Western Education's MA | Field of School and Applied Child Psychology
Our onsite and full-time MA/PhD program in Education Studies in the Field of School and Applied Child Psychology is committed to the development of professional psychologists who promote the educational and psychological well-being of children, youth and their families. It prepares students with theoretical, research and professional training to support psychological practice with children, youth and families in a variety of settings including schools, mental health, private practice and research contexts.
The combined MA/PhD degrees meet the academic requirements of the College of Psychologists of Ontario for registration as a Psychologist (PhD). We are accredited by the Canadian Psychological Association. The expectation is that by enrolling in our MA program that you are currently planning to apply to the PhD program. Completion of the MA program does not make you eligible to be registered as an MA-level Psychological Associate.
Top-tier researchers
CPA accreditation
Work in schools
Supportive faculty
What I like about my MA program is the diversity we find in the faculty; multiple cultures among students and a multiplicity of areas and topics of study and research we can work with.
My MA program helped me think about alternative careers and professional pathways I haven't thought about prior to coming to Western.
- Adrianne Bacelor de Castro, Graduated 2020
Beyond the program details
Admissions
Required:
- A four-year Honours degree (20 full courses or equivalent), with a major in Psychology, from an accredited university.
- An undergraduate thesis, or equivalent research and writing experience, is required.
- A 0.5 course in undergraduate statistics or quantitative research methods is required (second year or beyond); or students must complete 9621 Introduction to Quantitative Methods during the first year of the program.
- A 0.5 course in child development (second year or beyond)
- An undergraduate average of at least 80% is required.
- A professor must agree to supervise the applicant’s thesis before an offer of admission is made; students must contact potential supervisors when preparing an application, and list first, second and third choices of supervisors on the application.
- For International applicants, an IELTS average score of 7.0, with a minimum score of 6.5 on each scale will be required.
OPTIONAL: Graduate Record Examination (GRE); General & Psychology. There is no pre-determined cut-off score on the Graduate Record Examinations
NOTE: Students short-listed for the MA in Educational Studies in the field of School and Applied Child Psychology will be required to participate in an online interview.
Progression to the PhD in School and Applied Child Psychology Program:
- Students who successfully complete this program may apply to the PhD in Education Studies in the Field of School and Applied Child Psychology.
- Admission to the PhD in Education Studies in the Field of School and Applied Child Psychology program is competitive, but those graduating successfully from our MA are given first consideration.
- If you’re interested in applying to the PhD after the MA, it is advisable that you check the requirements and deadlines section of the apply page to ensure you have the necessary coursework
Tuition
Tuition amounts are set each year by Senate and then published on the Office of the Registrar's Fees Schedules web page. Fees are assessed once each term (Fall, Winter, Summer).
Current students can access fee information by logging into the Student Centre (use your Western email log in and password). Students are notified each term once fee amounts have been posted in the Student Centre; it is each student's responsibility to log into the Student Centre and pay fees by the due date indicated. Failure to do so may result in a late payment fee or deregistration.
For questions about fees, including how to pay fees and the methods of payment that are accepted, students should go to the Student Financial Services pages of the Office of the Registrar's web site or contact Student Financial Services (Office of the Registrar) at 519-661-2100.
The Graduate Student Affordability Calculator was designed for you to get a better estimate of what it will cost to attend one of Western's graduate programs for one year. The calculator is not a promise of funding or a place to access scholarship support or financial aid; rather, it is intended to provide you with an accurate estimate of how much money you will need to pay for your tuition, fees, housing, food, and many other necessities for a 12-month (three-term) academic year.
Funding
Both internal and external funding opportunities are available for students in our Research Intensive programs. The following funding scholarships are available at the Faculty of Education (please be aware, applicants are automatically considered for some scholarships. The process for each is described in the link below.):
- Academic Research Cluster Scholarships
- Students living with disabilities
- Indigenous students
- Ontario Graduate Scholarship (OGS)
- Canadian Graduate Scholarship – Masters (CGS-M)
See further details about funding opportunities available through the Faculty of Education.
Technology
Instructors of onsite courses use the Sakai OWL platform, although it is not required. Access to a course in Sakai OWL is typically opened the first business day of each term. Please note that although your own access may be granted prior to the first business day, course content may not be posted until closer to the scheduled term start. Your Western University login and password is required to access the course (your Western email without the @uwo.ca and its accompanying password). Access to the learning management system is found here: Sakai OWL.
For online courses, students are required to have access to the following:
- High speed Internet access
- Access to a computer that enables connection to outside websites (flexible firewall restrictions)
- Multimedia playback capabilities (video/audio)
- WebCam
- Computer capable of running a recent version of Internet Explorer, Safari, or Firefox; and/or Cisco MOVI client for PC or Mac
- Audio headset and microphone for computer
Program information
Description
Our onsite and full-time MA program in Education Studies in the field of School and Applied Child Psychology is designed to help you succeed in your area of interest by supporting you with top-tier researchers and academics.
Many graduates from this program hold important roles in various sectors of education at the provincial, national and international levels.
The MA program also prepares students for advanced study and research at the doctoral level.
Prospective students are strongly encouraged to visit our Faculty Research page for more information on the exciting research being conducted at the Faculty of Education.
Important note: When submitting an application to the Master of Arts in Education Studies program, applicants must indicate their preferred Thesis Supervisor in their Statement of Intent. Applicants are advised to review the Faculty Research page and contact faculty in their area of interest to confirm that this potential exists.
Milestones
Below is a summary of the Thesis process. Students must consult the Master's Thesis Guide (PDF), Program Policies web page, and the School of Graduate & Postdoctoral Studies' Thesis Regulation Guide for complete thesis guidelines and regulations.
Proposal:
Once a student completes their required courses they will complete their Individual Proposal Preparation (IPP). By the end of the semester in which a student completes the last required course they must decide on a topic for their thesis and submit the Individual Proposal Preparation (IPP) - Supervisor Approval Form (found on the Forms & Guidelines page).
The IPP provides a structure for the writing of a thesis proposal. An initial review of relevant research provides the background for the proposed study. The methodological framework and the method to be employed are studied and developed. Ethical considerations are investigated and, where appropriate, an ethical review document prepared. The IPP is not a course but a milestone and compulsory element for those writing a Thesis.
The IPP should be completed in one term. The IPP is completed when the proposal and ethical review (where required) have been submitted for approval.
The Thesis Supervisor after consulting with the faculty members concerned, will formally appoint a Thesis Advisory Committee. The Committee will consist of a Thesis Supervisor and at least one additional faculty member who will act as a Thesis Advisory Committee Member. The Thesis Supervisor must be a member of the School of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies with Ph.D. supervisory status, as approved by the Credentials Committee of the School of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies.
When the Thesis Supervisory Committee is satisfied with a student's written proposal, the student may submit the proposal for approval. The student submits one copy of their proposal and the MA Thesis Proposal Approval form to the Graduate Programs Office for approval by the Associate Dean, Graduate Programs.
If the proposed research involves human subjects, the student has to receive ethics approval from Western University Research Ethics Board before the research begins.
The student may proceed with their research and thesis preparation when all approvals have been obtained.
Thesis:
Only after all approvals have been obtained the student must start their Master's Thesis and may proceed with the research and the preparation of the thesis under the guidance and review of the Thesis Supervisory Committee. Please note that the Master's Thesis is not a course but a milestone.
When the thesis has been completed and approved by the Thesis Supervisory Committee, the student will submit the Application for Thesis Examination (found on the Forms and Guides page) to the Graduate Programs Office. The necessary arrangements will be made by the Graduate Programs Office for the examination of the thesis in accordance with the appropriate University regulations.
Timing/delivery
The MA program in the field of School and Applied Child Psychology is offered on a full-time basis.
Time to Completion:
Full-time - typically 6 terms (2 years)
Courses
Students who started in September 2019 and later:
6 half courses: 5 expected to be completed in Year 1; 9811 in Year 2
- 9651 - Assessment and Evaluation in Regular and Special Education
- 9653 - Ethical and Professional Issues in School and Applied Psych
- 9705 - Advanced Quantitative Research Methods
- 9801 - Psychosocial Aspects of Schooling
- 9806 - Exceptionalities
- 9811 - Cognitive and Academic Interventions
- The thesis is mandatory for completion of the program
Students who start in September 2018:
6 half courses: 5 expected to be completed in Year 1; 9811 in Year 2
- 9550 - Ethics and Human Development
- 9651 - Assessment and Evaluation in Regular and Special Education
- 9705 - Advanced Quantitative Research Methods
- 9801 - Psychosocial Aspects of Schooling
- 9806 - Exceptionalities
- 9811 - Cognitive and Academic Interventions
- The thesis is mandatory for completion of the program
Students who started between September 2015 & September 2017:
6 half courses:
- 9802 - Brain, Mind & Education (cross-listed to PhD)
- 9801 - Psychosocial Aspects of Schooling (cross-listed to PhD)
- 9806 - Exceptionalities (cross-listed to PhD)
- 9705 - Quantitative Research Methods (cross-listed to PhD)
- 9504 - Evidence-Based Interventions in Schools (MA)
- The thesis is mandatory for completion of the program
Potential Supervisor
Important note: When submitting an application to the Master of Arts in Education Studies program, applicants must indicate their preferred Thesis Supervisor in their Statement of Intent. Applicants are advised to review the Faculty Research page and contact faculty in their area of interest to confirm that this potential exists.
Members
Public Disclosure
Our PHD Students
Typically 1 male to 7 females, 24-40 years old at time of admission in 2022, 41% identify as diverse
Applications, Acceptances and Withdrawals
|
Criteria |
2015 - 2016 |
2016 - 2017 |
2017 - 2018 |
2018 - 2019 |
2019 - 2020 |
2020 - 2021 |
2021-2022 |
2022-2023 |
2023-2024 |
2024-2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Applied to our PhD program |
17 |
20 |
19 |
18 |
19 |
30 |
28 |
17 |
19 |
23 |
|
We offered admission to |
8 |
8 |
8 |
8 |
8 |
8 |
8 |
9 |
11 |
9 |
|
Accepted offer of admission |
8 |
7 |
5 |
8 |
8 |
8 |
8 |
9 |
8 |
9 |
|
External applicants admitted to program |
2 |
1 |
4 |
5 |
4 |
0 |
1 |
3 |
3 |
0 |
|
Withdrew from Program |
1 |
0 |
0 |
1 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
Our Graduates
Our program began in 2015. To date, 84% of our PhD graduates have either become registered psychologists or are currently on supervised practice within Ontario. Our graduates work in a variety of settings, including schools, independent practice, children’s/community mental health centers, and in youth justice. The job placements and career paths of the graduates from the SACP program’s first two cohorts demonstrate the program’s ability to train psychologists who work in both school and clinical settings. Psychologists are in high demand and our graduates had no difficulty obtaining employment upon graduation.
Our MA Students
Typically 1 male to 7 females, 17% identify as diverse
Applications, Acceptances and Withdrawals
|
Criteria |
2019 - 2020 |
2020 - 2021 |
2021-2022 |
2022-2023 |
2023-2024 |
2024-2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Applied to our MA program |
28 |
44 |
56 |
51 |
55 |
83 |
|
We offered admission to |
12 |
15 |
14 |
15 |
12 |
14 |
|
Accepted offer of admission |
6 |
8 |
8 |
10 |
10 |
9 |
|
Withdrew from Program |
0 |
0 |
0 |
1 |
0 |
0 |
Our combined MA/PhD program is designed to meet the requirements of the College of Psychologists of Ontario for registration as a Psychologist (PhD) and was accredited in 2023.
Office of Accreditation - Canadian Psychological Association
141 Laurier Avenue West, Suite 702
Ottawa, Ontario
K1P 5J3
Phone: 1-888-472-0657 (toll free in Canada); (613) 237-2144
Email: accreditationoffice@cpa.ca
