Honours Psychology, Neuroscience & Behaviour - Music Cognition Specialization (B.A.)

Admission

Enrolment in this program is limited and possession of the published minimum requirements does not guarantee admission. Selection is based on academic achievement but requires, as a minimum, completion of any Level I program with a Grade Point Average of at least 5.0; a grade of at least B- in PSYCH 1FF3  or 1XX3  (See Note 9 below); credit in one of BIOLOGY 1A03 , 1M03 , 1P03  or Grade 12 Biology U (See Note 10 below); credit in MATH 1LS3  or MATH 1A03   (See Note 1 below); and credit in MUSIC 1A03  or 1AA3 . (See Note 2 below)

Notes

1. Students with Grade 12 Calculus and Vectors U must take MATH 1LS3  or 1A03 . Students with Grade 12 Advanced Functions U must complete MATH 1F03  prior to completing MATH 1LS3  or 1A03 . Students with Grade 11 Math must first take MATH 1K03  prior to completing MATH 1F03  and then one of MATH 1LS3  or 1A03 .
2. MUSIC 1A03  or 1AA3  is required for admission, however, completion of both are required by the end of Level IV.
3. Students who have completed Grade 3 History (or History 1, now Level 9 History) or Grade 5 History (or History 3, now ARCT History) from the Royal Conservatory of Music, with a grade of at least 70%, are not required to complete MUSIC 1AA3 , and those students who have similarly obtained at least 70% on RCM Grade 4 History (or History 2, now Level 10 History) are not required to complete MUSIC 1A03  either for admission to the Music Cognition Specialization or to fulfill their degree requirements
4. Entrance into MUSIC 1CB3  requires Advanced Rudiments (formerly Grade 2 Rudiments) from the Royal Conservatory of Music (a grade of 80% or above, within the last two years) or a grade of 70% or above on a qualifying music theory exam administered by the School of the Arts (SOTA). Appointments can be made with SOTA to write the exam on specific dates between February and May. The content of the exam is summarized at: https://sota.humanities.mcmaster.ca.  Students not meeting these requirements will be required to take MUSIC 1CR3  - prior to MUSIC 1CB3 .
5. Students considering applying to graduate school should complete a course with a strong research component such as MUSICCOG 3QQ3 A/B S , 4D06 A/B , 4QQ3 A/B S ; PNB 3QQ3 A/B S , 4D06 A/B , 4D09 A/B , 4QQ3 A/B S , PNB 4QQ6 A/B .
6. PSYCH 3AB3 , 3AC3 , 3AG3 , 3BA3 , 3CB3 , 3CD3 may only be used as electives.
7. The Department of Psychology, Neuroscience & Behaviour pre-registration ballot will include the thesis courses (PNB 4D06 A/B , 4D09 A/B ) and the Independent Research and Library courses (PNB 3Q03 A/B S , 3QQ3 A/B S , 4Q03 A/B S , 4QQ3 A/B S , PNB 4QQ6 A/B ). Students wishing to take these courses must complete and submit a ballot by mid February. Students will be informed of the outcome of the first phase by mid March. Specific dates will be announced during the fall term. Ballots can be obtained on the Department of Psychology, Neuroscience & Behaviour web site at: http://www.science.mcmaster.ca/pnb/.
8. Students are encouraged to complete both PSYCH 3A03  and 3H03  as part of the Psychology Course List requirement.
9. Either PSYCH 1FF3  or 1XX3  is required for Admission but PSYCH 1XX3  is recommended. Completion of one of PSYCH 1F03  or 1X03  is required by the end of Level II but PSYCH 1X03  is recommended in Level I.
10. It is recommended that students take BIOLOGY 1M03  in Level I, and BIOLOGY 1A03  in Level II.

Course List 2 (Capstone Courses)

• MUSICCOG 4D06 A/B - Thesis in Music Cognition
• MUSICCOG 4QQ3 A/B S - Experimental Laboratory in Music Cognition II
• PNB 4D06 A/B - Senior Thesis
• PNB 4J03 - Inquiry in Psychology, Neuroscience & Behaviour
• PNB 4Q03 A/B S - Senior Independent Library Study
• PNB 4QQ3 A/B S - Senior Independent Research
• PNB 4QQ6 A/B - Senior Independent Research
• PNB 4SC6 A/B - Science Communication in the Behavioural Sciences

Course List 3 (Psychology Course List)

• BIOLOGY 3P03 - Cell Physiology
• BIOLOGY 4T03 - Molecular and Cellular Neuroscience
• HTHSCI 4BB3 - Neuroimmunology
• HUMBEHV 3MD3 - Research Methods for Human Behaviour
• LIFESCI 3BB3 - Neurobiology of Disease
• LIFESCI 3E03 - Reproductive Endocrinology
• LIFESCI 3K03 - Neural Control of Human Movement
• LINGUIST 2PS3 - Psycholinguistics
• LINGUIST 3C03 - Child Language Acquisition
• LINGUIST 3NL3 - Cognitive Neuroscience of Language
• MUSIC 2CB3 - Theory and Analysis III
• MUSIC 2MT3 - Introduction to the Practice of Music Therapy
• MUSICCOG 3QQ3 A/B S - Experimental Laboratory in Music Cognition I
• NEUROSCI 3J03 - Visual Neuroscience
• NEUROSCI 3SN3 - Neural Circuits
• PNB 2A03 - Python for PNB
• All Level III and IV PNB courses,

Requirements

120 units total (Levels I to IV), of which no more than 48 units may be Level I

Requirements for Students who Entered Prior to September 2019

120 units total (Levels I to IV), of which no more than 48 units may be Level I