Pavol Jozef Safarik University Faculty of Arts
Master in Psychology
Košice, Slovakia
Master degree
DURATION
2 years
LANGUAGES
English
PACE
Full time
APPLICATION DEADLINE
EARLIEST START DATE
Sep 2026
TUITION FEES
STUDY FORMAT
On-Campus
Key Summary
The Master's Degree program in Psychology prepares graduates for practice in three basic areas: clinical psychology, counseling and school psychology, and psychology of work and organizations. During the study, the graduates will acquire theoretical knowledge and practical competencies for diagnostics, intervention, prevention, and research in the above areas. The study allows specialization by selecting the compulsory subjects and provides the universal psychological education that enables to become successful in different fields in different job positions. The graduates can work in the field of health care as clinical psychologists and neuropsychologists, in education and social care as counseling and school psychologists, in industrial and organizational areas as work psychologists, as well as researchers in research institutions.
The two-year Master's program in Psychology is accredited in Slovakia. The content of the program complies with the standards for obtaining the European Certificate of Psychology that enables performing the activities within the European Union. The Master's program is designed to prepare for professional practice in various areas of specialization, as well as to prepare for further studies at the doctoral level. Teaching focuses on a professional career, applying to real-life situations, and using active methods that enable students to acquire professional skills and knowledge.
About the Department
Pavol Jozef Šafárik University in Košice (UPJŠ) is one of the first universities in Slovakia that start offering higher education in psychology. The Department of Psychology is a modern educational institution with a long and rich history that prepares young people for their professional careers. We aim to interconnect theoretical knowledge with practice and employ modern approaches to teaching psychology based on tradition. The department is accredited to provide undergraduate and graduate education (bachelor’s and master’s degrees) in the field of psychology and postgraduate education (PhD.) in the Social Psychology and Work Psychology study program. Our graduates can work in a number of fields, such as clinical practice (further certification may be required to practice clinical psychology in a particular country), counseling, and school psychology, but also in the sphere of work psychology as recruiters and employees trainers. At the same time, they are also able to assist in and conduct psychological research. The department also works on various grant projects which reflect the research foci of our teachers. Our primary fields of research include self-regulation and goal-oriented behavior, topics related to health and adherence to health recommendations, self-care, topics in work and organizational psychology, developmental psychology, psychology of decision making, counseling psychology, etc.
The Department of Psychology is based in a modern building named Sokrates, which is on the premises of a newly reconstructed campus of the Faculty of Arts located near the beautiful historical center of the town. The department has its own state-of-the-art psychology laboratory, which is used not only for teaching purposes but also for conducting behavioral experiments (SUPERLAB) and research.
The training of future psychologists is done in cooperation with practitioners. Particularly, clinical psychology courses are taught in cooperation with the Faculty of Medicine of UPJŠ (e.g., Psychiatry, practical part of Clinical Psychology, and Psychotherapy are taught at the Department of Psychiatry of Louis Pasteur University Hospital in Košice). Students can thus come into contact with patients in order to acquire the necessary experience. Our department is one of few in Slovakia which offer an Introduction to Psychodynamic Psychotherapy course which is taught by leading practitioners who are members of organizations, such as the Slovak Association for Psychoanalytic Psychotherapy (SSPAP) and the International Psychoanalytical Association (IPA).
Students have the option and are encouraged to take part in community life and join student clubs (e.g., SAŠaP – Slovak Association of Psychology Students and Graduates), which organize all sorts of interesting activities for the student body. International students, in case of need, can use the services of UNIPOC (University Counselling Center), which provides psychological counseling in English.
Compulsory courses
- Psychiatry and Psychopathology for Psychologists
- Clinical Psychology
- Psychology of Organisations
- Psychodiagnostics of Adults
- Advanced Statistical Methods
- Psychodiagnostics of Children and Young Adults
- Educational Psychology
- Psychology of Work
- Psychotherapy
- Current Trends in Psychology
- Diploma Thesis Seminar 1
- Counselling psychology
- Diploma Thesis Seminar 2
- Psychological Practice
Compulsory elective courses
- Distance Counselling
- Market and Advertisement Psychology
- Introduction to Psychodynamic Psychotherapy
- Cognitive Behavioral Therapy 1
- Police and Prison Psychology
- Counselling Psychology for Children and Adolescents
- School Psychology
- Research in Clinical Psychology
- Career counseling for psychologists
- Rorschach Method
- Psychology of Decision-Making
- Hand Test
- Current Applied Social Psychology
- Person-Centered Approach in Counselling and Psychotherapy
- Psychodynamic Therapy
- Ethics for psychological practice
- Introduction to Systemic Therapy
- Cognitive Behavioral Therapy 2
- Psychologist as a HR Specialist
- Counselling Psychology for Adults and Seniors
- Couple and Family Counselling
- Psychology of Creativity
- Gestalt Therapy
- Students' Scientific Conference in the Field of Psychology (MA)
- Human Sexuality
- Advanced Psychopathology
- Casuistic Seminar in Clinical Psychology
- Trauma and Therapy
Elective courses
- Motivation Training in Behavioral Changes
- Sports Activities I.
- Seaside Aerobic Exercise
- Survival Course
- Summer Course-Rafting of TISA River
- Sports Activities II.
Compulsory courses
- Master´s Thesis Defense
- Psychodiagnostics
Compulsory elective courses
- Clinical Psychology
- Counselling and School Psychology
- Psychology of Work and Organisations
The educational goals are achieved in the study program through measurable educational outputs in individual parts (subjects) of the study program. They correspond to the relevant level of the Qualifications Framework in the European Higher Education Area.
Knowledge
The graduate of the master's degree in the Psychology study program has advanced knowledge of topics addressed during the bachelor's degree in the areas of basic psychological disciplines (eg cognitive psychology, social psychology, personality psychology). The graduate is familiar with the current possibilities of psychological specialisation and practical application in the labour market. He has specific knowledge mainly in the field of applied psychological disciplines (especially learning theory, cognitive structure theory, personality theory, performance theory, leadership theory, job analysis theory, learning needs analysis theory, counseling theory and psychotherapy), which primarily lead to behavioral knowledge. and the survival of individuals within groups and larger systems/societies. He knows the principles of designing and implementing a more demanding research, quantitative or qualitative project, including the possibility of data analysis.
Skills
The graduate has skills in the application of specific knowledge of various psychological disciplines, especially designing methodologies, designing procedures for performance evaluation, designing training, designing a therapeutic plan or psychotherapy. He will also acquire skills in the field of diagnostics within research (in laboratory conditions, but also field research) and within applied disciplines according to psychological specialisation. The graduate can design and implement a more demanding research project (experiment), including multivariate or qualitative data analysis. The graduate is also able to write professional articles/outputs/findings/reports, create concepts, perform analyses and present goals and results and reflect on their professional activities and the professional activities of others. The graduate demonstrates independence in solving problems and projects in the field of study in a changing environment. The graduate can work effectively as an individual, member or team leader.
Competences
The graduate of the master's degree in the study program Psychology has an innovative mindset and is ready to professionally present the results of his analysis and study to a professional audience, even in a foreign language. The graduate will acquire basic research competencies demonstrated in the final work. The graduate can implement the acquired professional competencies related to the psychological content of the professional process and activities in the context of clinical practice, counseling and psychotherapeutic practice, educational practice, work and organization context, specifically can specify goals (analyze needs and set goals), assess or diagnose (individual, group, organization, situation), develop (service or product), implement and evaluate the intervention and communicate the results.
The graduate of the follow-up master's degree in psychology acquires knowledge of the whole spectrum of theoretical and applied psychological disciplines, psychological methodology and a wide range of psychological methods, and has acquired basic skills for solving practical tasks. Graduates have the opportunity (in some cases only after obtaining the necessary certificate related to specialization study or certified activity) in various positions, especially in the field of (1) health, counselling and social care (2) education and training (3) organizations and work (4) science and research.
In the study program, the professions for which the qualification is required are indicated as follows:
- 1342011 Medical Manager - Psychologist
- 2634001 Clinical psychologist
- 2634002 Counseling psychologist
- 2634003 Occupational psychologist
- 2634004 Traffic psychologist
- 2634005 Social psychologist
- 2634006 School psychologist
- 2634007 Educational psychologist
- 2634010 Psychotherapist
- 2635016 Occupational Therapist
- 2634008 Forensic psychologist
- 2634009 Researcher in the field of psychology
- 2423007 Career counsellor
- 1212 Human resources managers
- 2424 Specialists in the field of education and human resources development
- 2619006 Forensic expert