Okay, so I’ve been thinking a lot about maybe, possibly, going back to school. I’ve always been fascinated by what makes people tick at work, you know? Like, what motivates them, how teams work best, that kind of thing. So I started looking into Industrial Psychology, and naturally, being in Canada, I zeroed in on programs here.
My first step? Good old Google. I just started typing in stuff like “industrial psychology masters canada” and “best I/O psychology programs Canada”. I spent a solid evening just clicking through different university websites. It was a bit overwhelming, to be honest. So many options!
Narrowing it Down
I quickly realized I needed a system. So, I made a simple spreadsheet. Across the top, I put things like:
- University
- Program Name
- Location (because I’m kinda picky about where I want to live)
- Course Requirements (gotta see if I even qualify!)
- Tuition(Super important!)
- Application Deadline (because I tend to procrastinate)
I started filling it in with info from the universities I found. Places like the University of Waterloo, University of Guelph, Western University, and a few others kept popping up. Each one had slightly different program structures and focuses. Some were more research-heavy, some were more applied. I tried to note down those differences in my spreadsheet too.
Then came the fun part (not really): digging into the admission requirements. Most wanted a psychology undergrad degree, which I have, thankfully. But a lot of them also mentioned things like “relevant work experience” or a “strong background in statistics.” That made me a little nervous. My stats knowledge is… rusty, to say the least. I also checked for minimum GPA. I made a note of the ones where my GPA would fit in.
I started to highlight the programs that seemed like the best fit for me – ones that were in cities I’d consider living in, had reasonable tuition fees, and didn’t seem too intimidating in terms of requirements. I also looked at whether the program leaned more towards organizational or industrial, because there is a difference, even though they are bunched together.
The Next Steps (which I haven’t taken yet!)
My spreadsheet is still a work in progress. I’ve got a few programs highlighted, but I need to do more research. I’m planning to:
- Brush up on my statistics. Seriously.
- Maybe reach out to some current students or alumni of the programs I’m interested in. See if I can get the inside scoop.
- Start thinking about the application process itself – GREs, personal statements, letters of recommendation… all that fun stuff.
It’s a long road, but I’m feeling pretty good about taking these first steps. It’s exciting to think about possibly going back to school and diving into something I’m genuinely interested in. We’ll see how it goes!
