Psychology: Psychological Science
The GRE (general) admission requirement has been waived for the Fall 2025 intake.
This application will close to Domestic applicants on April 1st. Only complete applications will be reviewed.
The Master of Science in Psychological Science is a research-intensive program that addresses all areas of psychology including biological, cognitive, and individual and social bases of behaviour. The Psychological Science curriculum is based on an apprenticeship model, which includes flexible core courses that are appropriate to a student's area of research.
MSc Psychological Science: Gender and Women's Studies Specialization
MSc Psychological Science: Gerontology Specialization
The Gerontology Program collaborates with five departments including Psychology, to provide students with an innovative, interdisciplinary learning perspective. Students have the opportunity to access multifaceted resources and work together with complementary disciplines.
Research and theory in Gerontology is reviewed, and the thesis or major project taken in the collaborating academic unit will have a gerontological focus. For additional information on the Interdisciplinary Graduate Specialization in Gerontology, please visit the Gerontology website.
NOTE: Students in these programs must complete all requirements within six terms (2 years) of continuous registration.
Admission Requirements for Masters
Applicants for admission must be graduates of a recognized university, college, or institute as well as show evidence of scholarly achievement. Except where otherwise stated in the Admission Requirements of a particular program, degree students must have a four year bachelor's degree or its equivalent with at least second class standing (B) based on their last 20 half courses or equivalent.
For applicants from countries that follow a British-patterned grading system, please note:
- Overall standings are normally reported in lieu of an average. The CGPA can be determined on the basis of annual or overall standings as reported on the transcript or degree certificate.
- A minimum grade of B, or Second Class, Upper Division, is required.
- The National Diploma and Higher National Diploma are not recognized for admission to a graduate-level program.
- Be sure to include a copy of your institution grading scale when uploading your transcripts.
- If in doubt, you may wish to order a WES International Credential Advantage (iCap) report from wes.org
An applicant holding a degree other than one in the discipline area to which admission is sought will be considered on the basis of courses taken and academic standing.
Meeting the minimum requirements does not necessarily guarantee admission. No candidate will be admitted unless the academic unit recommends admission. All applicants will be advised by the Office of Graduate Studies in writing of their admission status.
Program Specific Requirements
In addition to the general admission requirements for Master programs, the following requirements also apply:
- Applicants to the MSc and PhD Psychological Science programs with or without Collaborative Specializations should be aware that THIS IS NOT a degree that will lead to registration as a Psychologist or Psychological Associate in the Province of Ontario, or the title "Psychologist" in other provinces, and that this degree does not normally lead to direct admission to the PhD program in Clinical Psychology at Lakehead University.
- MSc applicants must hold an Honours Bachelor of Arts or Science degree from an approved college or university in Psychology, or related interdisciplinary program, with at least a 70% average (B) based on their last 20 half courses or equivalent.
- An undergraduate thesis (or equivalent research experience) is required for admission into the MSc Psychological Science program.
- Students who have not completed a degree course in advanced statistics and experimental design will be required to take Psychology 4111 (Statistics for Psychology 3) in addition to the regular requirements for the MSc Psychological Science program.
- Offers of admission may include any course prerequisites and/or co-requisites. Within the period outlined in the offer of admission, these courses must be successfully completed with a minimum grade of 70%.
- Offers for admission and support will be made up to April 1. Applicants who have applied to several university departments may accept these offers up to April 15. After this date, however, offers will be made only to those applicants who clearly state that they are not committed to any other university department.
- Graduate Record Examination (GRE) General Test Scores are required before an application can be considered to the MSc program. Besides official transcripts and letters of recommendations, applications must also include a detailed statement of research interests and objectives plus the name(s) of Psychology faculty for potential masters thesis supervision.
- Applicants whose native language is not English and who have not studied in an English school system for more than three years will be required to present proof of English facility by achieving an appropriate standing in one of the following tests:
- Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) with a minimum internet-based score of 100, or a minimum computer-based score of 250, or a minimum paper-based score of 600 with a score of at least 5.0 on the Test of Written Language (TWE); Michigan English Language Assessment Battery (MELAB) with a minimum score of 90; Canadian Academic English Language Assessment (CAEL) with a minimum score of 80
- Applicants are encouraged to visit the Department of Psychology MSc Psychological Science Frequently Asked Questions page for detailed information.
- View Calendar
Academic Fees and Important Payment Information
Graduate Funding
At Lakehead University, we realize the importance of financial support for graduate students.
Therefore, financial assistance opportunities are available in several forms and are generally awarded to students by individual programs on the basis of academic promise and financial need.
The different funding options available include:
For your convenience, a searchable database of graduate scholarships, bursaries, and awards is provided below. Award eligibility, criteria, and application procedures for graduate funding is indicated for each award. Please use the general search tool to find available funding by program. Alternatively, you may also click the advanced search link to specify available funding by program level, award category and/or award amount.
Although financial support cannot be guaranteed to all graduate students in all programs, we encourage you to inquire about financial assistance with your Graduate Coordinator in your program of study. You may also contact the Graduate Funding Officer in the Faculty of Graduate Studies to learn more about your graduate funding options.
Conditions of Graduate Awards
Graduate scholarships are based on academic merit. Graduate bursaries are based on financial need, although there may be a merit component to the bursary. Where the award designates that an application is required, only those students who have submitted the specified application by the deadline will be considered for those awards. Late and/or incomplete applications will not be considered. Only successful applicants will be notified.
Recipients of scholarships, awards and bursaries must be registered in order to receive funding. Graduate awards are applied to any outstanding balance on the student's account. Students are entitled to their awards only after their fees are paid in full. Only students with credit account balances will be refunded the balance of the overpayment. Overpayment refunds of these awards will be issued at the end of September, January and May each year.
The University reserves the right to make changes without prior notice to the terms, conditions and award values listed in this section and in the University Calendar.
The most up-to-date internal awards and applications are on our new award system MyAwards
Graduate Studies Funding Database
Required Application Documents
Applicants for admission must be graduates of an accredited university, college, or institute as well as show evidence of scholarly achievement. Except where otherwise stated in the admission requirements of a particular program, domestic degree students must have a four year bachelor's degree or its equivalent with at least (B) based on their last 20 half courses or equivalent. We recommend that International applicants have an overall standing of Second Class - Upper Division or higher.
Meeting the minimum application requirements does not guarantee admission. The Faculty of Graduate Studies will advise all applicants in writing of admission decisions once they are received from the program. Applicants are encouraged to regularly monitor their Lakehead University email and application portal for the most current information.
The first step in the application process is to complete the online graduate studies application form.
After you have submitted the online form along with the required $125 CAD application fee, you will be provided with an online account where you can complete the remaining steps of the application process which include uploading the required supporting documents and monitoring the status of your application.
Click here to Apply to Graduate Studies
After you have applied
After you have submitted the online application form, you can access your account here. Any change in your application status will be reflected in this portal.
- An electronic reference form will be automatically sent by email to the references you identify on the graduate studies application form
- This form is requested in support of the applicant's ability to undertake advanced study and research
- For a list of program specific documents, please see this program's Additional Application Information section (if required, see above)
- For information about English test results, please see our Academic Calendar
Additional Application Information
- For information about the GRE, click here
Specialization in Gender and Women's Studies Form
- To specialize in Gender and Women's Studies, you must complete the Gender and Women's Studies Collaborative Application Form (PDF Format) and submit it with your application