Measuring Minds: UBC Psychology Mini School

This mini school is part of the UBC Future Global Leaders on-campus program for high school students ages 15–18. With 45 hours of class time, mini schools provide a comprehensive introduction to a program area and include information on learning pathways and career opportunities.

In this mini school offered by the UBC Department of Psychology, we examine the science and measurement of personality, design survey questions, explore core ideas like reliability and validity, and use statistical coding to turn raw data into clear visual stories. We connect analysis to real-life topics—sleep and mood, attention and screen time, stress and coping – and learn how psychologists measure the human mind.

This mini school includes lectures, interactive activities, and guided lab sessions. Activities are collaborative, step-by-step, and focused on doing and discussing rather than memorizing formulas. No coding experience is required.

A laptop is highly recommended.

If you’re curious about psychology, data science or neuroscience, or are thinking about enrolling in psychology at university, then this is an excellent choice.

ZHICHUN QI is a graduate student in the Rights Lab, a quantitative methods lab in the UBC Department of Psychology under the direction of Dr. Jason Rights. The research in the Rights Lab is broadly aimed to improve statistical and methodological practice in scientific research, particularly for psychology and related fields.

Course format

This mini-school is held on the UBC Vancouver campus. You attend class in-person 9am–12noon and 1:30-3pm, Monday through Friday. Bring your own laptop or tablet. 

Choose to live in a student residence on campus or commute daily to UBC Vancouver:

Commuter Option includes lunch in residence dining hall, Monday through Friday, and UBC Recreation Card.

Residence Option includes private room and full board, airport pick-up and drop-off, local medical insurance for all international students (and custodianship if required for visa), weeknight and weekend social activities (e.g., trips to Grouse Mountain, Granville Island and Robson Street) and UBC Recreation Card.

Cost details

Fees per two-week mini schools* 

Residence option 

Commuter option 

International students 

$5,505 CAD 

$2,855 CAD

Canadian students (including Permanent Residents) 

$4,760 CAD

$2,110 CAD

*All fees are subject to change

To register

A Family Account in UBC’s Lifelong Learning registration system is required to register for UBC Future Global Leaders on-campus.

After you add the course to your cart and go to check out, you’re asked to create a new Family Account or log in if you already have a Family Account.

A parent or guardian needs to set up the Family Account with their primary email address. After the account is created, the parent/guardian adds the student as a family member to their Family Account using the student’s primary email address (the student’s email address cannot be the same as the parent/guardian email address).

Add the student to the course session in your cart and complete the checkout process.

After completing the checkout process, and while logged into your Family Account, select New Application to access the FGL information package. Your registration is not final until the information package has been completed and submitted. You may partially complete the information package and return to it at any time within your Family Account.

If you are located in Russia, you will need a Virtual Private Network (VPN) to create a Family Account, register for a course, fill out the information package and complete payment. If you do not have a VPN or need assistance, please contact us.

Available sessions

There are no upcoming sessions currently scheduled for this course.

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