Psychology, Applied (Bachelor of Arts)

Graduation Requirements:

• Successful completion of 120 credits, including at least:
  • 102 University Transferable (UT) credits, a UT course is a course that transfers to one of the research universities - SFU, UBC - UBCV or UBCO, UNBC, or UVIC in the BC Transfer Guide;
  • 60 credits in UT Arts;
  • 45 credits of Upper-Level coursework, including 30 credits of Upper-Level Psychology; and
  • 48 credits completed at Douglas College, of which 21 credits must be Upper-Level Psychology.
• A minimum program GPA of 2.00
• Time limit to complete the program graduation requirements: 10 years. Any courses completed outside of that time limit will not be usable. Students may seek the permission of the Department/Program to complete a credential outside the approved time limits. 

Course Requirements:

NOTES FOR TABLE ABOVE:

1. PSYC 3300 and PSYC 3301 are only offered once per year. Students should contact the program coordinator to confirm when they will be offered.

2. A university transfer English course is a course in English (ENGL), written Communications (CMNS), or Creative Writing (CRWR) that transfers to a research university as English credit. For more information on the Humanities and Social Science UT credits, see Associate of Arts checklist (available on the FAQ section of the Program Page) for what counts as a Humanities or Social Science course. 

3. Students with a Concentration in Disability and Applied Behaviour Analysis (DABA) will use all 15 Concentration credits and 3 credits from the Any Level UT or 5000-level PSYC credits category to complete their concentration. Thus, they only have 12 Any Level UT or 5000-level PSYC credits required. Students who complete a Criminology Minor will meet the requirements for a Concentration; however, students who complete the Criminology (Minor) cannot use the same courses to graduate with the Forensic/Criminology (Concentration). 

Applied Theory and Research (Concentration)

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.

Concentration Requirements:

Disability and Applied Behaviour Analysis (Concentration)

Students interested in education, health or human services, or who want to specialize in the rewarding and challenging area of Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), may benefit from the concise, flexible and timely Disability and Applied Behaviour Analysis (DABA) Concentration. The courses within this 18-credit concentration are verified by the Association of Behavior Analysis International® (ABAI) and approved by the Teacher Qualification Service (TQS). These approvals make the credential highly attractive to professionals aspiring to become Board Certified Assistant Behaviour Analysts (BCaBA) and/or K-to-12 teachers working toward a higher pay level and specialized knowledge base.

DABA courses run as a cohort and are only offered in the specified semesters. The courses in this concentration must be completed in one academic year. Some courses are online, some hybrid, and some in-person. Students must take all DABA program courses offered in a semester unless they have approved transfer credit.

The Disability and Applied Behaviour Analysis (Concentration) requires the 18 credits listed in the Disability and Applied Behaviour Analysis Advanced Certificate program. Please see the Disability and Applied Behaviour Analysis program page for program/course requirements. 

Students completing this concentration within the BA Applied Psychology Degree will not be eligible to graduate with the Disability and Applied Behaviour Analysis Advanced Certificate as the coursework is equivalent.

Criminology (Minor)

Please see the Criminology (Minor) program page for the course requirements.

NOTE: Students who complete the Criminology (Minor) cannot use the same courses to graduate with the Forensic/Criminology (Concentration).

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.

NOTE: Students who complete Forensic/Criminology (Concentration) cannot use the same courses to graduate with the Criminology (Minor).

Concentration Requirements:

NOTE: In order to meet the BA Applied Psychology’s graduation requirement of at least 45 upper-level credits, students may need to take upper-level credits in the concentration’s any-level UT CRIM category or the program’s UT or 5000-level PSYC elective(s) category.

Leadership and Management (Concentration)

Students interested in combining psychology with business, leadership and/or marketing might  be interested in this concentration.

Concentration Requirements:

 NOTE: Recommended: SOSC 2140 or SOSC 3140

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.

NOTES:

1. PSYC 2341 is recommended prior to admission to the BA in Applied Psychology program.

2. PYSC 4360 is only offered once a year. Students should contact the program coordinator to confirm when it will be offered.

Concentration Requirements:

Psychosocial Rehabilitation (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, students 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).

NOTES FOR THE PSYCHOSOCIAL REHABILITATION (CONCENTRATION):

1. PSYC 2341 is a pre-requisite for PSR courses.

2. Students graduating with this concentration within the BA Applied Psychology Degree will not be eligible to also graduate with the Graduate Diploma in Psychosocial Rehabilitation as the coursework is equivalent.

3. It is highly recommended that students complete PSYC 3390 prior to PSYC 5005.

Concentration Requirements (see notes 1 and 2):