Psychology, Applied (Bachelor of Arts)
Curriculum Guideline
For general Douglas College admission requirements, please see General Admission Requirements.
All applicants must meet the general college admission requirements for Douglas College.
Admission to the Bachelor of Arts in Applied Psychology will occur after the completion of 60 credits. Students must have all of the following:
a) a two year (60 credit) Associate of Arts or Science degree with a minimum cumulative GPA of 2.0.
b) Completion of the following courses (or their appropriate equivalent) with a mininmum grade of C- in each:
PSYC 1100 (Introduction to Psychology I)
PSYC 1200 (Introduction to Psychology II)
c) Completion of the following courses (or their appropriate equivalent) with a minimum grade of C (60%):
PSYC 2300 Data Analysis in Psychology,
PSYC 2301 Research Methods in Psychology,
And two of:
PSYC 2315 (Biological Psychology), or
PSYC 2341 (Abnormal Psychology), or
PSYC 2360 (Cognitive Psychology)
Admission to the PSR Concentration:
PSR entrance interview for BA Applied Psychology or Applied Psychology Honours students
The departmental admission process uses a structured interview by a coordinator to provide information about the roles and responsibilities of students and faculty, and to evaluate whether students have met the following criteria that are needed for successful completion of the PSR courses, including:
• 4th year status by start of PSR coursework
• Service learning course (PSYC 3390) completed or in progress
• Work/volunteer experience relevant to a helping role in the mental health sector
Students will
• submit a Letter of Intent outlining the reasons for choosing this program, long- and short-term goals, and strengths and limitations.
• submit an up-to-date resume including any volunteering or paid work relevant to a helping role in the mental health sector.
Graduation Requirements:
In addition to the 60 credits of first and second year coursework in the Associate of Arts, students must complete an additional 60 credits (120 total) of University Transfer coursework. A minimum of thirty (30) credits must be at the 3000-4000 level in Psychology, and a minimum of forty five (45) credits must be at the 3000-4000 level. Program requirements are as follows:
Important: At least 40% (48 credits) of all course work and 21 credits of Upper Level Psychology course work must be completed at Douglas College. University Transferrable Courses must transfer to one of the five Research Universities - SFU, UBC, UBCO, UNBC, or UVIC.
Required (Mandatory) Courses:
|
or PSYC 3308 |
Critical Issues in Psychology History and Philosophy of Modern Psychology |
3 credits |
|
An Introduction to Social Psychology |
3 credits |
|
| PSYC 3390 | Applications of Psychological Knowledge (Service Learning & Research) |
3 credits |
One of:
| PSYC 3320 | Child Behavior and Development | 3 credits |
| PSYC 3321 | Adolescent Psychology | 3 credits |
| PSYC 3322 | Developmental Psychology: Adulthood and Aging | 3 credits |
One of:
| PSYC 3300 | Applied Intermediate Research Methods & Data Analysis | 3 credits |
| PSYC 3301 | Applied Organizational Research Methods | 3 credits |
Elective Courses:
| Five (5) upper level psychology courses | 15 credits |
| Five (5) upper or lower level University Transfer courses from any discipline | 15 credits |
Area of Concentration:
| Five (5) courses in one of the following applied areas. | 15 credits |
|
Applied Areas of Concentration:
Applied Theory and Research
This concentration provides an opportunity for students to study a broad base of psychological theories and learn how they are applied across a variety of fields. Students who are likely going to continue their academic career in a graduate level psychology program may be interested in this concentration within the Honours Degree.
Five (5) of the following courses (courses must come from at least 4 of the categories below)
A: Personality/Social/Forensic/Health Psychology (PSYC 3304, PSYC 3314, PSYC 3331, PSYC 3340, PSYC 3361)
B: Developmental/Gender (PSYC 3120, PSYC 3320, PSYC 3321, PSYC 3322, PSYC 3342)
C: Cognition/Biological Psychology (PSYC 3315, PSYC 3341, PSYC 3365, PSYC 3370, PSYC 3385)
D: Clinical/Counselling Psychology (PSYC 3333, PSYC 3375, PSYC 4370, PSYC 4371, PSYC 4373, PSYC 4375)
E: Quantitative/Analytical (PSYC 3301, PSYC 4360)
Disability and Applied Behavior Analysis Concentration
If you are interested in education, health or human services, or if you want to specialize in the rewarding and challenging area of Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), the concise, flexible and timely Disability and Applied Behaviour Analysis (DABA) advanced certificate is for you. The courses within this 15 credit concentration are a required step for behaviour consultants and other professionals towards becoming Behavior Analyst Certification Board (BACB) ® Certified Assistant Behavior Analysts (BCaBA). The courses are also approved by the Behavior Analyst Certification Board and the Teacher Qualification Service.
DABA courses run as a cohort and are only offered in the specified semesters.
Required (Mandatory) Courses:
One of:
| DACS 5111 | Disability in Context | 3 credits |
| DACS 3430 | Autism Spectrum Disorder Across the Lifespan | 3 credits |
| Plus all of: | ||
| DACS 5112 | Functional Behaviour Assessment and Intervention | 1.5 credits |
| DACS 5113 | Clincial Applications of Behaviour Analysis | 1.5 credits |
| DACS 5121 | Foundational Principles of Behaviour Analysis | 3 credits |
| DACS 5122 | Empirical Basis of Behavioural Techniques | 3 credits |
| DACS 5123 | Single Subject Research and Applications | 3 credits |
Those completing this concentration within the BA Applied Psychology Degree will not be eligible to graduate with the Disability and Applied Behavior analysis Advanced Certificate as the coursework is equivalent.
Forensic / Criminology Concentration
Students interested in both psychology and criminology may choose to specialize in the area of forensic psychology. This concentration will focus on psychology as it applies to the legal system, which may include a focus on courts, corrections, police, cognitive and social aspects of behaviour, mental health law, victimology, and policy work.
Required (Mandatory) Course:
| PSYC 3314 | Psychology and Law | 3 credits |
Elective Courses
Any four (4) University Transferable courses from Criminology, with at least 6 credits at the 3000-4000 level. Upper level choices include, but are not limited to the following (please be aware of pre-requisites).
| CRIM 3335 | Human Rights and Civil Liberties | 3 credits |
| CRIM 3340 | Problem Solving and Interventions in Criminal Justice | 3 credits |
| CRIM 3370 | Sex Offenders and Sexual Offences | 3 credits |
| CRIM 3375 | Correctional Practice | 3 credits |
| CRIM 3376 | Restorative Justice | 3 credits |
| CRIM 3380 | Organized Crime | 3 credits |
| CRIM 3385 | Community Crime Prevention | 3 credits |
| CRIM 3390 | Crime and Intelligence Analysis | 3 credits |
| CRIM 4410 | Canadian Law and the Mentally Disordered Offenders | 3 credits |
| CRIM 4480 | Forensic Sciences | 3 credits |
NOTE: It is recommended to take CRIM 1100, CRIM 1150 and CRIM 1160 in your first 2 years. If not, two of them can be taken as part of your concentration and the other as a 1000-4000 Level Elective.
Leadership and Management Concentration
Students interested in combining psychology with business, leadership and/or marketing would be interested in this concentration.
Fifteen (15) University Transferable credits required. A minimum of twelve (12) credits from the Faculty of Commerce & Business Administration, with at least six (6) credits at the 3000-4000 level. Possible courses include, but are not limited to the following (please be aware of pre-requisites):
| BUSN 1111 | Small Business Management | 3 credits | |
| BUSN 1210 | Management Essentials | 3 credits | |
| ACCT 1110 | Principles of Accounting I | ||
| BUSN 3310 | Organizational Management Skills | ||
| BUSN 3350 | Human Resource Management | 3 credits | |
| BUSN 4410 | Organizational Business Decision Making | 3 credits | |
| BUSN 4460 | Leadership: Theory and Practice | 3 credits | |
| BUSN 4490 | Applied Legal and Ethical Decision Making for Managers, Professionals and Executives | 3 credits | |
| MARK 2150 | Personal Selling | 3 credits | |
| MARK 3215 | Buyer Behavior | 3 credits | |
| MARK 3340 | Promotional Strategy | 3 credits | |
| MARK 3360 | Customer Relationship Management | 3 credits | |
| MARK 3441 | Marketing Research | 3 credits | |
| MARK 3470 | Professional Services Marketing | 3 credits | |
| SOSC 2140 | Behaviour in Organizations | 3 credits | |
| SOSC 3140 | Organizational Theory and Design | 3 credits |
Pre-Counselling Concentration
Counselling psychology typically focuses on therapeutic practices that facilitate social, educational, occupational, health, emotional and developmental functioning. Many counsellors have a Masters degree in a field such as counselling psychology or educational psychology, which allows them to register as a Clinical Counsellor in most provinces. Our Pre-Counselling concentration will provide students with introductory courses in the discipline of counselling as well as the pre-requisite courses needed to enter into most graduate programs in counselling psychology.
Required (Mandatory) Courses:
| PSYC 3375 | Theories of Counselling and Psychotherapy | 3 credits |
| PSYC 4360 | Psychological Assessment | 3 credits |
| PSYC 4370 | Counselling Skills Fundamentals | 3 credits |
Elective Courses (choice of 2):
| PSYC 3321 | Adolescent Psychology | 3 credits |
| PSYC 3322 | Adulthood and Aging | 3 credits |
| PSYC 3333 | Cultural Competency and Counselling with Canada's Aboriginal Peoples | 3 credits |
| PSYC 3341 | Drugs and Behavior | 3 credits |
| PSYC 3342 | Developmental Psychopathology | 3 credits |
| PSYC 3365 | Psychology of Learning | 3 credits |
| PSYC 4371 | Group Counselling | 3 credits |
| PSYC 4373 | Vocational Assessment and Counselling | 3 credits |
| PSYC 4375 | Clinical Psychology | 3 credits |
NOTE: PSYC 2341 (Abnormal Psychology) and PSYC 2207 (An Introduction to Educational Psychology) are strongly recommended in first 2 years.
Psychosocial Rehabilitation (PSR) Concentration
Psychosocial Rehabilitation (PSR) approaches include programs, services and practices with well-documented effectiveness in facilitating the recovery of persons living with serious mental illness, substance use problems or concurrent disorders. PSR approaches focus on programs and services in the major life domains of employment, education, leisure, wellness, housing, family and peer support. PSR approaches are enhanced in their effectiveness by other treatment approaches and practices, including cognitive retraining, cognitive behaviour therapies and motivational interviewing.
Students who complete the set of PSR courses, including the practicum will have the knowledge and skills to conduct strengths based PSR assessments and to prepare and implement psychosocial rehabilitation plans in community mental health and substance use programs. Upon completion of this concentration, you will be eligible to write the Certified Psychiatric Rehabilitation Practitioners (CPRP) exam, which is recognized throughout Canada and the US.
PSR courses generally run as a cohort and are only offered in specified semesters (Fall,Winter and Summer).
Required (Mandatory) Courses:
| PSYC 5001 | Mental Health Services and Systems: History and Trends | 3 credits |
| PSYC 5002 | Psychosocial Rehabilitation and Recovery | 3 credits |
| PSYC 5003 | Psychosocial Rehabilitation Practitioner Competencies | 3 credits |
| PSYC 5004 | Psychosocial Rehabilitation: Best and Promising Practices | 3 credits |
| PSYC 5005 | Seminar and Practicum in Psychosocial Rehabilitation | 3 credits |
NOTE: PSYC 2341 (Abnormal Psychology) is a pre-requisite for PSR courses.
NOTE: It is highly recommended that students complete PSYC 3390 Applications of Psychological Knowledge
(Service Learning & Research) prior to PSYC 5005 Seminar and Practicum in Psychosocial Rehabilitation.
Those completing this concentration within the BA Applied Psychology Degree will not be eligible to graduate with the Graduate Diploma in Psychosocial Rehabilitation as the coursework is equivalent.