LEVEL OF STUDY
WHAT DEGREE SHOULD I TAKE?
(Revised March 31st, 2008)
Laurentian University offers courses leading to both three- and four-year degrees. All Arts degrees provide students with a broadly-based social sciences education. This means that students may explore psychology in varying degrees of depth but are also required to take courses reflecting the broader field of arts, including both humanities and social sciences and at least one (6 credit) science course. Science degree students take similar Psychology courses but are also required to include 36 credits of science courses. In any Psychology degree, students will develop oral and written communication skills and a range of problem-solving skills. Further, Psychology students will develop library, numeracy, computer, and analytic skills. Specifically, Psychology students will develop an understanding about how people think and behave; knowledge which has practical implications.
A 3-year B.A. General offers the minimum university degree. This degree will not be acceptable for graduate studies but does provide a general overview of the field. For some students, it may be adequate for employment, but with the deletion of grade 13, this degree provides a bare minimum.
A 4-year Honours Degree (B.A. 4 Honours) is the recommended degree for students who plan to pursue graduate studies in psychology. An Honours degree with a thesis is typically the minimum degree (there are other requirements) required for advanced studies. This degree provides training in theory and provides the opportunity for students to develop an independent research project. Students must have a minimum overall average of 70% to enrol in the thesis course. Due to the rigour required, this degree should be undertaken mainly by students intending to continue their studies at the Master’s or Ph.D. level.
A 4-year Specialization Degree (B.A. 4 Specialized) does not require that students complete a research thesis; students may substitute advanced level courses in psychology for the thesis. This degree offers more flexible requirements than the Honours degree. This degree will provide more comprehensive knowledge of the field than a 3-year degree and is a good choice for the student who wants more than the 3-year B.A. but does not want the rigorous research experience provided in the H.B.A. It is more suited for students who do not have the grades required for an honours degree, and/or have no intention of entering graduate studies in psychology, even if they have the grades, but who desire the increased skills and knowledge that come with a 4-year degree. It is up to the students to determine if this degree will be adequate to enter any further program they may be interested in; this degree may be acceptable for some advanced programs, e.g., teachers’ college, speech pathology, law school, or medicine.
A 4-year Science Honours Degree (B.Sc. Honours) is also available for students. Students take similar psychology courses to Arts Honours students but their courses emphasize experimental psychology. Further, B.Sc. students take 6 full-year courses in Science, including a standard first year science program plus upper year science courses. This degree is suitable for students interested in graduate studies and may allow students to acquire a “teachable” subject in a science or prepare students for some medical programs, or other careers.