What to know before applying with me for the PsyD
This guide is for prospective PsyD students seeking doctoral-essay supervision with Prof. Thériault at the SAGE Lab. It concerns non-clinical research, not clinical placements or practice supervision. It does not replace UQAR’s admission requirements or constitute an offer of a place.
Interested in research training without the clinical pathway?
UQAR’s personalized PhD (doctorat sur mesure) may be worth exploring with Prof. Thériault and the University. It addresses exceptional situations where no existing program meets the training needs, subject to supervision resources and institutional approval. It is not a PsyD with placements removed: it includes a training plan, coursework, a doctoral examination and a thesis. It does not replace the clinical training required for psychologist licensure. No place or individual eligibility is promised; a supervisor must be found before applying.
A place with genuine supervision
Responsible autonomy can reduce the need for day-to-day assistance and make some projects feasible within limited capacity. It does not remove my responsibility to help define the question, review methods and analyses, discuss interpretations and provide feedback on the essay. A promise to “do everything alone” cannot replace that commitment.
An excellent applicant may therefore be declined when I cannot provide the time, expertise or resources their project requires. That reflects current capacity, not their worth or potential. Before agreeing to supervise, we need a realistic project scope, accessible resources, a learning plan and time for both ordinary meetings and intensive revision periods.
Before contacting me
- Read our lab philosophy: self-compassion, excellence and sustainable work.
- Understand our supervision capacity.
- Explore our research themes and current projects.
- Use Choosing a Student Project to consider scope, data and resources.
- Identify research skills you want to develop.
- Check UQAR’s official PsyD requirements.
Community participation is optional and is not a selection criterion. The Idea Garden is an optional archive, not a list of available projects.
What I look for
The following criteria guide assessment of compatibility with my supervision. Actual supervision capacity is a prerequisite even for a strong application. These criteria are assessed together; no fixed numerical weighting is announced.
| Criterion | Evidence |
|---|---|
| Responsible autonomy | Planning, independent learning, checking work and knowing when to seek help |
| Reliability and continuity | Following through or renegotiating commitments; documenting and handing over work |
| Scientific rigor and judgment | Sound reasoning, acknowledged limitations, transparency and integrity |
| Project fit and feasibility | A focused question linked to the lab, realistic scope and available expertise and resources |
| Communication and use of feedback | Prepared questions, useful updates and thoughtful revisions |
| Preparation and learning plan | Relevant foundations and a credible plan for missing skills |
These are lab-supervision criteria, not UQAR’s admission rubric. UQAR includes scholarships and prizes within its broader “other relevant dossier/CV elements” category. Include these achievements in your official application. For my supervision assessment, achievements can provide evidence of a relevant skill without automatic bonus points or double counting. Prior publications, prizes or successful funding are not mandatory lab criteria. Opportunities differ; I consider your own contribution and learning.
What responsible autonomy means
Plan next steps, consult resources, make a reasonable attempt and verify results—including AI-assisted text or code. When you need help, explain the context, what you tried, what remains uncertain and the decision required. Raise issues early when ethics, data access or scientific validity are involved. Seeking appropriate help demonstrates judgment; concealing uncertainty does not.
I do not expect permanent availability or mastery of every method before you begin. Autonomy develops through clear structure, useful feedback and progressively challenging work.
Prepare an initial inquiry
Prepare a CV, an existing work sample with a description of your own contribution, and approximately one page addressing:
- Which lab question or project interests you, and why?
- What bounded first contribution could you make? What data, methods and resources would it need?
- What example shows follow-through despite difficulty? What did you personally do?
- What can you already do with limited assistance, and where will you need training or review?
- How would research fit alongside courses, placements and other commitments? How would you handle a delay?
- How would you contribute toward publication? What writing, revision and follow-up commitments—including after essay deposit—would be realistic?
Do not send confidential participant or patient information. Contact Rémi Thériault to discuss possibilities. An initial inquiry does not replace the official application.
A concrete, proportionate assessment
An initial fit discussion may be followed by a structured interview using examples of your work. If needed, finalists may complete a short, shared fictional exercise to demonstrate planning, scientific critique and response to feedback. Instructions, time limits and permitted tools are specified beforehand, with equivalent accessible arrangements. The exercise does not produce unpaid usable work for an active project.
Missing skills may lead to a learning plan or a narrower project rather than an automatic rejection. Decisions consider the support available as well as your demonstrated preparation.
Essay, publication and funding
I am looking for a research commitment that goes beyond completing the minimum degree requirements. Applicants should genuinely want to help bring a project to scientific publication and be willing to contribute to rigorous analysis, manuscript writing and revisions, including follow-up after the essay is deposited when needed. Completing the essay is an important milestone, rather than an automatic stopping point for the research contribution. Before agreeing to supervision, we discuss what this commitment involves, how it fits with clinical training, and a realistic scope and period of involvement.
My preference is for essays designed from the outset with a scientific publication goal and meaningful student responsibility for writing. The essay format must be confirmed with the program; existing-data analyses or evidence syntheses are possibilities to discuss, not promises of approved formats.
Completing a degree and having an article accepted are separate outcomes. We agree on writing and revision roles, a realistic period of involvement and a handover plan if circumstances change. Publication cannot be guaranteed, authorship depends on contributions and applicable rules, and participation does not create an indefinite obligation after graduation.
External funding and hosting priority
Among candidates with comparable scientific fit and feasibility, confirmed compatible external funding receives the highest priority. It can make hosting feasible, but cannot replace supervision or fit and does not guarantee admission. Applicants without awards may be considered when capacity and resources are available; an application in preparation is not secured funding.
See our doctoral and postdoctoral funding guide: Québec, Canada, UQAR, then international starting points. FRQ B2 excludes professional doctorates and essays, so it should not be presented as assured PsyD funding. Federal rules differ: confirm the exact UQAR program’s eligibility before preparing an application. A personalized PhD is a separate pathway with its own requirements.
What you can expect from me
Clear mutual expectations, planned meetings and feedback, review of important scientific decisions, respectful comments and space to raise overload or problems honestly. Before any agreement, we confirm milestones, training needs, resources, responsibilities and actual supervision capacity.
UQAR requires applicants to find an essay supervisor before admission. A supervision agreement does not guarantee program admission. Official program information, consulted September 30, 2026.