Our PhD in Psychology program is based on a mentorship model, where faculty members work closely with a small cohort of students. You can choose to specialize in one of four areas of psychology:
Close mentorship.
Community engagement.
Hands on, diverse research experiences.
Our PhD in Psychology is a full-time program. The structure varies by field, but no matter which area you choose to specialize in, you must write and defend a dissertation.
Our program is designed to prepare you for careers in research and teaching, or for applied opportunities in various community and social agencies.
Doctoral students are encouraged to teach a course as part of their program experience.
You can choose to specialize in one of four areas of psychology:
Our PhD in Social Psychology program helps individuals with a strong research background to fully develop into outstanding independent research investigators. An apprenticeship model provides students with an opportunity to acquire advanced academic knowledge in social psychology. Students will develop basic and/or applied research skills on attitudes, social cognition, affect and wellbeing, the self, close relationships, intergroup relations, social interactions, and personality processes.
Spanning several levels of analysis (e.g. social, cognitive, temporal), this research examines individuals, dyads and larger groups using both cutting edge and foundational methodologies (such as reaction-time measures, experience sampling and longitudinal self-reports, and moment-to-moment assessment, in addition to more standard experimental manipulations, surveys, questionnaires, and direct observation).
The PhD dissertation requires original research that contributes significant new knowledge to the field. This research has clear practical implications within personal, organizational, social, political, and therapeutic contexts.
Graduates are trained for positions in university, hospital, community, industry or government settings.
Students in the PhD program in Developmental Psychology at Laurier work closely with a faculty supervisor on an original program of research aimed to make a significant contribution in a specific subfield of developmental psychology.
Rather than requiring students to pass comprehensive exams as a part of their studies, the Laurier Developmental Psychology PhD program requires students to complete two comprehensive research projects each with faculty members other than their primary advisor. The purpose of these projects is for students to learn and benefit from the mentorship of other faculty, to experience new research methodologies, and to gain exposure to new research literatures in order to strengthen students' research profiles with presentations and publications in the broader field of developmental psychology.
After graduation (typically within three to four years), students will have acquired the necessary skills to apply for a teaching or research position at a college or university, as well as for positions outside the academic sector (e.g. governmental and non-governmental institutions).
You'll complete a minimum of seven half-credit courses, two comprehensive research experiences and a PhD thesis.
Community psychology is a critical and applied social science that pursues action-oriented social justice research from a perspective of understanding human behaviour in its social and historical contexts. Community psychologists recognize the communities they work with as experts on their own situations and as integral partners in designing and implementing culturally appropriate interventions that foster sustainable wellbeing. Community psychologists base their interventions on theory and evidence and use action-oriented research to promote positive change.
Community psychology takes a holistic approach to promoting social justice and wellbeing by focusing on the community, environment, and larger influencing factors that affect people’s daily lives (culture, society, politics, economics, etc.). It's characterized by an ecological approach to social problems that considers the conditions which give rise to them, such as experiences of poverty, oppression, marginalization and stigma. It links research and evaluation with direct action and service, and its practitioners partner with community members and social institutions to promote change.
Having a community psychology degree demonstrates that you have a professional commitment to lasting social change, an understanding of the origins of socially constructed problems, and the training to help others face those issues completely and successfully.
The objectives of the PhD program are for doctoral students to develop:
You'll gain teaching experience either by serving as a teaching assistant or by being an instructor or co-instructor for a course. The PhD program is geared to prepare graduates as scholars in universities, as policy researchers/analysts in governmental and non-governmental settings, as community researchers and program evaluators, and as managers of human service organizations.
Neuroscience is one of the most exciting and rapidly advancing fields in all of the life sciences. At Laurier, we take a broadly integrative perspective, examining the interaction between behaviour, cognition and the nervous system across a diverse set of species from fish to humans, ranging in scale from populations, to individuals, to cells, on timescales ranging from milliseconds to generations.
The objective of our PhD program is to train students to become independent research investigators in the field of neuroscience. An apprenticeship model provides students with an opportunity to acquire advanced academic knowledge in the biological basis of cognition and behaviour. Human and animal psychological issues are addressed by exploring the interaction between cognition, behaviour and the nervous system. Commonalities between humans and animals relating to cognitive, learning, and motivational processes and behaviour are explored to determine the role of the inner workings of the brain.
Students will develop basic and/or applied research skills in neuroscience. The PhD dissertation requires original research that contributes significant new knowledge to the field. Graduates are trained for positions in university, hospital, community, industry or government settings.
Our facilities allow faculty members and students to employ a rich diversity of tools and techniques including:
In addition, a field station is equipped to study large groups of freely behaving animals to study the neural mechanisms organizing complex social behaviour.
Our faculty members are strong researchers with external grant support and international reputations.
We give you the flexibility to explore your research interest and the ability to specialize in one of our four fields.
Faculty research a wide variety of topics, such as:
In the Developmental Psychology field, faculty members with supervisory status conduct experimental, observational, and applied research in:
Faculty offer very diverse interests and areas of expertise, including:
Our research interests are interconnected, focusing on the mechanisms underlying:
"Immerse yourself in all Laurier has to offer while completing your graduate education. Enjoy the journey – remember to have fun too!"
Paula C. Fletcher, associate dean, Faculty of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies
Take the first step in your graduate education and apply to one of our graduate programs. Follow our three-step admission process — we’ll walk you through how to apply and prepare for your first day as a graduate student.
For the Cognitive and Behavioural Neurosciences field:
Applications are due Jan. 6 for first consideration. Those fields will continue to accept applications until the program is full.
Please note, the application process and the uploading of supplemental documentation, which includes references, typically takes two weeks. To avoid disappointment, apply early.
After you have submitted your OUAC application, paid the non-refundable application fee, and Laurier has received your application, you'll receive an email from gradadmissions@wlu.ca advising you to upload the additional required documentation to Laurier’s Online Registration and Information System (LORIS).
An application for admission to our PhD program in Psychology must include:
Visit our Graduate Admissions Toolkit for more information about applying.
Proficiency in written and spoken English is essential to graduate studies at Laurier. Applicants whose language of instruction during their previous postsecondary education was not in English must submit evidence of proficiency in English. If applicable, results from accepted testing services must be uploaded to LORIS.
Questions? Contact Jeffery Jones, graduate coordinator, at jjones@wlu.ca or 548.889.3746. For general inquiries, contact Rita Sharkey, at rsharkey@wlu.ca or 548.889.38631.
Regardless of the type of graduate degree program you intend to pursue, financial planning is important. At Laurier, we want to provide you with as much information as possible about a variety of scholarship and funding opportunities and equip you with the skills to manage your finances effectively in the years to come.
Laurier welcomes international applicants to all of our doctoral programs. International students who have confirmed funding from a third-party, such as their employer or a scholarship program in their home country, will be considered for admission. Learn more about admission requirements for international applicants.
Our graduates have gone on to work in academia, government agencies, non-government organizations, and medical research.
Examples of jobs held by our graduate include:
ASPIRE is Laurier's professional skills development training program for graduate students. The program helps you craft an individualized, extracurricular learning plan tailored to your professional journey and entry to the workplace.
Learn about the interests and ongoing research of our faculty members. If their research interests you, email the professor directly to set up a meeting. Include information about yourself, your skills, your experience, and why you’re interested in their research.
Eight full-time faculty members supervise theses and dissertations in our Social Psychology master's and PhD programs:
There are currently six faculty members who are available to supervise Community Psychology graduate students:
