FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

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1 FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS Getting in and Getting Started Q: I wish to apply for admission to the University of Toronto Mississauga. What do I do? A: Please contact the University of Toronto Mississauga Office of Admissions and Awards at They are located on campus in the Davis Building at 3359 Mississauga Road South, Mississauga, ON L5L1C6. Information on how and when to apply can also be found at: students Q: I'm currently attending high school. Which high school courses will I need in order to study Psychology at the University of Toronto Mississauga? A: All PSY programs require a senior level (Grade 12) math course, as Psychology is considered a science discipline. Students who completed high school in Ontario require any 4U Mathematics course. We accept out of province equivalents. Grade 12 (4U) English is required as well. Grade 12 Biology is recommended, but is not a required course. Note: Admission requirements for will require Grade 12(4U) Biology and Advanced Functions or equivalent. Q: Which courses should I take in my first year? A: You need to take PSY100Y5 (Introduction to Psychology). This is the only specific university course required to apply for a program of study (Subject POSt) in Psychology after first year. In addition, you must take at least 3.0 other courses to apply to any UTM program. All programs require completion of at least 4.0 Full Credit Equivalents (FCEs) before applying. If you are interested in the Behaviour Genetics and Neurobiology or Exceptionality in Human Learning program there are additional required first year courses. Please check the calendar for further information. Q: Do you offer correspondence/distance education courses in Psychology? A: The Department of Psychology does not currently offer any distance education/correspondence courses. Q: Do I need to have a University Mathematics course to take PSY100Y5? A: No, there is no prerequisite required for PSY100Y5, and there are no Mathematics prerequisites for other upper level PSY courses other than PSY201H5 (Research Design and Analysis 1). High school Math is only required for enrollment in any PSY program. 1

2 Q: I do not have the required 4U Mathematics course, but still want to be in a Psychology program. What do I do? A: You will need to obtain a minimum of a senior level high school course in Mathematics BEFORE you apply to any UTM PSY program. This requirement is NEVER waived for any reason. We will accept any 4U Math Ontario high school course or out of province equivalent. A transcript, and sometimes a course description may also be required as proof especially in cases where the course was taken AFTER the student was admitted to the university and/or if the course was taken outside of Ontario. There are a number of ways that you can obtain a senior level math course during your first year or during the summer following your first year. These include: The Peel Board of Education offers continuing education courses ( If you're outside the Peel Region, you may check with your local Board of Education regarding the availability of senior level math classes. You can also take high school correspondence courses through The Independent Learning Centre ( These courses can be done on your own schedule, however, please note that some students find it hard to take a math course without some kind of teacher instruction while others do not. You will have to judge for yourself if you will do better in a classroom environment or if you can handle the self study method. Another correspondence school is Community college or university Mathematics courses MAY also be acceptable. department first. Please check with the Q: I want to transfer to the University of Toronto Mississauga from my current university. What should I do? A: You need to apply through Admissions and Awards to transfer to the University of Toronto Mississauga. students You cannot apply directly to the Psychology Program until you've been admitted to the University and all of your previous university credits (including Psychology courses) have been transferred over. Only after they have all been transferred should you contact the Psychology department for further advising. In most cases students are NOT admitted to the Psychology program until they have taken a full year at the University of Toronto Mississauga. They are welcome, however, to take psychology courses that year as long as they have the prerequisites from their previous university accepted by the University of Toronto Mississauga as transfer credits. It is important to be aware that there is a maximum number of course credits allowable when transferring from another university. The University of Toronto does not normally accept as degree candidates students who have completed more than two years (10 full credits) at another university. 2

3 Q: I am a St. George/UTSC student and wish to transfer to the UTM campus. What do I do? A: You must apply for an internal transfer. Please contact your college Registrar for further information. Q: I have a degree from another university and want to upgrade or take additional PSY courses at UTM in order to obtain the equivalent of a four year degree for admission to graduate school. What do I need to do? A: You need to apply to Admissions and Awards as a Non degree Student students You cannot take any UTM courses until you have been admitted as a Non degree student. Once you have been admitted, please consult the Undergraduate Advisor for further academic advising and on policies and procedures for Non degree students in the Psychology department. (Please also see question below about Non degree students enrolling in PSY courses). Getting into Psychology Courses Q: How do I enroll in PSY courses? A: Generally, all course enrolment is done by students through ROSI at on the Student Web Service (SWS). Prerequisites are checked and enforced. 200 and 300 level courses: Priority is given to Psychology Program students to enrol first and then the course becomes available to UTM and other students later. Dates can be found in the Academic Calendar under Important Dates. students/important dates upcoming dates 300 level laboratory courses and 400 level seminars: Departmental approval is required and the course is restricted at all times to UTM PSY students. Preference is given to Specialists and Majors with high GPAs. The course will appear on students ROSI records with a status of INTerim until the department has had an opportunity to review students' requests and APProve or REFuse the course. Fees charges will not appear on the student invoice until an APProved status is assigned. PSY400Y5, 442Y5, and Independent Research Projects (e.g., PSY403H5): Enrolment through ROSI is not available. Students must enroll through the department. Departmental approval is required. Enrollment requires written application several months ahead. Please consult the department for further information. Q: I am trying to enroll in a PSY course and am being denied access. What is the problem? A: All PSY courses are restricted to UTM PSY students during the priority period of enrolling. If you are not currently enrolled in a PSY program, you will be denied access to the course and must wait to enroll once the priority period is lifted. Please consult the UTM Timetable and Registration Guide for details and specific enrolment dates. students/important dates upcoming dates Q: Is there a waiting list for Psychology courses? A: All PSY courses, with the exception of 300 level lab courses and all 400 level courses, have waiting lists that are available on ROSI. When you try to enroll in one of these courses and it is full, ROSI will ask you if you wish to be added to the waiting list, to which you respond yes or no. If you request to be added to the waiting list, you will be able to check your position on the list on an on going basis. If a space becomes available and 3

4 you are first on the waiting list, you will be automatically enrolled in the course. It is important to check ROSI on a regular basis to assess your status. Please note that waiting lists are closed approximately 2 weeks after the course starts. Also note that the Department cannot jump students on the waiting list and add them into the course before everyone else. You need to wait your turn; first come, first serve. Q: I am far down on the waiting list. Should I remain on the list, or remove myself and try to enroll in another course? A: The decision to stay on a waiting list is yours and yours alone. For further guidance, students may speak with the Psychology Undergraduate Advisor, however the decision is up to the student. Q: I am not a PSY Specialist but I would like to take a 400 level seminar and/or a 300 level lab course. What do I do? A: While we provide preference to Specialists we encourage Majors who have GPAs above 3.0 to apply using the same procedures available to all UTM PSY students. Q: I am not in the Psychology Specialist Program but would like to take PSY400Y5 (Thesis). Can I still take it? A: Yes. If you have the prerequisites and a very strong academic record you are welcome to apply. Admission is competitive. Q: I want to take the PSY403H5/404H5/405H5/406H5 Individual Project this coming year. What is the procedure for this? A: The Individual Project is an intensive laboratory or applied research project for students who seek training and/or exposure complementary to that provided for by our regular course offerings. It is a student's responsibility to obtain prior consent of a supervisor from the Department of Psychology who will closely observe and then evaluate the project. A project proposal must be prepared demonstrating that there will be adequate supervision, and that the work will be academically demanding, of substantial magnitude, and uniquely suitable for the student. The proposal will include a description of the method of evaluation of the work. The proposal signed by student and supervisor is to be submitted for approval to the Director of Undergraduate Studies. Once approval has been received, the project must be added to your list of academic activities on ROSI by the Undergraduate Advisor. Proposal forms are available through the Undergraduate Advising Office (Room 2037B Davis Building) or at: Prerequisites include PSY201H5/equivalent, 1.0 FCE in PSY at the 300 level, GPA of 3.0. Please have your proposals in no later than the first week in September if you are starting in the fall, or the first week in January if you are starting in the winter. If you are doing a summer project, please have your proposal completed and submitted by early May. 4

5 Q: I want to enroll into a PSY course that is currently full. How do I get in to this course? Can the instructor "sign me in"? A: Once a course has filled to capacity there is no way for you to take the course unless you are automatically moved into the course from the waiting list. The Department does not have the ability to enroll you beyond the course cap (regardless of how many seats are empty in the classroom). Additionally, the instructor of the course has NO control over enrolment numbers and has no authorization to "let students in." Q: I need to get into a particular course to graduate and it is full. What do I do? A: If you truly need a specific course to fulfill your program requirements for graduation, we will help you and find a space for you. Please take note that this RARELY happens. Each PSY program has many options within each group of required courses that you will likely have the prerequisites to take several possible courses. We can only assist you in obtaining a space for a course if you can prove that you have the prerequisites for ONLY one particular course. We cannot assist you if you have other course options available, even if these other options are not attractive to you. If you are in this position, please first carefully look through all available courses and their prerequisites. Using the SWS, try to add all courses (for which you have prerequisites) that will fulfill your program requirements. If you have thoroughly examined all your options, please see the Undergraduate Director to obtain assistance. Please note that we can only help if you have made consistent progress in your program (i.e., you do not expect to take the majority of your courses in your final year) and you are requesting assistance during your final year or term at UTM and have a graduation request registered on ROSI. We also reserve the right to admit you to a course for which you do not have the prerequisite but need to graduate instead of admitting you to the course you desire. Q: I took/am taking another stats course from a different department in lieu of PSY201H5 for my Psychology program. Can I use it instead of PSY201H5 as a prerequisite for PSY 300 level courses? A: Yes, any stats course that is viewed as equivalent to PSY201H5 or PSY202H5 may be used in its place as a prerequisite for those courses that require one or both of these courses. The Department of Psychology will accept statistics courses from other departments so that students planning on completing a double Major need to take statistics courses offered by only one department to satisfy both programs. Please consult the psychology program section in the UTM Calendar for a list of acceptable courses. Q: I don't have the prerequisites for the course I want to take. Can I still take the course? A: In most circumstances, NO. Waivers will ONLY be considered IF you have alternate background either from a similar UofT course or from another university. You may request a waiver of prerequisite by filling out a Prerequisite Waiver Form available through the Undergraduate Advising Office (Room 2037B Davis Building) or a Please do NOT enroll in any course for which you do not have the appropriate prerequisites as you will be taking a spot that a student who has the prerequisites may want and as a result you will be removed without notice. Q: I just received notification that I've been removed from a PSY course. Why? A: While ROSI may have let you enroll we check prerequisites prior to and at the beginning of each term. If your student record does not show the appropriate prerequisites for the course(s) you enrolled in, you will be removed. 5

6 If you are a Transfer student (before transfer credit assessment was finalized), a Non degree student or a Visiting student, you may be asked to provide a copy of your previous university transcripts to room 2037B Davis Building to prove that you have the appropriate background for the course you are taking. If you are a St. George or UTSC PSY student you MUST meet the UTM prerequisites before enrolling in and taking a course here even if they are different at your home campus. Q: I am currently a Non degree student at U of T taking some courses for interest or upgrading for admission to graduate school. Can I take any PSY course or only specific ones? A: As a Non degree student with a previous degree or Psychology background you can take our PSY courses as long as you have obtained the equivalent of the appropriate prerequisites in your previous studies. Please bear in mind that our PSY Program students get first priority when enrolling in PSY courses and that you will have to wait until the priority is dropped. Getting into a Psychology Program (Subject POSt) SubjectPOSt Codes ERSPE1160 Psychology Specialist ERMAJ1160 Psychology Major ERMIN1160 Psychology Minor ERSPE1883 Exceptionality in Human Learning Specialist ERMAJ1883 Exceptionality in Human Learning Major ERSPE2470 Behaviour, Genetics and Neurobiology Specialist Q: I do not have the required high school or post secondary Mathematics course, either because I transferred from another university's psychology program where it was not required, or because I originally applied to Humanities and Social Sciences, which do not require Mathematics. Can I still be admitted without this requirement? A: No, you cannot be admitted until you first meet the Mathematics admission requirement. Options on how to obtain this requirement were answered previously. If you were admitted to the University of Toronto before 1990, please contact the Undergraduate Director to discuss the possibility of exemption from this requirement. Q: I want to enroll in a Psychology program. What do I do after completing PSY100Y5? A: Visit our web site at studies/programs study/admission programs or consult the Psychology section of the UTM Calendar at to review the programs we offer and to learn about program admission requirements. Then consult the UTM Registration Guide for information about applying to programs (Subject POSts). The first round of Subject POSt (program) enrolment begins in March. 6

7 Q: I will be taking PSY100Y5 in the Summer Session and want to enroll in a PSY program. What do I do? A: You must apply during the second Subject POSt request period, which usually begins in mid June. While we will make every effort to make admission decisions early, please be advised that applying late (i.e., not during the first round of enrolment) may mean that you will not find out whether you've been accepted until end of August. This could affect course enrolment for you. Q: I will not find out if I've been accepted into a PSY Program until September but I need to enroll in courses as soon as possible before they fill up. What do I do? A: Unfortunately, enrolling in a Subject POSt during the second enrolment round means that you may not get the first choice of the courses in which you are interested. All students enrolled in a PSY program are given priority for enrolment in PSY courses and those not enrolled in a PSY program must wait until the priority period ends (please consult Registration Guide and Timetable for dates Please note that 300 level laboratory courses and 400 level seminars are highly restricted to Specialists and Majors with high GPAs. Q: I did not receive the grade required in PSY100Y5 to be admitted to the PSY program. Are any exceptions made? A: No, the Psychology Department does not make exceptions. We expect students to meet ALL requirements in order to be accepted. If you scored poorly in PSY100Y5, you may either take it again (but receive NO academic credit for it) or take second year courses and meet the second year admission requirements. studies/programs study/admission programs Q: I am a transfer student and did not receive the minimum program requirement grade in the PSY100Y5 equivalent that I completed at my former university where achieving this grade was not required. Can I still be admitted? A: Because students transfer to UTM from all over the world, for the sake of fairness, only grades obtained at the University of Toronto are used to determine eligibility for admission to PSY programs. As such, whether or not you obtained the required grade at another university will not affect your admission into the PSY program. You will need to meet the admission requirements by meeting the required grades in courses taken at UTM. Q: I just learned that I have been refused entry into the PSY Program I applied for, but I was certain that I met all of the requirements. Why was I refused admission? A: Please review our admission requirements for the PSY program you applied for and make sure you meet ALL of them. If you do happen to meet all of the minimum requirements we may have no record of you taking Grade 12 Mathematics or its equivalent, in which case you need to submit a transcript to prove that you have taken the course. It is important that you promptly contact the Psychology Undergraduate Director if you have any questions about the status of your PSY Program application. 7

8 Getting into Graduate School Q: How do I get research experience? How do I become a research assistant? A: The Psychology Department does not match students up with research supervisors. You may seek out research experience by contacting individual Faculty members about opportunities in their labs. Academically, we offer the Research Opportunity Program (ROP PSY299Y5), 300 series laboratories (PSY309H5, 319H5, 329H5, 379H5, and 399H5), Independent Research Projects (e.g., PSY403H5) and the Thesis course (PSY400Y5). A very limited number of additional opportunities as research assistants, laboratory volunteers etc. are available by contacting individual Faculty members. Students can also look for these types of opportunities at the U of T Career Centre web site ( or with the various affiliated hospitals or co operating institutions. Q: What if I already have a previous Bachelor's degree in something other than Psychology or I have a previous general degree in Psychology? How do I prepare for graduate studies? A: MA/PhD programs generally require an Honours Bachelor's degree in Psychology or equivalent. If you already have a previous degree, you usually need to take only "enough" Psychology courses to have your studies be considered equivalent to an Honours degree in Psychology. Please consult the graduate schools you are interested in to clarify this. Please note that the UTM Department of Psychology does NOT issue any letters or statements which claim that your studies are considered equivalent to an Honours degree in Psychology at the University of Toronto. The number of Psychology courses necessary to apply to graduate studies varies from one graduate school to another. For example, at the University of Toronto, where we have a Research/Experimental Psychology M.A./Ph.D. program, we require only 6.0 full courses in Psychology, while some other schools may require as many as 10 courses. For information on entry requirements, you will need to contact each graduate school to which you wish to apply. Information on the different psychology graduate programs in Canada can be found on the Canadian Psychological Association website at If you already have an undergraduate degree from a university other than the U of T and wish to take courses at U of T in order to upgrade before applying to graduate school, the first step is to apply as a Non degree student through the Office of Admissions and Awards. Returning students should contact their College Registrar's office for details on taking further courses. Please be forewarned that Non degree students hold LAST priority in obtaining admission to all courses and keep in mind that Psychology is a popular discipline at our university. Q: Where can I find more information on applying to graduate school at the University of Toronto? A: For more information about applying to graduate school, please visit the School of Graduate Studies website. 8

9 For further questions or inquiries please contact: Stuart Kamenetsky, Ph.D. Associate Chair and Undergraduate Director Room 4004 Davis Building, Telephone: Advising for program admission; program completion; prerequisite waivers; career advising Jodie Stewart Undergraduate Academic Counsellor Room 2037B, Davis Building, Telephone: General departmental advising; missed tests, administrative procedures; scholarship opportunities; faculty contact information 9