MA Professional/Internship Concentration overview & admissions

On this page: Professional/Internship Concentration Overview | Admission Requirements | Applying | Tuition & Fees


Professional/Internship concentration

Please note, admission is closed to the MA Professional/Internship concentration while the current program undergoes revisions.

As such, the program will no longer be accepting applications.

 

Professional/Internship Concentration Overview

The aim of the MA in Counselling Psychology - Professional/Internship concentration (non-thesis) is to produce graduates who:

  • Are trained in the major applied areas of Counselling
  • Will be qualified to work in a variety of settings where educational, vocational, personal, and developmental counselling is offered
  • Have had an extensive supervised internship in either a clinical or educational setting

The training program emphasizes:

  • Career and vocational theory and development
  • Individual and group counselling skills
  • Integrating multicultural, gender, and other diversity theories into practice
  • Diagnosis and assessment procedures

Field Placement: The program provides field placements in the Montreal area in diverse settings related to students' interests. These placements extend students' experiences to clinical settings. Most field placement opportunities are in academic and school settings.

Duration: This degree requires two years (four semesters) and one summer term of full-time study.

Careers & Professional Practice: This program qualifies graduates for membership into the Ordre des conseillers et conseillères d'orientation du Québec (OCCOQ). Regarding specific requirements for professional practice, students are advised to consult with the licensing bodies of the province, territory, or state where they wish to practice after their studies. Graduates typically enter the workforce as counsellors after successful completion of this stream.

Progressing to a PhD: Students who wish to proceed from this stream to the McGill PhD in Counselling Psychology have to demonstrate substantial competence in research.


Admission Requirements

The deadline for applications is December 1 (annually) for Fall admission. *Suspended Admission during current program revisions*

Please read the program’s admission requirements fully.

The Department no longer accepts deferrals except under extraordinary circumstances.

ACADEMIC BACKGROUND & CGPA

It is the applicant's responsibility to ensure they satisfy the admission requirements of this program, including the completion of the required prerequisite undergraduate coursework prior to admission. To be eligible applicants must hold a baccalaureate degree consisting of 18 credits of core courses in specific Psychology domains and 24 credits in related disciplines in the social sciences. Consult the Pre-Admission Academic Checklist - Professional/Internship for a detailed overview of academic requirements. Consult the Counselling Psychology Pre-Admission Academic Domains Guide to determine how to categorize courses when evaluating your academic background in the Pre-Admission Academic Checklist.

IMPORTANT NOTES: 

  • Due to our high volume of applicants, Departmental Faculty and Staff do not review an applicant's academic history in order to help the applicant complete the Pre-Admission Academic Checklist. Applicants are asked to thoroughly consult the Pre-Admission Academic Domain Guide (link above) and use course descriptions and other course materials from completed courses, to complete the checklist to the best of their abilities. Successful applicants who are offered admission will be advised of any conditions of acceptance on their letter of admission (which may include fulfilling any pre-requisite course requirements). 
  • At the time of application, applicants can be missing up to 6-credits of courses from their Pre-Admission Academic Checklist. However, admitted students are required to have all Pre-Admission course requirements completed by the beginning of their degree (i.e. their first term, Fall year 1, of study).
  • The Department no longer grants deferrals, except under extraordinary circumstances.

    CGPA Requirements

    All candidates must have a minimum CGPA of 3.2 out of 4.0 over the final two years of full-time study. This CGPA requirement, along with the successful completion of a Bachelor's degree, is a minimum requirement only and does not guarantee acceptance. The average CGPA of all students admitted into the MA in Counselling Psychology in past years has averaged 3.65-3.70 out of 4.0.

    INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS

    CGPA Equivalency

    If you are an international applicant and wish to find out whether you qualify under McGill University's CGPA Guidelines for Graduate Admissions, visit International CGPA Equivalency.

    Proficiency in English

    Applicants to graduate studies whose mother tongue is not English and who have not obtained (or are about to obtain) an undergraduate or graduate degree from a recognized foreign institution where English is the language of instruction or from a recognized institution in Canada or the US (anglophone or francophone), must submit documented proof of proficiency in oral and written English.

    Appropriate exam results must be submitted prior to the application deadline and submitted directly from the language testing proficiency office to McGill. For more information on test requirements, submission of scores, and possible exemptions, visit the McGill Future Graduate Students English Language Proficiency page.

    In each case, you must ensure that the official test results are sent directly to McGill (McGill Institution Code: 0935) by the testing service. Applications will not be considered if test results are not available.
    Please note that TOEFL results are only valid for two years from the date the test was written.

    Applicants whose mother tongue is not English may be asked to demonstrate an English-language proficiency beyond the submission of the language proficiency test scores.


    Applying

    Prior to starting an online application:

    - Familiarize yourself with McGill's admission requirements, program requirements, and required supporting documentation.
    - Review McGill's Graduate Admissions and Application Procedures
    - Review the step-by-step Applying and Admissions Help Site
    - Submit your application before the deadline

    *In order to finalize and submit your online application, a non-refundable application fee is required.

    ONLINE APPLICATION

    Complete the Graduate Studies uApply online application form.
    Built into the online application are numerous questions requiring personal information specific to every applicant. Program specific requirements within the application are as follows:

    • Concentration Choice
      Within the online application, applicants must specify their choice of concentration: Professional/Internship or Project.
    • Letters of Reference
      Within the online application, applicants must provide valid institutional e-mail addresses for three (3) references. McGill University will send an email to each referee applicants identify on the application form, asking for a reference in support of their application to be admitted. Referees will be invited to login to a secure portion of the McGill website where they will be required to answer questions about the applicant and will be given the ability to 1) input (via text box) a reference letter either by typing it in directly or by cut-and-paste from an existing document or 2) to upload a letter of reference in PDF format

     

    Submit your application
    Once you have submitted your application an acknowledgement will be sent to the email address you have included in your application. You will be able to track your application online via uApply and start uploading documents.
     

    Upload supporting documents
    Upload (in PDF format) the following supporting documents by the December 1 application deadline:

    • Transcripts
      An unofficial copy of your complete university-level academic record to date must be uploaded through uApply - including any McGill transcripts. (Quebec residents: CEGEP transcripts are not required). All transcripts received via the upload process are considered unofficial. If you are offered admission, you will also need to provide official transcripts (sent to us by mail in a sealed envelope directly from the institution). Offers of admission are contingent upon the receipt and verification of these official documents. Please do not send these official records until we request them from you.
    • Curriculum Vitae (CV)
      A completed curriculum vitae using the ECP Counselling Psychology Curriculum Vitae Form [.doc] must be uploaded through the online application.
    • Please be sure to convert to PDF prior to uploading to uApply. IMPORTANT: Personal CVs will be rejected.
    • Personal Statement
      Please provide a 1 to 2-page (maximum) application statement in APA style and format (i.e., double-spaced) that includes the following information:
      1. Past and current experience: Briefly describe any research, educational, extracurricular, and/or work experience that you believe is relevant.
      2. Expected gains and career objectives: Why are you applying to this program? How do program training standards match your general career objectives? Which skills would you like to gain?
      3. Your personal trajectory (optional): If any, please describe personal and/or professional challenges encountered during the course of your studies.
      4. Equity, diversity, and inclusion (EDI) (optional): McGill would like to give you this opportunity to disclose any information about your identities and/or experiences. This information will facilitate access to any available financial aid and/or awards available to you during the application process. Rest assured that all personal data submitted will be kept confidential and used only for operational decision-making; your personal information will never be shared with any internal or external bodies, nor with any instructors, supervisors, or fellow students. For more information regarding EDI at McGill University, pls visit this Equity at McGill website.
    • Pre-Admission Academic Checklist
      Complete and upload through the online application, the following checklist form specific to the concentration for which you are applying: Pre-Admission Academic Checklist - Professional/Internship. Consult the Counselling Psychology Pre-Admission Academic Domains Guide to determine how to categorize courses when completing the checklist.

     

    Submit your English Language Proficiency Test Scores
    Where applicable, arrange for test scores (TOEFL, IELTS) to be sent to McGill directly from the testing agency. You must indicate the McGill University institution code: 0935

    Review process, notification and confirmation of acceptance

    1. By April 1st of each year, candidates offered potential positions in the program will receive by email a "Recommendation of Acceptance" sent to the email address they provided in uApply. This letter serves to inform the candidate that the Admissions Review Committee has agreed to recommend them into the program and that their application is being transmitted to McGill's Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies (GPS) for final review and acceptance. In most cases, this review takes approximately 7-10 days.
    2. After review by GPS, successful candidates will be contacted by GPS with an official "Offer of Admission".
    3. Candidates are then required to respond to their offer of admission on-line using your uApply account.

    Tuition and fees

    For information on tuition and fees please visit McGill Student Accounts' Fee Calculator for Graduate Tuition & Fees.

    Information about application fees can be found on the Students Accounts website.

    Additional fees apply to certain cohorts of Counselling Psychology students due the use of the Assessment Materials Resource Centre (AMRC). User fees for particular courses may be viewed on the AMRC page.

     


     

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