Academic Program Advisor: psychundergrad.utsc@utoronto.ca
Co-op Program Coordinator: coopsuccess.utsc@utoronto.ca
The Specialist (Co-op) Program in Mental Health Studies 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 Mental Health 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 depends 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.
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.
Academic Program Requirements
The program requires completion of 12.5 credits as follows, including at least 4.0 credits at the C- or D-level, of which at least 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 (2.0 credits)
PSYB70H3 Methods in Psychological Science
PSYC37H3 Psychological Assessment
PSYC70H3 Advanced Research Methods Laboratory
PSYC73H3 Wellness and Resilience 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. Personality and Clinical Psychology (1.0 credit):
PSYB30H3 Introduction to Personality
PSYB32H3 Introduction to Clinical Psychology
7. PSYB55H3 Introduction to Cognitive Neuroscience (0.5 credit)
8. Psychosocial and Psychobiological Breadth (2.5 credits)
Students are required to take 1.5 credits from one group and 1.0 credit from the other group:
Psycho-Social Grouping
PSYB38H3 Introduction to Behaviour Modification
PSYC15H3 Foundations in Community Psychology
PSYC17H3 Meeting Minds: The Psychology of Interpersonal Interactions
PSYC18H3 The Psychology of Emotion
PSYC30H3/(PSYC35H3) Advanced Personality Psychology
PSYC34H3 Happiness and Meaning
PSYC36H3 Psychotherapy
PSYC39H3 Psychology and the Law
Psycho-Biological Grouping
PSYB64H3 Introduction to Behavioural Neuroscience
PSYC31H3 Neuropsychological Assessment
(PSYC33H3) Neuropsychological Rehabilitation
PSYC38H3 Adult Psychopathology
PSYC62H3 Drugs and the Brain
9. Seminars in Psychology at the D-level (1.0 credit):
All PSY D-level courses are considered “seminars,” with the exception of PSYD98Y3. Student must take 1.0 credit of seminars in Psychology at the D-level, of which 0.5 credit must come from the PSY D30-series:
PSYD30H3 Current topics in Personality Psychology
PSYD31H3 Cultural-Clinical Psychology
PSYD32H3 Personality Disorders
PSYD33H3 Current Topics in Clinical Psychology
PSYD35H3 Clinical Psychopharmacology
PSYD37H3 Social Context of Mental Health and Illness
PSYD39H3 Cognitive Behavioural Therapy
10. Additional credits in Psychology at the B-level or higher (1.0 credit)
Supervised study [PSYB90H3 or PSYC90H3 or PSYC93H3] or thesis [PSYD98Y3] courses may be used to fulfill a maximum of 0.5 credit.
11. 1.5 credits from the following courses:
BIOC70H3 An Introduction to Bias in STEMM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics and Medicine)
HLTA91H3 A Health Campus for Students: Prioritizing Mental Health
HLTB40H3 Health Policy and Health Systems
HLTB41H3 Introduction to the Social Determinants of Mental Health
HLTB42H3 Perspectives of Culture, Illness and Healing
HLTB50H3 Introduction to Health Humanities
HLTC22H3 Health, Aging, and the Life Cycle
HLTC23H3 Issues in Child Health and Development
HLTC42H3 Emerging Health Issues and Policy Needs
HLTC49H3 Indigenous Health
IDSB04H3 Introduction to International/Global Health
IDSC11H3 Issues in Global and International Health
LINB20H3 Sociolinguistics
PHLA11H3 Introduction to Ethics
PHLB07H3 Ethics
PHLB09H3 Biomedical Ethics
PHLB18H3 Ethics of Artificial Intelligence
PHLB81H3 Theories of Mind
PHLC07H3 Death and Dying
PHLC10H3 Topics in Bioethics
SOCB22H3 Sociology of Gender
SOCB49H3 Sociology of Family
SOCB50H3 Deviance and Normality I
SOCC49H3 Indigenous Health
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 strongly recommended that PSYB07H3, PSYB32H3, PSYB55H3, and PSYB70H3 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.
