Hi
I applied to Social Sciences I program at McMasters this year and may be planning to go there. I had a few questions about the PNB program though.
Because I'm entering to Social Sciences instead of Life Sciences but want to pursue Psychology, Neuroscience and Behaviour in Year 2, will I be restricted to all the courses offered and my selected in PNB?
Also does is there a huge difference between a (BA) in PNB versus a (BSc) in PNB?

I want to become a psychiatrist (have to take Med School) or a clinical psychiatrist (can pursue a PHD instead of Med School). But I'm not sure if I can fully fill the requirements with a BA.

Help !

you have to check each individual medical school and each individual grad school to know for sure.

As long as you take the required courses you could SWITCH to honours PNB as a Bachelor of SCIENCE in year two. If you plan on going to MEDICAL SCHOOL you probably wouldnt even want to specialize in PNB. You are more likely to get into med school if you a) have higher marks (which you would get in a regular BA or BSc program) and b) have a broader knowledge than specializing would give you. You are actually more likely to get into med school with a degree in PHILOSOPHY or MATH as hard as that is to believe. If you do just take a Bachelor of Arts, you just have to ensure that you are taking the necessary science courses that allow you admission to med schools. For example some med schools require you take an english course, and a physics course WITH A LAB. So make sure you look up the different requirements and make sure you have taken them! If you were just to pursue a PHD..you would MOST LIKELY need a Bachelor of Science to do so. alot of graduate programs in science fields require an undergraduate in a BSC.

Here are the requirements for level 2 programs:

Honours PNB Programs
Enrolment in these programs is limited
and possession of the published minimum requirements does not guarantee admission.
Cumulative Average of at least 6.0; a grade of at least B- in each of PSYCH 1X03 and 1XX3; credit in one of BIOLOGY 1A03, 1M03, 1P03, or Grade 12 Biology U; and credit in MATH 1A03, 1LS3 or MATH 1M03.

For a B.A in PNB: Cumulative Average of at least 3.5 and a grade of at least C- in PSYCH 1X03.

If you want to do a Bachelor of SCIENCE in PNB the prereqs are:

Cumulative Average of AT LEAST a 6.0; grade of at least B- in each of PSYCH 1X03 and 1XX3; 3 units from Math 1LS3 or 1A03; 6 units of BIO 1A03 and BIO 1M03; 3 units BIOPHYS 1S03 or CHEM 1A03 or PHYSICS 1L03 or PHYSICS 1B03; 6 units from Life Sciences Course 1 List.

I'm not sure if pursuing this level 2 program would be even possible because 24 units have to be in the sciences! talk to your academic counsellor if you wanna switch to a BSc in second year.

You can definitely do PNB and go to med school. The majority of med school students were in some sort of "specialization", rather than just a general degree. I don't know why people were saying you shouldn't. It doesn't hurt you in any way - as long as you know the stuff from the MCAT, which is mostly first-year science, having a "broader knowledge" doesn't make you any more likely to get into med school. Also, being in a specialization doesn't automatically mean your grades will be lower, so it shouldn't hurt you there either. Besides, if you want to keep your options open for psych grad school also, then you should definitely major in psych, and enroll in an honours (4 year) program rather than a general (3 year) program.

It will be harder to do a BSc in psych from socsci because the bio department doesn't allow first years who aren't in science/health sci to take bio1A03/1M03. You would need to either take these courses in the summer, or go into BA psych for second year and take the bio courses then so that you could switch into the BSc program for third year. If you are thinking of doing med school or clinical psychiatry though, I'd recommend the BSc program rather than the BA program.

You should have applied to enviro or physical sciences too..then just majored....better back up than social sciences if you wanted life sci initially.

I've already PM'd in regards to this, but I'd just like to also comment on the things brought up in this thread:

She may decide she doesn't want to do med school/clinical, or med school might not be an option. What then? It's always better to go into a major that actually interests you and that you can see viable career paths in, rather than just doing an art/philosophy degree because it gives you a higher gpa. Not to bash on philosophy students, but if you're going into philosophy just to get into med school, and you get rejected.. what then?

You have to keep your options open, and specialization allows you to pursue many viable career options.
And I personally know a few people people in PNB B.A. degrees who have switched into a BSc. after second year after receiving permission to take the required science courses, so it's not like it's impossible.

Also, in regards to this comment:

Originally Posted by LauraV

If you were just to pursue a PHD..you would MOST LIKELY need a Bachelor of Science to do so. alot of graduate programs in science fields require an undergraduate in a BSC.

This is not true. In regards to psychology, most other schools in the province treat it as a social science subject and their schools offer psychology degrees as BAs. Mac is one of the few schools which gives students the option to either B.A. or BSc. in PNB.
In addition, because other schools treat psychology as a social science, there are many Psychology PhD programs that are Doctorates of Arts/Philosophy, and there are many Masters Psychology programs that accept B.A.s as well as B.Sc students. The important thing is to consider what schools she might be interested in going to for graduate studies and to look at their requirements. However, that's pointless to do at this point in her undergrad because psychology is such a huge field that she'll likely find her interests changing partway through her degree, and she may find a specific part of psychology that she wants to pursue... in which case, her choice in grad school/career will change.

I was speaking to Psychology as a PHD program...of course soc sci students can go into a graduate school for a masters in Psychology. But I have done alot of research into getting a PhD in Psych (as that is my intended route) and in other similar graduate programs and most of them (if not all) require a minimum Bachelor of Science degree.

For the exam in psychology and the neuroscience you must understand the basics. In the neuroscience you have to study the neuron system, the important steps in a reflexive system, the brain and the neuron system, the protective covering the neuron etc. If you have written any dissertation in neuroscience you have to study it.

Originally Posted by LauraV

I was speaking to Psychology as a PHD program...of course soc sci students can go into a graduate school for a masters in Psychology. But I have done alot of research into getting a PhD in Psych (as that is my intended route) and in other similar graduate programs and most of them (if not all) require a minimum Bachelor of Science degree.

u of t doesnt require a bsc http://home.psych.utoronto.c a/grad...re quirements

queens doesnt either http://www.queensu.ca/psychology/Gra...licants .html

u of ottawa wants 4 years of a undergrad related to psych (H. BA in pnb counts) http://www.grad.uottawa.ca/Default.a...mes&ProgId=579

western also wants 4 years of undergrad related to psych. http://psychology.uwo.ca/gradinfo.htm#admissio n

all the other ones are similar, so conclusion, you dont need an H. Bsc to get into a clinical psychology phD program.