Psychology

Unlock the mysteries of the mind and learn to understand the brain through the scientific study of behaviour, cognition, and emotions. Examine psychological issues at multiple levels of analysis, from the neuronal level to the broader societal context. Explore how people manage relationships, communicate with each other and behave across cultures. Analyze and understand deviant behaviour, and how to predit and modify criminal behaviour.

The Department of Psychology offers major and minor programs, honours, and a bachelor of science in behavioural neuroscience jointly offered with the Department of Biomedical Physiology and Kinesiology. Joint majors are also available with the Department of Criminology, the Department of Gender, Sexuality, and Women’s Studies, and a bachelor of business administration.  You can also complete a major with a concentration in applied behaviour analysis.

An active psychology student union organizes a variety of events throughout the year on topics such as applying to graduate school, entering the workforce, as well as social events to connect with other psychology students. The psychology student union also produces an undergraduate psychology journal that showcases student research.

* Psychology FASS One Pager.pdf
Last updated July 10, 2023

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Got questions? Contact Cerisse Dela Cruz or Emily Co, Coordinators of Student Affairs in the Department of Psychology.

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The psychology undergraduate program offers a broad range of courses in history, quantitative and theoretical psychology, cognitive and neural science, developmental psychology, social psychology, forensic psychology, and clinical science. The Department of Psychology boasts world-class faculty with whom students can work closely on research projects.

Psychology students graduate with a comprehensive education, with many going on to complete graduate degrees in psychology and become practicing clinicians or academic scholars. Others pursue advanced degrees in law, occupational therapy, or public health, to name a few.

“As a varsity swimmer at SFU, the world of sport psychology was not unfamiliar to me. After recognizing sport psychology as a career that I wished to pursue, I switched my major to psychology to learn more about this field. I am excited to begin my own research in the psychology of athletics and to someday practice as a registered sport psychologist to support elite athletes’ performance and mental health.”

Marina Cummiskey

2022 Graduating Class | Psychology Major

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This presentation will give an overview of the topic of forensic psychology (the intersection of psychology and the law). A major focus of the presentation will be on current research happening at Simon Fraser University, particularly in the areas of witness credibility, voice identification, and memory. Examples involving real cases will help to illustrate the ideas to students. Possible education and career paths will also be discussed.

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Talking about sex is one of the hardest conversations that couples have. Learn about how couples resolve sexual issues and how the quality of their conversations predicts changes in sexual satisfaction over time.

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Dr. Neil Watson describes PSYC 280: Introduction to Biological Psychology.

Dr. Kate Slaney describes PSYC 301, 308, and 402 courses: Research Methods, History, and Systems of Modern Psychology respectively.

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