepted into or considering the Research Specialist program should enrol into a 300-level PSY lab course in their third year.  In addition to applying via ACORN, students must also send in a supplementary application directly to the department via the Research Specialist Online Application by the same deadlines for Subject POSt enrolment on ACORN.

Admission to the program is based on strong academic performance and expressed interest in research.  Prior research experience is not necessary for admission to the program, but any experience a student does have is helpful.  The Research Specialist is a limited program and, therefore, enrolment is restricted to no more than 15 students per year. Eligibility is highly competitive and based on the following criteria (please note that meeting the following minimum requirements does not guarantee admission):

  • Gr. 12 Calculus and Biology (passing grades)
  • Completion of at least 9.0 FCEs
  • PSY100H1 with a minimum final grade of 80% 
  • PSY201H1 (or one of ECO220Y1/EEB225H1/GGR270H1/POL222H1/SOC202H1/STA220H1/STA248H1/STA288H1) and PSY202H1 (or one of ECO220Y1/STA221H1/SOC252H1/SOC300H1) with at least an average of 75% across the two of them
  • At least 2.0 FCEs from PSY210H1, PSY220H1, PSY230H1, PSY240H1, PSY260H1, PSY270H1, PSY280H1, PSY290H1, with at least a 78% average across all four of them

How to apply:

1. Request program code ASSPE1958 on ACORN by the deadline for each round of enrolment.
2. Fill out the online supplemental application by the same date: https://www.psych.utoronto.ca/research-specialist-program-online-application.
3. Email the Undergraduate Administrator your up-to-date CV and academic history from ACORN in PDF format once all grades from the previous semester have been finalized to psy.undergrad@utoronto.ca.
4. If invited into the program on ACORN, accept the invitation by the deadline as indicated here.

Please see the following link to access a video recording of our Research Specialist information session from Friday, March 25th, 2022:

https://web.microsoftstream.com/video/68ac0431-3769-4685-9eb4-b26cb1165864?list=studio 

Jointly sponsored by the School of the Environment and the Department of Psychology, this program focuses on understanding issues of psychological motivation and attitudes that underlie environmental decision-making. Little positive environmental change can occur in the absence of broad-based behaviour changes.  Enrolment in the Environment & Behaviour Minor is limited to students also enrolled in the Psychology Minor/Major/Specialist.  For more information, please consult David Powell at david.powell@utoronto.ca or visit https://www.environment.utoronto.ca/undergraduate/programs-study/collaborative-programs#collaborative-specializations-accordian-accordion-1.

The Certificate in Psychology of Economics and Management will provide students with a specialized curriculum that explores the interdisciplinary connections between social psychology, economics, and business, covering the role of motivation, culture, and leadership in organizations. This certificate would be of interest to students in Economics and Rotman Commerce, and is not open to students pursuing a Psychology Specialist, Major, or Minor.

This is a minimum enrolment Certificate. A minimum grade is required for the following courses in order to enrol:

1. PSY100H1 with a final mark of at least 70% (AP and IB Psychology are not accepted)

2. RSM100H1/MGT100H1/ECO101H1 with a final mark of at least 63%

Calculus and Biology Requirements

Psychology is a Life Science program at the University of Toronto. Ontario students applying to Life Sciences for Psychology at St. George campus must have completed MCV4U (Calculus & Vectors). In addition to Calculus, SBI4U (Biology) is required for all Psychology programs for all students who enrolled at UofT in the fall of 2019 or later. Students who did not attend high school in Ontario must complete the equivalent course(s).

Students educated at a Canadian high school outside of Ontario can consult the Canadian equivalency chart at https://www.artsci.utoronto.ca/future/ready-apply/admission-requirements/other-canadian-provinces to see if they meet the necessary requirements. 

International students can find more information about equivalencies below or at https://www.artsci.utoronto.ca/future/ready-apply/admission-requirements.

Please read the following information carefully:

  1. Students without the Calculus and/or Biology prerequisites must complete the missing course(s) prior to applying for admission to our programs. Proof of completion in the form of a transcript, certificate, or statement of accomplishment submitted to the Psychology Department at psy.ug-assistant@utoronto.ca is required. We do not waive these requirements under any circumstances for any student. 
  2. We do not factor your Calculus and Biology grades into your Psychology program admission - all that we require is a passing mark.
  3. Pre-Calculus high school courses do not meet the Calculus requirement.
  4. Calculus and Biology at the Gr. 9 and 10 levels are not considered equivalent, so we will not accept them.  If your high school only offered either of these courses up to Gr. 11, please email us a link to your high school’s curriculum and we will assess your eligibility.
  5. Psychology programs are "Limited Enrolment" meaning there is a finite number of spaces and not all who apply and meet the requirements will be accepted. Completing the Calculus and Biology admission requirement does not ensure you will be admitted, so completing these courses is done at your own risk – please keep this in mind. 

More equivalency options are listed below.

Calculus Equivalents

If you find a Calculus course not on the above list, please send information about the course in question to psy.ug-assistant@utoronto.ca to determine its eligibility.  If it's on the list above, it means we have approved it - please do not email us to ask if we will accept it.  

Proof that you have completed the Calculus requirement should be sent to the Psychology Undergraduate Office at psy.ug-assistant@utoronto.ca. Please include your UofT student number in your correspondence.

Biology Equivalents

Courses should cover the biology of humans. Here are a few equivalency options you can explore:

If you find a Biology course not on the above list, please send information about the course in question to psy.ug-assistant@utoronto.ca to determine its eligibility.  If it's on the list above, it means we have approved it - please do not email us to ask if we will accept it. 

Proof that you have completed the Biology requirement should be sent to the Psychology Undergraduate Office at psy.ug-assistant@utoronto.ca. Please include your UofT student number in your correspondence.