Course Description

Program Description Algoma University’s psychology program continues to be one of the University’s most popular programs. We offer an individualized educational experience, where students are able to establish a personal relationship with their professors. This fosters a very intimate and interactive learning environment. Our psychology program offers two different degrees, tailored to the students’ strengths and interests. The Bachelor of Science (B.Sc. four-year) degree requires students to complete a greater number of biological-based courses compared to the Bachelor of Arts (B.A. four-year) degree. While most students choose to do a four-year degree, there is also three-year Bachelor of Arts degree option available. While it is widely known that psychology can involve the identification of, and counselling for, abnormal thoughts and behaviours, there are many other areas of psychology that might be less widely known. For example, we offer courses which teach students how and why we are susceptible to visual illusions and why individuals follow group behaviours. Beyond the study of humans, we also offer courses which teach how non-human animals (such as birds and bats) have evolved to find food and communicate in the most efficient manner. Over the course of your studies in these various courses, you may find a specific area or subject which piques your interest. Students can fully pursue this interest in the fourth-year thesis course. At other universities, students are given a topic to pursue which is in line with their supervisor’s interests, or are assigned to a study already underway or that has been planned in a research laboratory. At Algoma U, we believe in cultivating students’ interests and giving students’ freedom to explore their own ideas. We allow our students to select their own topic, and with assistance from one or more professors, design their own experiment, collect and analyze the data, and finally, present their research at the Algoma University Annual Psychology Thesis Conference. This is the culminating project of your time at Algoma U, and highlights the refined, polished work our undergraduates are capable of producing. It is also no surprise to note, that some of our students’ theses are published – a rarity for undergraduates!

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