Program

Psychology, Applied (Bachelor of Arts)

Faculty
Humanities & Social Sciences
Department
Psychology
Credits
120.00
Length of Program
Four years
Credential Type
Bachelor's Degree
Admission Type
Limited Enrolment
Offered
Fall
Winter
Summer

Overview

The Bachelor of Arts in Applied Psychology is a third-year entry program for people who have completed 60 credits of undergraduate coursework, which is usually completed through an Associate of Arts in Psychology.

In this program, you'll complete at least 30 upper-level credits in psychology, gaining essential knowledge in psychological theory and research. You'll also get 45 hours of field experience as well as valuable practice with psychology computer tools and lab time. Volunteer opportunities with the Douglas Psychology Society are also available.

Things to remember before applying

If you intend to apply to this program, please contact the Bachelor of Arts in Applied Psychology Coordinator within your first two years at Douglas for advisement on course selection, concentrations, career paths and other questions you may have. You can apply to the program while in your last semester of coursework toward the BA admission requirements to receive a conditional acceptance. A conditional acceptance activates as soon as grades are processed at the end of the semester. For additional information, visit the admissions requirements tab.

Pick one of six concentrations

During your third and fourth years, you will focus on at least one 15- or 18-credit concentration in one of six areas where psychology is typically applied in the workplace:

  • Pre-counselling
  • Psychosocial Rehabilitation
  • Disability and Applied Behaviour Analysis (18 credits)
  • Forensic/Criminology
  • Applied Theory and Research
  • Leadership and Management

For details on the concentrations, see the program requirements tab.

 

Admissions Requirements

All applicants must meet the General 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) coursework equivalent to 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 minimum 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 Bases of Behaviour), or

PSYC 2341 (Abnormal Psychology), or

PSYC 2360 (Cognitive Psychology)

 

Admission to the PSR (Psychosocial Rehabilitation) 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 volunteer or paid work relevant to a helping role in the mental health sector.

 

Cost

Calculate your tuition and see the approximate cost of taking your program at Douglas College with the tuition & fee estimator. See costs broken down into categories including tuition fees, textbooks, student activity fees, U-Pass and more. 

For more information, refer to the tuition fee charts

Program Requirements

Curriculum Framework

Graduation Requirements For Students Completing By Summer 2023:

  • In addition to the 60 credits of first and second year coursework comprising the program admission requirements, students must complete an additional 60 credits (120 total) of University Transfer coursework.
  • A University Transferable course is course that transfer to one of the research universities - SFU, UBC (UBCV or UBCO), UNBC, or UVIC in the BC Transfer Guide. 
  • 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:
  • At least 40% (48 credits) of all course work and 21 credits of Upper Level Psychology course work must be completed at Douglas College.
  • Time limit to complete program graduation requirements: ten (10) years

Graduation Requirements For Students Completing After Summer 2023:

  • In addition to the 60 credits of first and second year coursework comprising the program admission requirements, students must complete an additional 60 credits (120 total) of University Transfer coursework.
  • A University Transferable course is course that transfer to one of the research universities - SFU, UBC (UBCV or UBCO), UNBC, or UVIC in the BC Transfer Guide. 
  • 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. 
  • At least 40% (48 credits) of all course work and 21 credits of Upper Level Psychology course work must be completed at Douglas College.
  • A minimum program GPA of 2.00 is required.
  • Time limit to complete program graduation requirements: ten (10) years

Required (Mandatory) Courses:

PSYC 3309

or

PSYC 3308

Critical Issues in Psychology

History and Philosophy of Modern Psychology

3 credits

PSYC 3330

 An Introduction to Social Psychology

 3 credits

PSYC 3390 Applications of Psychological Knowledge
(Service Learning & Research)
3 credits

One of:

PSYC 3320 Child Behaviour and Development 3 credits
PSYC 3321 Developmental Psychology: Adolescence and Emerging Adulthood 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 Data Analysis in Psychology 3 credits

Elective Courses:

Five (5) upper level psychology courses 15 credits
Five (5) upper or lower level University Transfer courses from any discipline * 12- 15 credits

 

Area of Concentration:

Students must complete courses in one of the following applied areas. 15 - 18 credits
  1. Applied Theory and Research or,
  2. Disability and Applied Behaviour Analysis (DABA - 18 credits*) or,
  3. Forensic/Criminology or,
  4. Leadership Management or,
  5. Pre-Counselling or,
  6. Psychosocial Rehabilitation (PSR).
 

*Students completing the 18 credit DABA concentration will complete three credits less of upper or lower level University Transfer electives.

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, PSYC 3906)

B: Developmental/Gender (PSYC 3120, PSYC 3320, PSYC 3321, PSYC 3322, PSYC 3342, PSYC 3905)

C: Cognitive/Biological Psychology (PSYC 3305, PSYC 3315, PSYC 3341, PSYC 3365, PSYC 3370, PSYC 3385, PSYC 3902, PSYC 3904)

D: Clinical/Counselling Psychology (PSYC 3333, PSYC 3375, PSYC 3903, PSYC 4370, PSYC 4371, PSYC 4373, PSYC 4375)

E: Quantitative/Analytical/Critical (PSYC 3301, PSYC 3339, PSYC 3901, PSYC 4360)

Disability and Applied Behaviour 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) Concentration is for you. 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. These 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.

Please see the Disability and Applied Behaviour Analysis program page for program/course requirements.

Those 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.

 

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. 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. Recommend SOSC 2140, 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.

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 Developmental Psychology: Adolescence and Emerging Adulthood 3 credits
PSYC 3322 Developmental Psychology: Adulthood and Aging 3 credits
PSYC 3333 Cultural Competency and Counselling with Canada's Indigenous 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: Theory and Practice 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.

 

Program Guidelines

Program Guidelines for previous years are viewable by selecting the version desired. If you took this program and do not see a listing for the starting semester / year of the program, consider the previous version as the applicable version.

FAQs

Frequently Asked Questions

You will apply as you are completing the last of the 60 credits of undergraduate coursework (Associate of Arts Psychology or Associate Science), including PSYC 1100, PSYC 1200, PSYC 2300, PSYC 2301, and two of PSYC 2341, PSYC 2360 or PSYC 2315 (with a minimum of a C in each of the above PSYC courses). We recommend applying before April 30 to gain entry to the BA in time for Fall registration. This will be important, so that you can hopefully get a seat in the Service Learning course within the coming academic year.

Yes, as soon as you are enrolled in your last AA courses you can apply to the BA program for the following semester. You will be “conditionally accepted” that semester and you will be officially accepted once you have finished the courses you are enrolled in.

YES, all lower level (1000-2000 level) courses and most upper level (3000-4000) courses are open to all Douglas College students. However, each course has specific pre-requisites that you must meet in order to enrol in the course.

While there are core Psychology courses you must take, your program of studies requires that you take core courses and electives outside of Psychology such as English, Criminology, Sociology and Philosophy.

Yes, this is possible if you are attending full time (5 courses per semester). You may need to take day or night classes or to travel to both campuses, depending on course offerings and availability of seats in the course(s) you require.

For some courses we will offer multiple sections (e.g. Introduction to Psychology). For some, such as our upper level courses, we may offer one section per year. The majority of courses are offered in Fall and Winter with a smaller selection offered in the Summer term.

Currently most 1st and 2nd year psychology courses are offered face-to-face at both New Westminster and David Lam campuses. A few select courses are also offered as hybrid and/or fully on-line. Most of our 3rd and 4th year courses will be taught on New Westminster campus, with the exception of a few existing Psychosocial Rehabilitation, and Disability and Applied Behavior Analysis courses, which are currently offered as hybrid and/or fully on-line.

YES, there is room within our degree to complete two of our applied concentrations. Up to two concentrations will be noted on your transcript when you graduate. You must make sure, however, that you have a total of 30 upper level (3000-4000) Psychology credits for the BA Applied Psychology degree and 45 upper level Psychology credits for the BA Applied Psychology – Honours degree.

No, for these courses you will need to be enrolled in the BA Applied Psychology program and declare your interest in one of these concentrations to the BA Applied Psyc Coordinator.

For these two concentrations, the courses are offered in a sequence beginning each Fall. You will need to take the courses in a specific order: Fall ➾ Winter ➾ Summer.

It is recommended that you wait until your fourth year to take the PSR courses. It is strongly recommended that you take PSYC 3341 – Drugs and Behaviour before you enrol in your first PSR course. It is required you take PSYC 3390 Applications of Psychological Knowledge, Service Learning and Research and PSYC 2341 - Abnormal Psychology.

Yes, it is required you take PSYC 3390 Applications of Psychological Knowledge, Service Learning.

BA in Applied Psychology/Honours Program Coordinator
Dr. Laura Dane
danel@douglascollege.ca 

Psychology Department Chair 

Dr . Joseph Thompson

thompsonj14@douglascollege.ca

Pathways Coordinator

Dr. Stephen Rochefort

rocheforts@douglascollege.ca

Testimonials

Student Quote

Drawing a map

Psychology student Tanysha Klassen wants to help youth navigate the challenges of gender identity.

More Information

Tuition deposit

When offered a full-time seat in this program a non-refundable, non-transferable $350 tuition deposit is required. 

Career Pathways

Career opportunities include:

  • Academic Advisor / Tutor
  • Addictions Counsellor
  • Advertising Copywriter
  • Career Coach
  • Case Manager
  • Child/Youth Protection Worker
  • Community Relations Officer
  • Credit Counsellor
  • Conflict Mediator
  • Data Analyst
  • Employment Counsellor
  • Fundraiser / Development Officer
  • Hospice Coordinator
  • Housing Manager
  • Human Resources Advisor
  • Immigration/Border Officer
  • Indigenous Counsellor
  • Laboratory/Research Manager
  • Market Researcher
  • Military Personnel
  • Probation/Parole Officer
  • Program Coordinator/Evaluator
  • Psychiatric Rehabilitation Worker
  • Public Relations Specialist
  • Psychologist Assistant
  • Technical Writer

Careers with Additional Credentials (e.g. Professional or Masters Degree):

  • Behaviour Analyst / Consultant
  • Clinical Supervisor
  • Counsellor (Registered Clinical, Family, School, Corrections, Vocational)
  • Human Resources Manager
  • Industrial/Organizational Psychologist
  • Lawyer
  • Mental Health and Wellness Consultant
  • Music Therapist
  • Nurse (Psychiatric, etc.)
  • Occupational Therapist
  • Physician (Psychiatrist, etc.)
  • Post-Secondary Instructor
  • Psychometrist
  • Psychotherapist
  • Registered Psychologist (Clinical, School, etc.)
  • Research Associate/Scientist 
  • Teacher (Elementary/Secondary)
  • Trauma Specialist