Academic Program Advisor: psychundergrad.utsc@utoronto.ca
Co-op Program Coordinator: coopsuccess.utsc@utoronto.ca
The Specialist (Co-op) Program in Psychology is a Work Integrated Learning (WIL) program that combines academic studies with paid work terms in the public, private, and/or non-profit sectors. The program provides students with the opportunity to develop the academic and professional skills required to pursue employment in these areas, or to continue on to graduate training in an academic field related to Psychology upon graduation.
In addition to their academic course requirements, students must successfully complete the additive Arts & Science Co-op Work Term and Course requirements.
Enrolment Requirements
Enrolment in the Program is limited. Admission will require:
(a.) completion of any Grade 12 U/M high school math course or equivalent (or successful completion of the UTSC Online Mathematics Preparedness Course or equivalent), and
(b.) completion of Grade 12 U/M high school biology or equivalent (or BIOA12H3 or equivalent), and
(c.) completion of a minimum of 4.0 credits, including 1.0 credit in Psychology, and
(d.) a cumulative GPA of at least 2.75, and
(e.) either (1) a final grade of 75% or higher in both PSYA01H3 and PSYA02H3, or (2) a final grade of 64% or higher in both PSYA01H3 and PSYA02H3, and a final grade of 72% or higher in [PSYB07H3 or equivalent] and PSYB70H3.
Note: Co-op students who started in Co-op prior to Fall 2025 are allowed to follow the calendar requirements in effect at that time.
Prospective Co-op Students
Students who have not yet been admitted into a Co-op Degree POSt must submit a co-op program request through ACORN and ensure they meet the minimum enrollment requirements as noted above. These qualifications may include a higher CGPA specific to the co-op program.
Deadlines follow the Limited Enrolment Program Application Deadlines set by the Office of the Registrar each year. Failure to submit the program request on ACORN will result in the student's application/request not being considered.
Please note that meeting the minimum qualifications does not guarantee enrolment in the Co-op Program of Study or Degree POSt. The required CGPA may be higher than the minimum threshold and is dependent on the applicant pool and number of spaces available.
Minimum Qualifications for Prospective Co-op Students:
Credits: Minimum of 4.0 credits to a maximum of 10.0 credits.
Required Courses: Program-specific courses described in the Enrolment Requirements above.
Cumulative GPA: 2.50
Current Co-op Students
Students admitted to a Co-op Degree POSt must also request a Co-op Program of Study through ACORN upon completion of 4.0 credits and meet the minimum qualifications for entry as noted below.
Minimum Qualifications for Current Co-op Students:
Credits: 4.0 credits
Required Courses: Program-specific courses described in the Enrolment Requirements above
Cumulative GPA: 2.50 or higher across all attempted courses.
Academic Program Requirements
The program requires students to complete a total of 12.5 credits, including at least 4.0 credits at the C- or D-level, of which at 1.0 credit must be at the D-level:
1. Introduction to Psychology (1.0 credit)
PSYA01H3 Introduction to Biological and Cognitive Psychology
PSYA02H3 Introduction to Clinical, Developmental, Personality and Social Psychology
2. Laboratory Methods (1.5 credits)
PSYB70H3 Methods in Psychological Science
PSYC70H3 Advanced Research Methods Laboratory
and 0.5 credit from among the following:
PSYC71H3 Social Psychology Laboratory
PSYC72H3 Developmental Psychology Laboratory
PSYC74H3 Human Movement Laboratory
PSYC75H3 Cognitive Psychology Laboratory
PSYC76H3 Brain Imaging Laboratory
3. Statistical Methods (1.0 credit)
PSYB07H3 Data Analysis in Psychology
[PSYC08H3 Advanced Data Analysis in Psychology or PSYC09H3 Applied Multiple Regression in Psychology]
4. PSYC02H3 Scientific Communication in Psychology (0.5 credit)
5. PSYC01H3/(PSYC85H3) History of Psychology (0.5 credit)
6. Breadth in Psychology at the B-level and C-level (4.0 credits)
Students are required to take 2.0 credits at the B- or C-level from each of the content groups listed below:
(a) Social and Developmental (courses listed in the 10- and 20-series)
(b) Perception, Cognition and Physiology (courses listed in the 50- and 60-series)
7. Seminars in Psychology at the D-level (1.0 credit)
All PSY D-level courses are considered "seminars", with the exception of PSYD98Y3. Students must take 0.5 credit from each grouping below:
(a) Social and Developmental (courses listed in the 10- and 20-series)
(b) Perception, Cognition and Physiology (courses listed in the 50- and 60-series)
8. Additional credits in Psychology at the B-level or higher (3.0 credits)
Of the 3.0 credits, at least 1.0 credit must be at the C-level. Supervised study [PSYB90H3 or PSYC90H3 or PSYC93H3] or thesis [PSYD98Y3] courses may be used to fulfill a maximum of 0.5 credit.
Planning Your Co-op Work Terms & Academics
Enrollment in a Co-op program requires careful planning of both academics and work terms. Students should consult their Co-op Program Coordinator and Academic Program Advisors, as well as review the standard co-op sequences and course maps available on the Arts & Science Co-op website and Arts and Science Co-op Compass for guidance.
Co-op Work Term Requirements
Students must successfully complete three Co-op work terms, totaling 12 months in duration, which can be fulfilled through the following options:
- Three 4-month work terms, or
- One 4-month work term and one 8-month work term, or
- One 12-month work term.
Students must be available for work terms during the Fall, Winter, and Summer semesters and are required to complete at least one of their work terms in either the Fall or Winter semester. As a result, students must also take courses during the Summer semesters.
To be eligible for their first work term, students must be enrolled in the program, have completed at least 7.0 credits, and maintain a CGPA of 2.50 or higher. It is recommended that PSYB07H3, PSYB70H3, and 1.0 additional PSY B-level credits be completed before the first work term, and PSYC02H3, [PSYC08H3 or PSYC09H3], and PSYC70H3 be completed before the second work term. In addition to their academic courses, students must also complete the required Co-op preparation courses.
Co-op Course Requirements
Co-op students complete the following Co-op-specific courses as part of their degree:
Co-op Preparation Courses (Completed in First Year):
Work Term Search Courses:
- COPB55H3/(COPB52H3) (Completed in the semester prior to the first work term)
- COPC98H3 (Taken in the semester prior to the second work term)
- COPC99H3 (Taken in the semester prior to the third work term)
Required Work Term Courses:
Additional Work Terms & Courses:
After successful completion of the three required work terms, students interested in additional work terms will require approval from the Arts & Science Co-op Office. Additional coursework will also be required:
Note: Co-op courses are taken alongside a full course load and are recorded on transcripts as Credit/No Credit (CR/NCR). These courses have no credit weight and are considered additional credits beyond the 20.0 required degree credits. No additional course fee is charged, as registration is included in the Co-op Program fee.
For information on course codes, fees, status in Co-op programs, and certification of completion of Co-op programs, see the Co-operative Programs section and the Arts and Science Co-op section in the UTSC Calendar.
