Master in Psychology and Environmental Sustainability

This MSc Program in Psychology and Environmental Sustainability is part of the response of Psychology to the climate emergency the world is experiencing today. In recent years Psychology scholars and their professional associations – for example, the American Psychological Association (APA) or the Portuguese Order of Psychologists (OPP) - began to mobilize to encourage academics to apply knowledge from all subdomains in Psychology toward understanding environment-related human attitudes and habits, and to foster pro-environmental behavior of both individuals and organizations. Last but not least, this knowledge is critical to informing policymakers.

Environmental sustainability is also a fast-growing area of recruitment in companies that are increasingly looking to enhance their social responsibility in this domain. This MSc program seeks to respond to such growing market demands, by strengthening the students’ profile in behavioral sciences/psychology conceptual and methodological approaches and tools, and data science applications.

Awards and Partnerships

To maintain a dynamic relationship with the market, focused on acquiring knowledge and developing professional skills, the Master's Degree in Communication Studies runs a range of different partnerships with public and private organizations.

Through those partnerships, the Faculty of Human Sciences can reward students attaining high academic performance levels with awards and internships.

Rádio e Televisão de Portugal (RTP)

• Internships and field work.

OCI - Observatory of Internal Communication and Corporate Identity

• "Best Academic Work FCH-UCP" provides public appreciation and recognition of an academic study on internal communication, corporate identity, and branding.

The master's program is ideal for many types of professionals:

1. Holders of an Honors Degree (BA or BS) in Psychology, Biology, and/or other Natural Sciences, and Education, and with an interest in Development and Education, especially Environmental Education, to acquire knowledge on how to harness current knowledge on motivation in education contexts to design evidence-based programs, projects, interventions, and pedagogical materials, to study and intervene toward boosting motivation and pro-environmental behavior in children and youth.
2. Holders of an Honors Degree (BA or BS) in Psychology, Business Administration, Marketing, Economy, Marketing, Communication, and akin, with an interest in developing their skills to work as consulting experts in the highly sought fields of Corporate Social Responsibility and Behavioral Insights in the areas such as Pro-environmental consumerism, Pro-environmental and Sustainable practices within organizations, Policy-making, Healthy work environments, and Marketing and Communication strategies for environmental sustainability changes, or Healthy and sustainable lifestyles.
3. Other professionals holding at least an honors degree, with a relevant CV, and whose career demands may benefit from the specific skills acquired in this program.

The Master’s program comprises 2 years:

• A first year with mandatory courses and two elective courses;
• A second year, with work on the dissertation, and academic internship.

1st Year

1st Semester

• Applied Research Methods in Psychology
• Behavior Change: Models and Techniques
• Cognitive-affective processes and global environmental changes
• Psychology, the Climate Crisis, and Environmental Sustainability
• Elective Course

2nd Semester

• Data Analysis
• Strategic Communication, Risk, and Crisis Communication
• Interventions for behavioral and social change
• Dissertation Project
• Elective Course

2nd Year

3rd and 4th Semester

• Annual Dissertation
• Annual Internship

• Use the extensive knowledge of human emotional and cognitive processes to improve understanding of human environment-related behavior, foster further understanding of the topic, and improve ways to communicate about it.
• Advanced basic knowledge of pro-environment and sustainability behavior change, and applications and interventions toward environmental sustainability, at the individual, group, organizational, and societal levels.
• Prepare psychologists and other professionals to actively participate in and contribute in their areas of work and diversified contexts of activity to design and test interventions that involve behavior and/or policy change toward environmental sustainability.

Seeking to prepare competent and integral professionals, the Católica-Human Sciences Master's Degree students may draw upon a vast reputation and track record duly reflected in the high levels of employability of its students. Three of our MA Programs are ranked among the very best in the world in the fields of Arts Management, Communication Sciences, and Marketing.

With curricular options emerging from the vanguard of scientific research while tailored to the realities of the business world, the Faculty of Human Sciences presents a solid and diversified range of Master’s Degree programs.

The Católica-Human Sciences programs also draw upon a highly qualified teaching staff, including renowned international speakers with internationalization further encouraged through student exchanges and inclusion into European research networks.

Our Master’s Degrees constitute specialist options of excellence, preparing students to develop the reflective thinking necessary to becoming high-quality professionals, with ethical training, and under the care of high-profile researchers and professors.

Additionally, Católica-Human Sciences students gain access to a very broad range of partnerships and internships for the benefit of their curricular and extra-curricular activities.