Master of Arts in Counselling & Clinical Psychology (Clinical & Counselling Psychology Field)
Master of Arts in Counselling & Clinical Psychology (Clinical & Counselling Psychology Field) Overview
Supporting well-being and human development across the life span
The program of study focuses on the development of research and applied skills relevant to clinical and counselling psychology to develop an understanding of the relationship between the two. Our training model emphasizes the development of a critical perspective and reflexive practitioners.
The MA CCP Program is primarily for students who are interested in working as researchers or practitioners in a variety of clinical and counselling settings.
The Clinical & Counselling Psychology (CCP) field is based on a biopsychosocial model with an emphasis on diversity and focuses on assessment and the treatment of psychopathology in adults.
This program enables students to apply for registration with the College of Psychologists of Ontario (CPO) as a Psychological Associate. It also fulfils the requirements of students who plan to apply to the PhD program, Clinical and Counselling Psychology field. Training is sequential and the MA and PhD programs are designed and intended to be one coherent program.
For detailed information about the program, please consult the School of Graduate Studies Calendar.
NOTE: Admission to the Collaborative Specialization in Community Development (CSCD) will be suspended for 2022-23. Furthermore, the future of the CSCD and the core course supporting the collaborative specialization will be reviewed over the next year. An update will be posted at the specialization's website in early 2023.
At a Glance
Study Options
Full-time (6 sessions, 2 years)
Part-time (10 sessions)
Coursework & Masters Thesis
Funding and Tuition
For current information about tuition fees, funding, and financial support, visit Tuition & Financial Support.
Deadlines
Applications are now closed for a Fall 2024 start.
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Why I Chose Applied Psychology & Human Development
Nivatha Moothathamby (Master of Arts 2021)
PhD student in Developmental Psychology and Education
"My journey at OISE has been filled with establishing positive and supportive relationships, learning the nuances of psychology and education, and understanding my role as a scholar and an activist. As a Tamil-Canadian, I come from a community that has faced racial injustices and intergenerational trauma. The Department of Applied Psychology and Human Development has provided me with academic resources and a community to explore and expand on these parts of my identity. Overall, OISE’s deep commitment to inclusion, diversity and equity is what drew me to apply. I found my place here."
Master of Arts in Counselling & Clinical Psychology Admission Requirements
General Admission Requirements
Please visit the OISE Admissions website for detailed information about the application process, including general minimum admission requirements and supporting documents.
Program-Specific Information (Minimum Admission Requirements)
- Applicants are admitted under the General Regulations of the School of Graduate Studies.
- An appropriate 4 year bachelor’s degree in psychology; or a four-year undergraduate degree which contains the psychology course-load equivalent of a major or specialization (defined as six full courses in psychology, including one half-course in research methods, one half-course in statistics, and at least three full courses at the third- or fourth-year level in three core areas of general psychology*)
- A standing equivalent to a University of Toronto A- or better in the final year.
- A History of Psychology undergraduate course is recommended.
Required Supporting Documents
All applicants must submit:
- Transcript(s) from each post-secondary institution attended
- A resume/curriculum vitae that provides clear and complete information about the applicant's experience in the field of study and evidence of relevant research experience
- Two letters of reference (academic), including contact emails
- Applicants are asked to respond to the following questions:
- What research topic(s) do you want to pursue during your degree? Please describe any previous research relevant to this research area and why you feel it is an important research topic to focus on. (500 words max)
- What are your career goals and how will acceptance into this program facilitate those goals? (500 words max)
- Please provide details of your research experiences focusing on how your skills have developed over time and how these skills will assist you in completing the research components of the degree. Be concrete about your relevant experience (e.g., Honours or M.A. thesis, presentations, publications, or research assistantship activities). What research skills did you develop and what new research skills did you acquire working/volunteering on these project(s)? (500 words max)
- Please identify faculty within the Clinical and Counselling Psychology program (or other faculty in APHD) whom you would like to work with during your degree. How do your research interests and experiences make you a good fit for our program and your proposed supervisor? How does your previous research experience impact your understanding of the research questions you have already investigated and your research interests moving forward? How does this, in turn, fit with the current research interests of your proposed supervisor(s)? (500 words max)
- Could you briefly describe your family, life, community, volunteer, or professional experiences that have helped prepare you to work with diverse individuals? (350 words max)
- Could you briefly describe your relevant counselling/clinical experience working directly with individuals in either a volunteer or a professional capacity that would contribute to your successful completion of the program? (500 words max)
Additional Program Information
Coursework
Students must complete 4.5 FCEs as follows:
- APD1202H Theories and Techniques of Counselling and Psychotherapy — Part I (0.5 FCE).
- APD1203Y+ Practicum I: Interventions in Counselling Psychology and Psychotherapy (1.0 FCE) (500 hours of practicum). MA students will attend a minimum of three colloquium presentations during their program, which partially fulfills the course requirements for APD1203Y+.
- APD1208Y+ Cognitive and Personality Theory and Assessment (1.0 FCE).
- APD1219H Ethical Issues in Professional Practice in Psychology and Psychotherapy (0.5 FCE).
- APD1228H Couples Counselling (0.5 FCE) or APD1261H Group Work in Counselling and Psychotherapy (0.5 FCE) (or an equivalent course).
- APD1263H Research Methods for Clinical and Counselling Psychology (RM) (0.5 FCE).
- JOI1288H Intermediate Statistics and Research Design (RM) (0.5 FCE).
Master's thesis.
Collaborative Specializations provide students with a the opportunity to explore a novel interdisciplinary area or special development that crosses a number of disciplines.
Collaborative specializations are available with the MA in Counselling and Clinical Psychology (Clinical and Counselling Psychology field) in the following areas:
- Addiction Studies
- Develops and integrates graduate training in the multidisciplinary field of addictions, an area that includes the use and abuse of alcohol, tabacco, and psychoactive substances, as well as gambling and other addictive behaviours
- Aging, Palliative Care and Supportive Care Across the Life Course
- Prepares students for specialization in the field of aging and/or the field of palliative and supportive care, with an emphasis on viewing aging and palliative issues within the perspective of the life course
- Community Development
- Focuses on working with community members and groups to effect positive change in the social, economic, organizational, or physical structures of a community
- Sexual Diversity Studies
- For students to engage in questions of gender, ethnicity, race, Aboriginal status, (dis)ability, and class to highlight the importance of exploring their interaction with sexual differences.
- Women and Gender Studies
- Provides a rich interdisciplinary environment in which students can grapple with how gender and sexuality are tangled with questions of race, citizenship, embodiment, colonialism, violence, and other pressing concerns.
If I have multiple volunteer experiences from various institutions but for one semester each, collectively adding up to a little over a year, would that be alright?
Yes. Applicants are encouraged to select from a variety of experiences those skills which are relevant and predictive of a successful practicum placement.
I am interested in both the MA and MEd. Has the GRE been waived for the MA this year?
The GRE General and Subject-Psychology test scores are not required for an application this year.
When looking at core faculty, are the professors that accepting students the only ones we can apply to work with, or can we try and contact the other professors?
Applicants are encouraged to consider only those faculty who are listed as accepting students.
If I have not completed one of the courses suggested for admission but am currently enrolled in the course, will I still be considered for admission?
Applicants to the MA CCP program will need to demonstrate that their academic background is equivalent to a psychology undergraduate program major at the U of T. Applicants may peruse the U of T undergraduate program web page for course breadth requirements and use their Faculty Questions to elaborate upon alternative courses and equivalencies in their academic coursework.
Would you recommend getting in contact with potential supervisors prior to submitting our respective application(s)?
With the volume of applicant interest, faculty do not typically have the resources to respond to each request, nor is there an expectation that applicants should confirm research fit prior. We recommend applicants to review the faculty bio pages and online publications to make best judgments of complementary interests, and to list a name or two within their faculty questions.
What are the differences between the counselling and clinical psychology program at OISE and the clinical psychology program at UTSC? Do they lead to same or different careers?
The OISE and UTSC program fields fall under the same graduate program umbrella and each will lead to the same end – registration with the CPO.
The faculty at OISE have an interest area in humanistic and social modalities – diversity, LGBTQ, careers, etc, - along with the typical clinical focus on assessments, diagnostic, etc. The UTSC faculty may have other interests, such as neuroscience and biological bases as well, for example.
Do peruse the faculty research areas and select the program where your thesis supervisor of interest is affiliated. You may choose to apply to both programs, but this would be two separate applications and fees.
My research interest match research area of the core faculty who is unfortunately not listed on the list of professors accepting student for this year. What should I do in that case? Would they potentially be open to co-supervise the MA thesis?
Yes. We ask that you direct your research interests to a faculty member who is listed as accepting students this year. An MA thesis will have a 2nd committee member (and a PhD will have 3 additional members) and faculty not accepting students this year may serve as the additional member.
Please include two letters of reference with your application including contact emails.
Please ask one of your referees to comment on the following in your reference letter -
- Sensitivity to others
- Awareness of own impact on others
- Empathy and capacity to provide support to others
- Ability to exercise appropriate judgment
- Appropriateness of interpersonal behaviour
- Ethically appropriate behaviour
- In your opinion, how suitable is this applicant for clinical training?
Program Chair: Dr. J. Roy Gillis
Program Faculty: Dr. Jeffrey Ansloos; Dr. J. Roy Gillis; Dr. Abby Goldstein; Dr. Charles Chen; Dr. Roy Moodley; Dr. Judy Silver; Dr. Lana Stermac; Dr. Jeanne Watson
Questions? Please email us at oise.aphd@utoronto.ca
Program Coordinator:
Caren Li
kl.li@utoronto.ca
Ready to join one of the world’s top universities?
Take the next step in your academic journey and start your application to graduate studies at OISE.
