Overview
The PhD in Psychology is a 4-year program aimed to train candidates to make significant contributions to the field of Psychology by providing them with the knowledge, skills, and experiences to become successful consumers and producers of original scholarly research.
The PhD program emphasizes three distinct areas of research:
- Behavioural and Cognitive Neuroscience
- Developmental Psychology
- Social, Health, and Personality Psychology
From these areas, candidates engage in research directed towards understanding how cognitive, neurobiological, developmental and social processes drive and shape human behaviour, personality, health, and well-being. With this degree, PhD graduates will have the knowledge, skills, and training to prepare them for traditional positions within academia (University) or to pursue non-academic career paths in industry-, government- or community-related fields.
The Doctoral degree capitalizes on the Faculty of Psychology’s strengths in multidisciplinary research in the Social and Natural Sciences. The Doctoral research fosters innovation thus creating new knowledge that benefits teaching, learning and student development in Psychology. The program also provides unique and applied research opportunities for prospective candidates through strong partnerships and collaborations with external communities, professions, and other institutions.
Students in this program are exposed to advanced research methods and will gain area-specific course content that will enable a comprehensive training within their chosen area of study. Graduates from this PhD program will pursue careers that capitalize on their research training and professional expertise within academia settings and beyond, including administration, research and policy development in clinical science, social services, health care, government, industry, or community agencies in both the public and private sector.
The Program
Year 1:
The emphasis of training is placed on the development of the candidate’s knowledge base, through content and area-specific courses, and their professional and communication skills, through presentations and research seminars.
Year 2:
The second year focuses on increasing the candidate’s fluency and breadth of knowledge through the completion of a Comprehensive Examination within the candidate’s area of research. This will help reveal the candidate’s competency within their respected research area and correct for any deficiencies, ensuring that the candidate’s training and knowledge base is at an advanced level appropriate for PhD research.
Year 3:
Candidates complete an experiential skills-based project that is designed to broaden the student’s exposure to research, knowledge application, and knowledge translation.
Year 4:
Candidate are immersed in the completion of their dissertation research. Candidates will also present their research to their Dissertation Advisory Committee in a public forum. The dissertation defence is expected by the end of this year.
Admissions
The PhD in Psychology has a fall intake only. The admissions process runs between September and February. Candidates interested in applying for the 2026-2027 academic year are encouraged to prepare their documents for the Fall.
Contact information
Please contact psychologygrad@trentu.ca for inquiries.
