Doctor of Philosophy in Psychology - Cognitive Psychology

University of Waterloo

Our Cognitive Psychology program provides students with an interactive and enriching environment in which to study mind and behaviour, where you will work closely with other students and with faculty members. The program emphasizes the development of your research skills in the service of carrying out high quality, independent research. In the Cognitive area, applicants are typically admitted to the MA program and continue directly to the PhD program afterward. Cognitive Psychology is the branch of psychology that deals with understanding how the mind works – the mental events that underlie how people acquire, store, transform, and communicate information. Understanding cognition provides a unique window into who we are and why we behave the way we do. Moreover, we can leverage this knowledge to improve our day-to-day lives in many ways.Our graduate program in Cognitive Psychology is a research-intensive program that provides students with both a thorough understanding of cognitive psychology and the skills necessary to perform high quality independent research. We endeavour to provide students with the tools and opportunities that they need to pursue their scientific interests and to fulfill their long-term career goals, whether in academia or in industry. For example, with respect to the latter, students have the opportunity to spend time working in an industry position related to cognitive psychology through our Applied Practicum course.