FAQs: Questions About the Faculty of Behavioural Science
What programs of study does the Faculty of Behavioural Science at Yorkville University offer?
How do I enroll for the Faculty of Behavioural Science programs?
What are the deadlines for applying to the program?
What are the tuition fees?
Are there Scholarships available?
How do I complete the course requirements?
Can I transfer credits earned from other university programs?
Is it possible to study part time?
Do I have to be a Canadian Citizen to study at Yorkville University?
Do I have to come to NB to complete a program?
Why are courses offered one at a time?
When and how will I be notified if I have been admitted to the University?
Can I pursue Doctoral level studies after completing an Master of Arts in Counselling Psychology?
What’s the difference between a PhD and a PsyD?
Are degrees from Yorkville University recognized?
Is Yorkville University accredited?
What “title” can I use to describe myself and the services I offer after graduating from a Master of Arts in Counselling Psychology?
What specific job can I get within my province with a Master’s in Counselling Psychology?
Am I eligible for registration as a Psychological Associate in Ontario with a Yorkville University Master of Arts in Counselling Psychology?
Am I eligible for membership in other provincial Colleges of Psychology on the strength of my Master of Arts in Counselling Psychology degree?
Am I eligible for membership in the Canadian Counselling and Psychotherapy Association (CCPA) after graduating with a Master of Arts in Counselling Psychology?
Am I eligible for membership in the American Counselling Association after graduating with an Master of Arts in Counselling Psychology?
Am I eligible for membership in the British Association of Counselling and Psychotherapy after graduating with an Master of Arts in Counselling Psychology?
Am I eligible for membership with the Nova Scotia Association of Counselling Therapists?
What programs of study does Yorkville University’s Faculty of Behavioural Science offer?
The Faculty of Behavioral Science at Yorkville University offers:
How do I enroll for the Faculty of Behavioural Science programs?
You may apply for one of our programs using our online application form and arrange to forward other required documents by mail, fax or email. For information about admission to our programs, please fill out the Request Information form or call 1-866-838-6542.
What are the deadlines for applying to the program?
Application deadlines for each intake are set at the first of the month prior to the start date. If the application deadline date falls on a Saturday, Sunday, or other Canadian or New Brunswick non-working day, the deadline will be the next working day.
What are the tuition fees?
Tuition fees vary by program. Please click on the appropriate link below for course-specific program costs:
Are there Scholarships available?
The Jacob Markovitz Memorial Scholarship is worth fifty percent of first year tuition, granted based on financial need and is available to new students entering Yorkville University in their first term of study. Please visit our Scholarships page for more information.
There is also a New Brunswick Provincial Government Employees Bursary Program that entitles all teachers in NB, other employees of the Dept. of Education, and the Dept. of Family Services in NB to a 30% tuition reduction. For information about this bursary, please click the New Brunswick Provincial Government Employees Bursary Program or connect with the Admissions department for more details or call 1-866-838-6542.
How do I complete the course requirements?
Degree programs at Yorkville University consist of courses delivered in an online environment. For details about the course calendar and schedule, please click here.
Can I transfer credits earned from other university programs?
Students may be eligible for transfer credit in one or more of our courses.
Please contact the Admissions Office for more details or call 1-866-838-6542 if you have any more questions about transfer credits.
- In the MACP program, advanced standing may be obtained for a maximum of three academic courses. Advanced standing cannot be obtained for PSYC 6203 - Ethical Standards for Mental Health Providers or PSYC 6104 – Biological and Psycho-social Basis of Behaviour, which all students are required to complete at Yorkville University. No advanced standing will be provided for the practicum course (PSYC 7106).
- Credit will not be awarded for any course taken at another university when that course was previously recognized for credit toward a completed degree program. The student will not be required to repeat the course at Yorkville, but will be required to take another course to replace the one already completed elsewhere.
- In all cases, advanced standing will be allowed only on the recommendation of the Dean of the Faculty of Behavioural Sciences.
- To apply for transfer credits, complete your application and then submit a written request whereby you detail the courses which you would like us to review for possible transfer credits. Detailed courses descriptions as well as an official letter for request should be sent to the Dean of the Faculty of Behavioural Sciences at Yorkville University.
- For assistance with this process please feel free to contact us.
Is it possible to study part time?
Yes, though it is somewhat different than expected due to the fact that courses are offered one at a time. Part time, for the Master of Arts in Counselling Psychology program, involves breaks built into a regular term of study as opposed to a reduced workload throughout the term. For a more detailed explanation and some sample part-time schedules, please contact us through our Request Information Form.
Do I have to be a Canadian Citizen to study at Yorkville University?
Yorkville University regularly accepts students from a number of countries. Applicants must meet our admissions requirements, and have access to a proper computer and the Internet. Applicants whose first language is not English, or who have received a Bachelor’s degree or higher from a university where English is not the language of instruction, or who have demonstrated English proficiency by interview with the Admissions Committee, must submit confirmation of an official TOEFL or IELTS score.
Contact our Admissions Office if you need more assistance.
Do I have to come to NB to complete a program?
All of our programs can be completed from your home community. Apart from the practicum, all courses are offered entirely online. The practicum is served in a face-to-face counselling setting in the student’s home community and supported by online seminars and self-directed learning modules.
Why are courses offered one at a time?
Most of our students hold full-time jobs are attracted to the quality of the program and do not have to sacrifice work or family commitments to complete the program. The reason for scheduling courses one at a time is that working students find it easier to manage a full time course load if their assignments are coming at them from a single direction.
When and how will I be notified if I have been admitted to the University?
On receipt of the completed application, including the non-refundable application fee, the University evaluates the application submitted. Each applicant will be informed of the University’s decision by both letter and email. The successful applicant is placed on a first-come, first-served basis. If the enrolment quota for a specific trimester is filled, a successful applicant will be offered the next available opening.
Can I pursue Doctoral level studies after completing a Master of Arts in Counselling Psychology?
Most doctoral programs in Canada are research-oriented PhD programs. These programs are typically looking for graduates of thesis-based, research-oriented masters programs. Since our program is neither thesis-based nor research-oriented but is rather practitioner-oriented and course-based, it is not the appropriate avenue for PhD studies at traditional Canadian Universities. While some of our graduates have been successful in enrolling in PhD programs, the PsyD is a more appropriate path.
Our program does prepare students for doctoral studies in PsyD programs, which are practitioner-oriented doctoral programs. For an explanation of the difference between the PsyD and the PhD you can visit this website.
Graduates from our program have gone on to enroll in graduate programs at three Universities in the States. These Universities are:
- Touro University International (online) PhD Program.
- Saybrook Graduate School PsyD
- Capella University (online) PhD and PsyD
What’s the difference between a PhD and a PsyD?
For an explanation of the difference between the PsyD and the PhD you can visit this website.
Are degrees from Yorkville University recognized?
The Government of New Brunswick has designated Yorkville University as a University, and has approved the awarding of degrees, which include the Master of Arts in Counselling Psychology program.
Students intending to use a degree awarded by Yorkville University to obtain professional licensure, registration, or other legal status should check with the entity to which they intend to apply as to its specific rules and requirements. Requirements vary between Canadian provinces, American states, and other foreign jurisdictions.
In British Columbia the BC Association of Clinical Counsellors accepts applications from graduates for Registered Clinical Counsellor status. Through this organization, our graduates are eligible to obtain liability insurance in BC and other Canadian provinces.
In Ontario, our Yorkville University’s MACP graduates meet the academic requirements of the Ontario Association on Consultants, Counsellors, Psychometrics, and Psychotherapists and are thereby eligible to apply for certified membership. This membership gives to obtain liability insurance and other benefits in Ontario and other provinces.
In Nova Scotia graduates of Yorkville University’s MACP program meet the academic requirements of the Nova Scotia College of Counselling Therapists and are eligible to start the process leading to Registered Counselling Therapist designation. www.nscct.ca
Is Yorkville University accredited?
There are two types of accreditation: institutional accreditation and programmatic accreditation. In Canada there is no formal accreditation process, approval to operate as a University and individual approval of degree programs is granted by provincial governments.
After a rigorous assessment process, Yorkville University was granted University status, and approved for its Master of Arts in Counselling Psychology. Professional associations and organizations may “accredit” specific to their disciplines.
In Canada, provincial government departments or Ministries of Education perform in-depth review and analysis prior to awarding an institution degree granting status. In the US, this “quality control” function is typically done by one of six regional accrediting agencies, all of which are private, non-governmental entities.
Programmatic accreditation is program specific and involves the sanctioning of specific academic programs by professional societies. In the case of psychology, the Canadian and American Psychological Associations operate in tandem to accredit doctoral level programs in clinical, counselling, and industrial psychology. These two organizations do not accredit any masters programs, or doctoral programs in psychology other than the three areas mentioned above.
What “title” can I use to describe myself and the services I offer after graduating from a Master of Arts in Counselling Psychology?
Some professional terms are regulated by law; others are not. For example, in order to use the term “Psychologist”, a person must pass a government-sponsored written examination and meet other specific requirements. Terms such as “Psychotherapist”, however, are generally undefined by specific legal requirements, although this is expected to change in Ontario (see OACCPP website). Students should check with the jurisdiction where they plan on using specific titles or descriptors, since legal requirements and definitions vary from place to place.
What specific job can I get within my province with a Master’s in Counselling Psychology?
As provincial regulations vary from province to province, those seeking employment with a specific institution should contact that institution personally to inquire about their employment criteria. In most provinces in Canada, our graduates work as counsellors or therapists, while in Alberta, our graduates may be eligible to become licensed psychologists provided they meet all the requirements of the College of Alberta Psychologists.
Am I eligible for registration as a Psychological Associate in Ontario with a Yorkville University Master of Arts in Counselling Psychology?
The College of Psychologists of Ontario (CPO) regulates admission to the practice of psychology in the province. Only individuals registered with the College can use the term “Psychology” or “Psychological” to describe their professional practice.
CPO publishes Registration Guidelines for Psychologists and Psychological Associates. The most recent edition available on their website is dated March 2004. Among the many requirements for registration eligibility as a psychological associate is a general requirement for Ontario residency, an undergraduate psychology major or substantive equivalent, four or more years of post-degree relevant work experience, and additional requirements upon which Yorkville University attendance has no bearing. Students are directed to the CPO website for a fuller explanation of these requirements.
With respect to the acceptability of the Yorkville University degree itself, the CPO Guidelines states in Part II(D), Academic Credentials, with respect to academic degrees, “…an applicant holding a masters degree from a program of study offered within a department of psychology in a recognized Canadian university will satisfy this requirement”. Seven criteria and sub criteria are then listed which generally go to the content of the curriculum, and the administrative organization of the program. It is our opinion that the Yorkville University Masters program in Counselling Psychology meets these criteria.
One of the criteria, #4, requires that the program have, “a body of resident students who are enrolled in that program…to insure a pattern of direct, consistent, and sustained academic interaction among the students and faculty…”. Though an FAQ on the CPO website states that the Guidelines require resident faculty as well, we are unable to find this language in the body of the Guidelines themselves. Furthermore, the same FAQ which speaks to the residency issue goes on to state, “…this would preclude a distance learning program from meeting the guidelines”. Despite the absolutist nature of the language used, there are many ways of assuring a high level of academic interaction between faculty and students. It is hardly a foregone conclusion that programs offering online courses are ipso facto unable to adequately provide for student faculty interaction.
Nowhere on the CPO website are we able to find definitions of “residency” or “distance learning” as these terms may pertain to academic qualifications. For example, many university programs nowadays offer online coursework to students living on campus and perhaps even taking other on-campus courses concurrent with online courses. In addition, the Yorkville University programs are not purely online. A significant portion of the program, the practicum, must be completed onsite. Many modern academic programs across North America offer blended programs in varying combinations of online and in-class education.
Additional complications arise from elements of the regulations which allow for reciprocity between Canadian jurisdictions and recognition of the Certificate of Professional Qualification, a cross-border credential allowing for reciprocity between certain US and Canadian jurisdictions.
The lack of consistency between the Registration Guidelines and the FAQs together with evolving educational models blending online and onsite components and the lack of definition of key terms within the guidelines themselves makes it impossible to say with certainty how graduates of Yorkville University’s Masters program in Counselling Psychology would be received, or how well an initial denial of membership would stand up if it were to be challenged. In summary, this question will not be answered until one of our graduates applies for CPO membership.
Should any reader of this be aware of additional information on this subject, please let us know so that it may be included here.
Am I eligible for membership in other provincial Colleges of Psychology on the strength of my Master of Arts in Counselling Psychology degree?
The program is not designed to graduate psychologists but rather is designed to graduate counsellors, therapists and psychotherapists.
Am I eligible for membership in the Canadian Counselling and Psychotherapy Association (CCPA) after graduating with a Master of Arts in Counselling Psychology?
On May 13, 2010 the Canadian Counselling and Psychotherapy Association amended its By-Laws. As a result two membership categories were created:
A) Certified Members
B) Professional Members
Those wishing to become Certified members and use the designation CCC must have a graduate degree from a university that is a member of the Association of Universities and Colleges of Canada (AUCC). The AUCC is a national organization that represents public and sectarian universities in Canada and is primarily concerned with lobbying efforts to ensure appropriate public funding for its member institutions. The AUCC is not, and does not claim to be, an accrediting body.
Yorkville University graduates and current students are able to join the CCPA as a Professional member. Professional members are not eligible to purchase liability insurance through CCPA but they are eligible to attend meetings and vote.
We were informed that the Court of Queen’s Bench of New Brunswick has ruled that the Canadian Counselling and Psychotherapy Association (CCPA) is not a regulator of counselling in Canada, and counselling remains unregulated in all Canadian provinces except Quebec and Nova Scotia. Therefore, no one is harmed as a result of CCPA’s restrictive rules. Graduates of Yorkville University can join other professional associations in Canada. However, some of the provinces are now starting to regulate counselling, notably Ontario, NS, and NB none of which rely on the CCPA for recognition. Graduates of Yorkville University should be eligible for licensure in these jurisdictions and there is thus far no indication that the situation will be any different as other provinces adopt regulatory schema. Nova Scotia is in the process of finalizing legislation that will provide licensure for counsellors, including graduates of Yorkville University.
Additionally, the following associations accept Yorkville University graduates as members and allow our graduates to seek professional designation:
- British Columbia Association of Clinical Counsellors (BCACC)
- Ontario Association of Consultants, Counsellors, Psychometrists, and Psychotherapists (OACCPP)
It should also be noted that the associations listed above indicated that they will accept members who are working as counsellors in any of the provinces of Canada. Students are encouraged to contact the above listed associations, to confirm membership eligibility and to discuss the application process. Many of our graduates are members of these associations and some have obtained Registered Clinical Counsellor Status through the BCACC.
Please note that professional association membership/certification is not currently a requirement to work in private practice as a psychotherapist, counsellor, marriage counsellor, or family counsellor, etc. in most provinces. CCC certification is not required for counsellor licensure anywhere that licenses counsellors.
Specific employers may impose their own additional requirements. Students are advised to contact potential employers to determine if any additional requirements are necessary. As part of ongoing support for our graduates, we would be pleased to provide program information etc. to any potential employer of our graduates.
Am I eligible for membership in the American Counselling Association after graduating with a Master of Arts in Counselling Psychology?
Yes. The American Counseling Association will accept applications from graduates of the Master of Arts in Counselling Psychology program. For more information please visit their website.
Am I eligible for membership in the British Association of Counselling and Psychotherapy after graduating with a Master of Arts in Counselling Psychology?
Yes. The British Association of Counselling and Psychotherapy will accept applications from graduates of the Master of Arts in Counselling Psychology program. For more information please visit their website.
Am I eligible for membership with the Nova Scotia Association of Counselling Therapists?
Yes. The Yorkville University Master of Arts in Counselling Psychology program meets the criteria of a “counseling therapy education program” under the Counselling Therapists Act of Nova Scotia. Nova Scotian students who wish to become licensed counselling therapists must ensure that they complete 120 practice hours of direct therapist/client contact as part of their practicum requirements.