Research Practicum Course
APD1210HY is an elective course for full-time DPE MEd students. This course provides the opportunity to participate in a research project throughout the first year of the program for 0.5 course credit.
As a student enrolled in APD1210HY, you will work closely with a professor (Faculty Supervisor) in the Department of Applied Psychology and Human Development and become involved in original research. You can expect to learn research methods, share in the excitement and discovery of acquiring new knowledge, and build continuing relationships with faculty members.
Note: In the 2026-2027 academic year, this course will be taught/coordinated/supervised by Dr. Anne-Claude Bedard.
To be eligible for APD1210HY, you must:
- Be a full-time DPE M.Ed. student
- Be able to work in your Faculty Supervisor’s research lab for approximately eight to ten hours a week from September 2026 – April 2027 (this may take place online/remotely or on campus, depending on public health recommendations and faculty preferences – please see placement information below)
- Attend mandatory APD1210HY class seminars throughout the fall and winter terms - every other week on Wednesdays from 9:00am-12:00pm Toronto Time.
- Attend a minimum of three APHD Research Colloquium talks throughout the academic year - typically on the last Wednesday of each month from 1:00pm-2:30pm Toronto Time. These talks will take place either online/remotely or on campus.
Research Practicum Placements 2026-2027
Please click individual project titles for more information about the placement, including a description of the project and expectations of participating students.
How to Enroll
Step 1
Read available APD1210HY project descriptions in the chart above (see Research Practicum Placements 2026-2027).
Step 2
Enrol in APD1210HY for the 2026-2027 academic year. Course selection begins at 8:00am Toronto Time on July 7, 2026 via ACORN. Note: spots for this course will be limited and enrolment will be on a ‘first come, first served’ basis.
Step 3
In July 2026, students who registered successfully in APD1210HY (as well as the first few students waitlisted for this course) will be contacted via email by one of the Course Instructors. They will be asked to complete an application form indicating which Faculty Supervisor(s) they are interested in working with and submit a resume/CV and a copy of their academic history to date (unofficial copy is fine). The Course Instructor will review the applications and forward them along to the relevant Faculty Supervisors for review. Note: Please be sure to check your utoronto email address/voicemail regularly throughout July for this correspondence.
Step 4
In late July to early August 2026, the Faculty Supervisors may contact those students they wish to meet and interview. Note: Please be sure to indicate your preferred email and telephone number on your application form for August interviews, and please check your email and voicemail regularly during this time, as there may be several rounds of interviews. If you cannot be reached during this time, you will not be considered for a research placement within this course.
Step 5
By the end of August 2026, each student registered in APD1210HY will be notified by a Course Instructor if they have been matched with a research practicum placement and, if so, with who. Note: the Course Instructor will do her best to accommodate student preferences for research placements, but may not be able to grant every registered student their first, second, or even third choice. If a student is not matched to a placement, they will be asked to drop the course at this time.
Step 6
Students will have to sign an agreement (contract) with the Faculty Supervisor they have been placed with by the end of September 2026, regarding the agreed-upon expectations for participating in the course.
Step 7
Beginning the first week of class, we will meet during in class time every other week during the fall semester to introduce students to working in a research environment (e.g., ethics, writing a proposal, performing literature reviews, etc.)
Additional Information
Enrolling in APD1210HY normally requires working 8-10 hours per week on the research project and regularly attending your Faculty Supervisor’s lab meetings.
Evaluation of your performance in APD1210HY will be based on the following components:
| Component | Grade % | Due Date | Graded by |
| Research project proposal (3-5 pages written report or lab meeting presentation) | 10% | TBD with your Faculty Supervisor (must be completed by end of the Fall semester) | Faculty Supervisor |
| Lab Duties | 25%
25% | December 11, 2026
April 9, 2027 | Faculty Supervisor |
| APHD Research Colloquium Reports | 5% | 1 week after the live colloquium has been attended | Course Instructor |
| In Class Participation | 10% | N/A | Course Instructor |
| Final Project Poster | 25% | April 1, 2027 (TENTATIVE) | Course Instructor |
| Date | Event |
| June 9, 2026 | Research project descriptions and detailed course information will be available online. |
| Week of July 2, 2026 | Fall/Winter course schedule becomes available online. |
| July 7, 2026 | Fall/Winter course enrollment opens on ACORN. |
| July 7 - 17, 2026 | Enrolled students will be contacted and asked to submit their CV, a copy of their academic history (unofficial is okay), and an application indicating their top five choices for research projects. (Note: Enrolled students should check their utoronto email addresses/listed phone numbers regularly throughout July for this correspondence) |
| July 20 - August 4, 2026 | Faculty research supervisors will be able to interview/meet with students interested in their research projects. (Note: Students must indicate their preferred email addresses and telephone numbers on their application forms for August interviews and check them regularly during this time as there may be multiple rounds of interviews. If students cannot be reached, they may not be considered for a research practicum placement). |
| August 4, 2026 | Deadline for faculty research supervisors to rank their student choices. |
| August 17, 2026 | Registered students who have been matched will be informed which research project and supervisor they have been matched to. (Note: If a student was not successfully matched to a placement, they will be asked to drop the course at this time). |
| September 16, 2026 | First in-class meeting of APD1210 (classes will take place every 2 weeks for September - November and again in March). |
| September 30, 2026 | Deadline for student, course instructor and faculty research supervisor to complete research practicum contract. |
| December 4, 2026 | Deadline for students to submit or present research proposal to faculty research supervisor (10%). Note: Actual date is set by individual faculty research supervisors (may be earlier in the term). |
| December 11, 2026 | Deadline for faculty supervisor to evaluate fall term lab duties (25% - rubric will be provided). |
| January 13, 20 & 27 and February 3, 2027 | Individual student meetings with course instructor (to be scheduled). |
| March 3, 2027 | Tentative winter semester in class seminar. |
| April 1, 2027 | Tentative deadline for student to submit final research poster (25%). |
| TBD (likely mid-April, 2027) | Research Practicum Poster Showcase - student will present final research poster. |
| April 9, 2027 | Deadline for faculty research supervisor to evaluate winter term lab duties (25% - rubric will be provided). |
For more information and advice about APD1210HY Research Practicum, email Course Instructor Dr. Anne-Claude Bedard at ac.bedard@utoronto.ca.
