卡尔顿大学

Psychologists study the mechanisms that underlie our thoughts, emotions and behaviors. They examine a diverse range of topics, such as how we think and learn, how we interact with others and how we can promote healthy development and wellness. This is accomplished by conducting research so that the knowledge gained can help us to better understand the human mind, enhance well-being and performance, and generate additional research questions.

All of our programs provide opportunities to explore psychology’s major areas within the context of an active and diverse research environment. Our honours programs offer six concentrations for students wishing to focus on one of these major areas.

• Cognitive Psychology
• Developmental Psychology
• Forensic Psychology
• Health Psychology
• Organizational Psychology
• Social and Personality Psychology

Both the BA (Honours) and the BSc (Honours) in Psychology require 20.0 credits for the degree; nine of these credits are from psychology. In addition to a number of core courses in fourth year, Honours students either design and carry out a supervised research thesis or complete an essay on a topic in psychology.

When you study psychology at Carleton, you will have an opportunity to explore all of psychology’s major areas including social, personality, cognitive, health, developmental, applied and forensic psychology, as well as specialized topics such as attitudes, abnormal behaviour, perception and criminal behaviour.

Cognitive Psychology focuses on basic and applied processes related to memory, attention, perception, decision-making, human performance, and speech and language.

Developmental Psychology centres on the physical, social, and emotional changes that we experience across the lifespan, considering such topics as shyness, emerging adulthood, bullying, positive youth development, and the development of language, literacy and mathematics skills.

Forensic Psychology looks at the relationship between psychology and the justice system in order to improve our understanding of such topics as the development of criminal behaviour, the classification and rehabilitation of offenders, eyewitness testimony, and police psychology.

Health Psychology involves the study of the psychological, social and behavioural influences on health and illness, covering such topics as stress and coping, forgiveness, life-changing experiences, health decision-making and our relationship with nature.

Organizational Psychology looks at individuals and groups in workplace settings, examining issues such as occupational health and employee morale, with the ultimate goal of enhancing organizational effectiveness and individual well-being.

Social and Personality Psychology involves the study of the complex interplay between our characteristics and the environments in which we live, including a wide range of phenomena such as close relationships, procrastination, happiness and relationships between groups.

The BA (Combined Honours) in Psychology program allows you to combine your studies in psychology with studies in another discipline.

General program

Six of your 15.0 credits will be in psychology. You may choose your other courses from other disciplines of interest. The Bachelor of Arts (BA) provides a good foundation for occupations that deal with psychological issues, but is not intended to prepare you for a career as a professional psychologist.

Core courses

No matter which one of these programs you choose, your first year will include an introductory course that highlights what psychology offers and describes its basis as an experimental science.