Skip to McMaster Navigation Skip to Site Navigation Skip to main content
McMaster logo

Mental Health Specialization

The Mental Health specialization is offered by the Department of Psychology, Neuroscience & Behaviour at McMaster University. Psychology is the scientific study of the human mind and behaviour, whereas Mental Health focuses on psychopathology – or what happens when thoughts or behaviours impinge on day-to-day functioning and wellbeing. This highly competitive program offers students a curriculum designed to study the genetic, neural, and cognitive processes underlying mental illnesses. It also seeks to teach students to evaluate human behaviour through assessment, diagnosis, and rehabilitation.

Coursework in the Mental Health specialization provides a strong foundation in human sensation and perception, abnormal psychology, psychometrics, and cognitive neuroscience. It further prepares students for a wide variety of graduate trainings for professional careers promote mental wellness including Social Work, Occupational Therapy, Psychotherapy, Clinical Psychology, and Psychiatry.

PNB’s undergraduate programs collaborates with several tertiary psychiatric services designed to help individuals with severe mental illness who have not responded to treatment, including St. Joseph’s West 5th Campus and Homewood Research Institute . Students in this program are encouraged to become involved in research through experiential learning opportunities with supervisors at such institutes who themselves are involved in cutting-edge mental health research.

Students can engage in this specialization through an Honours Bachelor of Art or an Honours Bachelor of Science in Psychology, Neuroscience and Behaviour (PNB ). Please see information for these programs for admission information for both High School students or Level 1 McMaster students.

Contact Information

For inquiries into the Mental Health specialization in Psychology, Neuroscience & Behaviour (PNB) please contact the Undergraduate Chair:
Dr. Nicholas Bock

Undergraduate Life