The graduate program in the Department of Psychology at York University is the only institution in Ontario that offers an M.A. as well as a Ph.D in psychology with specialization in quantitative methods. The primary objective of the quantitative methods area is to train psychologists who specialize in methodology for the analysis of psychological and social science data. Students are trained for positions in higher education as well as research-based positions in governmental, educational, and commercial organizations.
The two-year M.A. program is designed to provide research-oriented training in the application of quantitative methodology to the solution of problems in psychological science and related disciplines. Upon successfully completing the M.A. degree, graduate students may advance into the Ph.D. program upon obtaining approval from the faculty members of the quantitative methods area.
The Ph.D. program is designed to provide advanced, theoretical, research-oriented training in quantitative methodology to prepare individuals for academic careers and for research positions in government and private institutions.
The curriculum in the quantitative methods area involves some common courses for M.A. and Ph.D. students. More detailed information is provided in the curriculum section as well as the M.A. degree requirements and Ph.D. degree requirements listed on the Graduate Program in Psychology's website.
Graduate students who are affiliated with one of the other areas of the Graduate Program in Psychology are invited to pursue the Quantitative Methods Diploma.
Quantitative methods students are encouraged to develop interests in one of the other six substantive areas housed in the Graduate Program in Psychology. For instance, students interested in quantitative methods for specialized fields such as neuroscience or health psychology are encouraged to pursue graduate diplomas in these areas. Students are also encouraged to take relevant courses from the Department of Mathematics and Statistics, or in other related areas to deepen and broaden their training in quantitative methods. The program is structured to provide students with flexibility in the choice of courses as they develop their skill set and quantitative interests. Attempts would be made to reasonably accommodate each student's interests and abilities.
The faculty members of the area actively engage in research in various methodological and substantive areas, with most of this research supported by grants from the tri-council of Canada. Students in the program are often involved in these research activities and are financially supported as research assistants, mostly with their advisor and often with other faculty in the program. Such research often generates suitable data and problems for thesis and dissertation work. Current research is conducted in areas such as structural equation modeling, methods for psychological measurement, statistical graphics for multivariate data, methods for equivalence testing, and methods for longitudinal data, with applications to substantive issues in clinical, clinical-developmental, experimental, and social psychology as well as neuropsychology.
The Faculty of Graduate Studies and the Department of Psychology support every graduate student during their course of training financially and in other ways. M.A. students are financially supported for two years and Ph.D. students are financially supported for up to five years. Minimum financial support is also guaranteed for Ph.D. students in their sixth year. Funding is provided from one or more of the following sources: scholarships, graduate assistantships, research assistantships, and teaching assistantships. Support is contingent on satisfactory progress in achieving certain program milestones and maintaining continuous registration as a full-time student.
