Potential supervisors
Learn about faculty available to supervise honours students during the 2025/26 school year.
Honours Program in the Department of Psychology
Interested in preparing for graduate school in psychology or another professional program (law, medicine, speech pathology, social work)?
What is the Honours Program?
You'll complete a specialized set of degree requirements and conduct a thesis research project under the supervision of a faculty member.
Honours students also register in PSYC 598 (Honours Thesis and Seminar). The class meets twice a week during the fall and winter sessions. The major requirement is a written thesis that follows APA format and organization (with an abstract, introduction, methods, results, and discussion). You'll also give presentations about your research in the honours seminar and at the Annual Student Research Conference. The program requires a serious commitment to research during your final year.
Considering an Honours program? Find out if you're eligible. Be sure to discuss your plans with the department in the fall session before you formally apply. Contact us today
Admission criteria
This criteria applies to Fall 2025 admission to the Honours program only.
- At least 72 units or 12.0 full-course equivalents (FCE) completed at the time of application
- minimum grade-point average (GPA) of 3.5 over the most recent 42 units (7.0 FCE)
- minimum GPA of 3.5 over most recent 7 (21 units or 3.5 FCE) Psychology courses.
- Minimum grade of B+ average in PSYC 300 & 301 or in PSYC 312 (or 407, 411 or 415) *if you took a CR in PSYC 300 or 301 please contact our office.
- All remaining graduation requirements for the BA/BSc Honours degree can be completed during the following Fall/Winter registration period
- Eligible thesis supervisor willing to supervise the honours thesis and resources available to complete the thesis
- Minimum cumulative GPA of 3.3 over all major courses (PSYC courses) applicable towards the completion of the degree requirements to graduate with honours.
- 3 units from PSYC 400.XX, 415, 425, 427, 430, 435, 478, 504 or 505 completed or enrolled in one by application time.
- Signature from a faculty or adjunct faculty member confirming agreement to supervise applicant
- Apply for a change of program via your student centre to add Psychology Honours to your program (by doing this it does not mean that you will get admitted to the program, you still have to submit an application to the Psychology Department).
Note: Admission to the Honours Program is competitive, and students meeting these minimum qualifications are not guaranteed admission to the program.
See how to calculate your GPA.
Note: GPA calculated for purposes of admission does not include grades from the Winter session in which the application is made.
Application package components
The following components make up your Honours application package.
1. Honours Application and Program Checklist Form
- Download the Honours application document
- Complete the form
- Apply for a change of program via your student centre to add Psychology Honours
Note: your file name should read: “Honours application – Full Name UCID."
2. Transcripts
Direct-entry from high school or transfer student
- An unofficial PDF of your transcripts (you should be able to get this via your Student Centre).
After-Degree (second degree) student
- A transcript from all post-secondary institutions attended.
Note: Your file-name should read: "Last Name UCID Transcript (Institution Name)."
3. Curriculum Vitae
A curriculum vitae or CV is similar to a resume that you might create to find summer employment, but it is more academically oriented.
- Highlight relevant education, work, and volunteer experience.
- Include any academic awards or honours that you have received (i.e., scholarships or medals).
Visit Career Services for information on how to prepare a CV. You can also find information online or at your local library.
Application process step by step
Supervisor FAQ
Students will want to contact potential supervisors between TBA and TBA. You will need to find a committed supervisor prior to application deadline in TBA.
The most important characteristic is mutual interest. The ideal supervisor is working in an area of enough interest to you that you can imagine yourself spending at least 8 months working intensively on a research project in that area. A few important points to consider:
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Your honours thesis doesn't have to directly relate to your grad studies specialization
Some applied areas of psychology--clinical, counselling, and industrial-organizational--are high demand and there are limited numbers of potential supervisors available. Consider your interests in psychology and what you know about related areas. For example, social psychology is relevant to many specializations. And research in basic cognitive processes can be relevant to applications such as cognitive-behaviour therapy.
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Work with an expert in the field
It is important that you carry out a well-designed project that makes some contribution to knowledge in the field of psychology. It is also important that you do this in a competent fashion, while learning new skills and expanding your knowledge of the discipline. This is most likely if you work with an expert in the field.
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Choose someone you can work with
The quality of the relationship between you and your supervisor is important. This is a one-to-one mentoring relationship and obviously your learning will be enhanced if you work well together. Also, the reference letter from your supervisor is the most important reference letter you will need for your application to graduate school, medical school, law school, etc. The better the work you do together, the better that letter will be.
Before you submit your application, you should contact potential supervisors. The window to do so is between October 17th and November 28th, 2022. You should arrange to meet them between these dates, have a version of your application package ready for them to review, and discuss the possibility of their supervising your honours thesis.
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Send an introductory email
Your initial email should be a brief request to set up an initial meeting to discuss working together.
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Research your potential supervisor
Read some recent publications so you're knowledgeable about their area(s) of research and able to ask questions. You'll usually find a listing of recently published articles on their personal contact page. If they don't list any, do some independent research or contact them directly.
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Prepare for your meeting
Be ready to give the potential supervisor the same information you'll have to give in your application:
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A copy of your university grades
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A statement of intent
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Your Curriculum Vitae
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Meet the potential supervisor
Tell them about yourself and why you'd like to work with them. Ask what kinds of projects they're willing to supervise, and their expectations for honours students (e.g., do they expect you to work regularly on Saturdays or Sundays, or during evenings?).
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Questions to ask
Feel free to ask them about the likelihood of your working with them (i.e., do they have so many potential honours students contacting them that your chance is 1/100?).
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Manage your expectations
You should not expect them to commit to working with you on the spot. The purpose of the meeting is to get acquainted with one another. Either one of you may decide, upon reflection, that this is not the best supervisory arrangement.
There are many reasons why a particular professor is not on the list this year. They may be planning to be away on sabbatical leave or have too many graduate students or other work commitments to commit the time needed to supervise an honours project. If you intend to graduate at the end of the current Winter semester, you'll have to find an alternative. If you're planning ahead and reading this a year or more before you need to apply for honours, then you may be in luck. By the time you apply, the professor may once again be on the list of potential supervisors.
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Adjunct professors
Psychologist who usually teach in the department and have a formal, professional relationship with it, but aren't members. They may teach or work elsewhere.
If your supervisor is an adjunct, you might not meet with them or do research on campus. Their time may be limited by other commitments. Be sure you're comfortable with the degree of contact that you'll have and the context in which you'll meet and research.
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Emeritus professors
Have retired from UCalgary, but continue to contribute on a volunteer basis or in contract positions. This usually means that they continue to teach certain courses and/or to engage in research. As in the case of adjunct professors, you should discuss with them their availability for consultation and where you will meet with them and conduct your research.
Dr. Michael Antle
Our lab is interested in understanding the biological basis of circadian rhythms. Using animal models, we examine the neural circuits underlying rhythmic daily behaviour, as well as how behaviour can feedback to alter daily rhythms.
Dr. Susan Boon
My research interests focus primarily on the "dark side" of romantic relationships, with a special focus on issues surrounding forgiveness and unforgiveness. I also have a side interest in grandparent-grandchild relationships.
Dr. Joshua Bourdage
As an Industrial-Organizational Psychology specialist, I study human behavior in the workplace context. My lab is the "Organizational Behaviour and Influence" Laboratory.
https://profiles.ucalgary.ca/joshua-bourdage
Dr. Melissa Boyce
Eyewitness decision-making; False alibis; Legal biases; Student Mental Health and Wellbeing
https://profiles.ucalgary.ca/melissa-boyce
Dr. Brandy Callahan
Lifespan Brain Health Lab
https://profiles.ucalgary.ca/brandy-callahan
Dr. Tavis Campbell
Health Psychology, Clinical Psychology, Behavioural Medicine
https://profiles.ucalgary.ca/tavis-campbell
Dr. Jim Cresswell (Adjunct)
Dr. Jackson Cone
Our lab is interested in understanding how the brain decodes information from the activity of sensory neurons to make sense of the world and guide behavior. To do so, we use a variety of systems and computational neuroscience tools to measure, manipulate, and model relationships between neuronal activity, perception, and behavior in mice.
https://profiles.ucalgary.ca/jackson-cone
Dr. Richard Dyck
Our mission is to uncover behavioural, cellular and synaptic mechanisms that are responsible for mediating experience- and activity-dependent changes to the neural circuitry of the cerebral cortex. We are interested in understanding changes that occur normally, in the developing and adult cortex, as well as when things go awry. We apply multidisciplinary approaches, including molecular, genetic, anatomical, and behavioural assays in a model nervous system - the mouse's - to reveal mechanisms of plasticity in the cerebral cortex.
https://profiles.ucalgary.ca/richard-dyck
Dr. Gerald Giesbrecht (adjunct)
The research is in the area of the effects of psychological stress during pregnancy on child development outcomes.
https://profiles.ucalgary.ca/gerald-giesbrecht
Dr. Giuseppe Iaria
Dr. Iaria makes use of neuroimaging, behavioral, and neuropsychological approaches to investigate different domains of research in cognitive neuroscience. Dr. Iaria's main interest is the investigation of cognitive and neurological mechanisms underlying the human ability to orient and navigate in the environment; the research is performed in heathy individuals, as well as in patients with a variety of clinical conditions, and in Astronauts. For more details on Dr. Iaria's research interests please visit www.neurolab.ca.
https://profiles.ucalgary.ca/giuseppe-iaria
Dr. Julia Kam
In my lab, we study internal attention, also known as mind wandering, using a multi-method cognitive neuroscience approach. This includes examining scalp and intracranial EEG, eye-tracking, and behavioral data in both healthy and clinical populations.
https://profiles.ucalgary.ca/julia-kam
Dr. Kibeom Lee
I am interested in the measurement and structure of personality traits. On the basis of analyses of personality lexicons of various languages, my colleague (M. C. Ashton) and I have proposed a six-dimensional model known as the HEXACO model of personality. Visit hexaco.org for more information about the model.
Dr. Brae Anne McArthur
Dr. Derya Sargin
Our research is focused on how developmental and adolescent stress impacts long-term neural activity and behaviour. We are using a combination of techniques including in vivo calcium imaging, optogenetics, electrophysiology and socioemotional behavioural analysis in transgenic mouse models to answer these questions.
https://profiles.ucalgary.ca/derya-sargin
Dr. Fiona Schulte (Adjunct)
Fiona's research is broadly interestedin enhancing the patient and family experience for pediatric patients diagnosed with cancer and improving the psychosocial late effects in survivors of pediatric cancer.
https://profiles.ucalgary.ca/fiona-schulte
Dr. Andrew Szeto
My area of interest is the stigma of mental illness.
Dr. Nick Turner (Adjunct)
fields of interest include leadership, work design, and occupational health and safety. His research often integrates these areas to explore the psychological predictors and consequences of “healthy work” – work that promotes psychological well-being and physical safety.
https://profiles.ucalgary.ca/nick-turner
Dr. Perri Tutelman
Child, adolescent, and young adult psychosocial oncology.
https://profiles.ucalgary.ca/perri-tutelman
Dr. Kristin von Ranson
Eating disorders, eating pathology, body image, behavioural addictions, science-practice gap.
https://profiles.ucalgary.ca/kristin-m-von-ranson
Dr. Lauren Walker (Adjunct)
Dr. Laura Hambley Lovett (Adjunct)
Leadership (toxic leadership, remote/hybrid leadership), career development, workplace mental health, workplace culture.
Dr. Deinera Exner-Cortens
Childhood health promotion, adolescent development, teen dating violence, healthy relationships, suicide prevention.
Recent thesis titles
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Relational Self-Change and Revenge in Romantic Relationships. Supervisor Dr. Susan Boon
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Two Meows Don’t Make a “Cat”-egory: 7-month-olds Fail to Learn Intermodal Association. Supervisor Dr.Susan Graham.
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Treating Sleep Disturbance in Adolescents with Protracted Recovery from Mild Traumatic Brain Injury. Supervisor Dr. Lianne Tomfohr.
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The Effects of Belief in a Just World, Relationship Type, and Degree of Contact on Perceptions of Sexual Assault. Supervisor Dr. Melissa Boyce.
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Cognitive Outcomes in Children with Primary CNS Vasculitis. Supervisor Dr.Keith Yeates.
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Age of Onset in Older Adult Substance Abuse. Supervisor Dr.Candace Konnert
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ERP Correlates of Audiovisual Asynchrony Detection. Supervisor Dr. Andrea Protzner.
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Children’s Comprehensive of Negation. Supervisor Dr. Penny Pexman.
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Exploring the Outcomes of Workplace Impression Management Behaviours on Employee Perceptions. Supervisor Dr. Josh Bourdage.
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Peer Feedback Ratings in Teams and the Role of Individual Differences. Supervisor Dr. Tom O'Neill.
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Influence of HEXACO personality traits on experience of post-traumatic growth and post-traumatic stress. Supervisor Dr. Raymond Lamontagne.
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The Vegetarian Personality: A HEXACO Perspective. Supervisor Dr. Kibeom Lee.
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Examining Effects of Motor and Emotion Information in Children’s Lexical processing. Supervisor Dr. Penny Pexman.
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Examining Psychosocial Correlates of Health-Related Quality of Life in Young Pediatric Cancer Patients. Supervisor Dr. Lianne Tomfohr.
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The Impacts of Screen Time on Child Developmental Outcomes. Supervisor Dr. Mike Boyes.
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Mental Illness Stigma and Juror Decision-Making. Supervisor Dr. Andrew Szeto.
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The Role of Friendships in the Experiences of Impostor Syndrome. Supervisor Dr. Cara MacInnis.
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Experiences with Food and Eating Addiction: A Thematic Analysis. Supervisor Dr. Kristin von Ranson.
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An Examination of Affective Forecasting and Coping on Short-Term Adjustment Following a Romantic Breakup. Supervisor Dr. Eddie Sheppard.
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Cancer patient Use, Interest and Barriers to Complementary Therapies. Supervisor Dr. Linda Carlson.
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Evaluation of a Vaginal and Sexual Health Workshop for Women Diagnosed with Cancer. Supervisor Dr.John Robinson.
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Cyber Revenge. Supervisor Dr. Susan Boon.
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Self-esteem as a Moderator of the Impact of a Failure Experience on Future Expectations. Supervisor Dr. John Ellard.
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Examining the Potential Double Stigma of Ethnicity and Mental Illness. Supervisor Dr. Andrew Szeto.
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Examining the Effects of Socioeconomic Status-Crime Congruency. Supervisor Dr. Melissa Boyce.
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Examining Potential Prejudice Toward Older Adult Mobility Device Users. Supervisor Dr. Cara MacInnis.
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A Discursive Study of Food Talk Among Undergraduates. Supervisor Dr. Hank Stam.
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Stigma related to Mental Illness and the Fundamental Attribution Error. Supervisor Dr. Keith Dobson.
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Psychological Characteristics Associated with Attentional Bias in Gamblers: An Eye-Tracking Study. Supervisor Dr. Dan McGrath.
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Priming Attentional Biases in Women with High and Low Body Satisfaction. Supervisor Dr. Kristin von Ranson / Dr. Chris Sears.
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The Effect of Personality Detection Training and Question Type on the Accuracy of Personality Detection in the Employment Interview. Supervisor Dr. Josh Bourdage.
Policies
Be aware of the policies pertaining to you as an Honours student.