Master of Arts in Psychology

Psychology is a diverse discipline that attempts to understand the basis of behaviour, thoughts and emotions. Psychology at UBC was introduced as a single course in 1915 and was initially offered by the Department of Philosophy. Over the years, the number of courses and instructors grew until we officially became the Department of Psychology in 1958. UBC's Department of Psychology is a top ranked research department in Canada and in the world. Our 58 faculty members and 130 full-time graduate students and postdoctoral fellows conduct research across the spectrum of psychology, representing seven sub-disciplinary specializations: Behavioural Neuroscience, Clinical, Cognitive Science, Developmental, Health, Quantitative Methods, and Social/Personality.

The strength of our graduate programs lies in the highly productive research faculty, well-organized programs of study, extensive opportunities for student-faculty interaction, and rich offering of research specializations. Our faculty are well known for their research expertise in health, happiness, language acquisition, gambling, child development, gender roles, environmental behaviour, neuroscience, and many other areas of psychology. Our research programs are well funded by major national granting agencies, and our faculty are committed to research excellence and interdisciplinary collaborations within UBC's Faculties of Medicine, Science and Arts, the Institute for Resources, Environment and Sustainability and many other institutions around the world

Only applicants having the intention and potential to complete the PhD program will be considered, we do not admit applicants who intend to complete only the MA degree.

Typically, a four-year BA/BSc degree in psychology and research experience in psychology is required for admission to our graduate program. In some cases, a three-year degree from certain countries can be accepted. Click on the links below to review minimum requirements for both domestic and country-specific credentials.

IELTS - A minimum overall band score of 6.5 is required with a minimum score of 6.0 in each component. TOEFL IBT - 90 for the internet-based exam (with minimum component scores of 22 (reading, listening) and 21 (writing, speaking), PTE - A minimum overall score of 65 on the academic (NOT general) test is required with minimums of 60 reading, 60 writing, 60 listening, and 60 speaking.Only applicants having the intention and potential to complete the PhD program will be considered, we do not admit applicants who intend to complete only the MA degree.

Typically, a four-year BA/BSc degree in psychology and research experience in psychology is required for admission to our graduate program. In some cases, a three-year degree from certain countries can be accepted. Click on the links below to review minimum requirements for both domestic and country-specific credentials.

IELTS - A minimum overall band score of 6.5 is required with a minimum score of 6.0 in each component. TOEFL IBT - 90 for the internet-based exam (with minimum component scores of 22 (reading, listening) and 21 (writing, speaking), PTE - A minimum overall score of 65 on the academic (NOT general) test is required with minimums of 60 reading, 60 writing, 60 listening, and 60 speaking.