M. Psy. Degree Requirements

Courses

The M. Psy. curriculum is designed to provide clinical and counselling students with knowledge, skills, and attitudes to prepare them to offer psychological services in a variety of diagnostic, therapeutic, and assessment settings. The elective options further allow students to have flexibility in selecting their theoretical orientation, preferred treatment models, and areas of concentration. Courses are divided into a Base Sequence (500-level) and an Applied Sequence (600-level), and the degree is offered either Full-Time (2 years) or Part-Time (4 years).

Base Sequence Courses (3 credits unless otherwise specified)

500-Professional Development I: Motivation and Values

501/2/3-Portfolio Seminar (0 credits)

505-Colloquia (0 credits)

511-Professional Development II: Interviewing and Alliance

512-Professional Development III: Ethics & the Law

513-Professional Development IV: Pre-Practicum & Self-Care

521-Statistics & Research Methodology

523-Human Change Processes

531-History & Systems of Personality and Psychotherapy

532-Fundamentals of Psychometric Assessment

533-Assessment of Intellect & Cognition

541-Psychopathology I: Anxiety-Based and Personality Disorders

542-Psychopathology II: Cognitive, Psychotic, and Affective Disorders

543-Psychodiagnostic Case Formulation & Report Writing

552-Transtheoretic Foundations of Psychotherapy

Applied Sequence Courses (3 credits unless otherwise specified)

600-Professional Development V: Group Psychotherapy

601/2/3-Conspectus Seminar (0 credits each)

605-Colloquia (0 credits)

612/13-Master’sProject I & II

630-Psychopharmacology

651/2/3-Practicum

661/2/3-Practicum Seminars (2 credits each)

Master’s Comprehensive Examination (0 credits)

Electives

691/2/3-Electives (1-3 credits each, total 9 credits)

Total: 39 Base credit hours

27 Applied credit hours

9 Elective credit hours

_______

75 total credit hours

Colloquia (courses 405, 505, 605)

Once each month during every trimester in which students are registered or paying continuous enrollment fees, they are expected to attend school-wide Colloquia where faculty members, students, and invited guests present information of interest to professional psychologists and human services practitioners in general. Emphasis is on new developments in research and on trends that integrate theory and research with current practice. Colloquia also provide faculty members and others in the School community with the opportunity to learn about one another’s research and professional interests. Students will be expected to incorporate Colloquia topics in classes, Portfolio Seminars, and Conspectus Seminars and may be invited to present Master’s Project findings to their colleagues at Colloquia.

Portfolio (Courses 501/2/3) and Conspectus (Courses 601/2/3 Seminars)

Full-Time Base Sequence (first year) students meet weekly and Part-Time Base Sequence (first and second year) students meet bi-weekly in mentor Portfolio Seminars to integrate course material and their own professional development into a Learning Portfolio, a comprehensive profile of relevant learning to date. Students will be grouped in Portfolio Seminars according to their professional interests in clinical or counselling psychology. The Portfolio is due during trimester 3 for full-time students and trimester 6 for part-time students. The faculty will evaluate the Portfolio in order to determine whether to admit the student to the Applied (600-level) Sequence.

Full-Time Applied Sequence (second year) students will likewise meet weekly and Part-Time Applied Sequence (third and fourth year) students bi-weekly in Conspectus Seminars to develop an ongoing professional learning plan (Conspectus) that, along with the Master’s Comprehensive Examination and the Master’s Project, will form the basis for the faculty’s recommendation regarding graduation. The Conspectus is a structured process that fosters excellence in learning from practice, a skill that will prove valuable throughout any practitioner’s career.

Electives (Course 691/2/3…)

Students select elective courses based on their career goals and their intention to develop specialized interests. For example, they may choose to pursue a Certificate in Adlerian or in Psychodynamic Psychotherapy, in Assessment, in Organizational Development, or in Executive Coaching. Each of these certificates may require prerequisites in addition to those required for admission to the M.Psy. degree.

Master’s Project (Courses 612/13)

All Master of Psychology students are required to complete a Master’s Project with a critical literature review that includes a theoretical component. This project does not require generating an original empirical research product that is publishable, although some students may choose to do so. The topic may be a quantitative or qualitative research project. A critical review of literature may be guided by clinical or other applied concerns the student identifies during her or his Portfolio Seminar. The outcome may be, for example, a contribution to theoretical integration regarding a particular treatment, diagnosis, syndrome, or application; history of changes in an approach or interpretation; or a practical program based on theory identified in the Portfolio review. The Master of Psychology Master’s Project Handbook is a guide to the preparation of the Project.

For the Master’s Project, students will select a faculty supervisor and a reader (either external or internal to the Program faculty) in consultation with their Faculty Mentor/Advisor. The Program Dean will approve the selections of Supervisor and Reader. After completion of the Master’s Project according to the procedures outlined in the Master’s Project Handbook, the supervisor and reader will forward a recommendation to the Program Dean of “P” for Pass or “N” for No Pass. In the case of disagreement between the Supervisor and Reader, the Dean will appoint another Reader to adjudicate.

Practicum (Courses 651/2/3)

The Practicum is designed to provide practical experience in competencies that meet the professional goals of the student. The Practicum is conducted under the supervision of a senior Site Supervisor who is a registered psychologist, psychotherapist, or professional certified coach. Each student is ultimately responsible for finding and successfully completing three practicum placements. For clinical psychology students, at least one of these must involve assessment. The Director of Clinical Training is responsible for approving sites and providing support and assistance to students in identifying, selecting, and completing Practicum experiences.

Upon successful completion of the Base Sequence, including acceptance by the Faculty of the student’s Learning Portfolio, students may enter a placement in order to engage in applied training under the supervision of a clinical or counselling psychologist, a psychotherapist, or a professional coach, as appropriate for the student’s career goals. Each practicum consists of 300 hours including 15 hours of supervision and 75 hours of direct client contact. Remaining hours consist of report writing, research and reading, and attending and/or presenting at conferences or Colloquia, as directed by the Site Supervisor. Students should expect to be on site a minimum of one full day per week. Some sites may allow a schedule of two or more night-times or weekends.

Each Practicum is graded on a Pass/No Pass basis. At the end of their first Practicum (651), students are judged against a benchmark of “novice”; at their second (652), against a benchmark of “advanced beginner”; and at the third (653) against a benchmark of “competent (to provide psychological, psychotherapy, or coaching services under supervision).” A passing grade requires an overall evaluation of “average” as measured against the benchmark, or “3” on a 5-point scale, in the Student Evaluation form completed by the student’s primary Site Supervisor, plus completion of all requirements as set out in the Practicum Handbook.

Practicum Seminars (Courses 661/2/3)

Practicum seminars run concurrently with student Practicum placements and meet on a regular basis in a small group format. They provide experienced faculty with the opportunity to provide developmental supervision and consultation* to guide the ongoing development of the student. Students will present and critique clinical, counselling, psychotherapy, or coaching case material through the use of audio and/or video recording. They will receive peer consultation as well as sound clinical instruction and developmental supervision necessary for enhancement of professional skills and knowledge. Seminars are comprised of the following components:

• Didactic Instruction

• Analysis of Audio/Video Recording

• Supervision of Interviewing, Diagnostic, and Therapeutic Intervention (in the case of clinical and counselling psychology tracks)

• Peer Consultation

• Report Writing

*Note: Developmental supervision or consultation relates to the development of clinical, counselling, psychotherapeutic, or coaching skills, knowledge and attitude on the part of the student. Supervision of clients in practicum rests with the site supervisor, who is ultimately responsible for the clients’ care.