Pavol Jozef Safarik University Faculty of Arts
Ph.D. in Psychology
Košice, Slovakia
PhD
DURATION
4 years
LANGUAGES
English
PACE
Part time
APPLICATION DEADLINE
EARLIEST START DATE
Sep 2025
TUITION FEES
STUDY FORMAT
On-Campus
Key Summary
The Ph.D. in Psychology is a research-intensive program in which students pursue training in Social Psychology and Psychology of Work. Ph.D. study can lead to careers in research, academia, industry, and health care domains, as well as positions involved in the public sector. Only the students with the best performance can be admitted and work on the most recent research topics and tackle difficult open issues. The study involves the possibility to participate actively in international collaboration, present their results at international conferences, and publish in leading scientific journals.
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), counselling, school psychology, but also in the sphere of work psychology as recruiters and employee 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 behaviour, topics related to health and adherence to health recommendations, self-care, topics in work and organisational psychology, developmental psychology, psychology of decision making, counselling 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, 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 organise 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.
Even in the unfavorable epidemiological situation that currently affects many countries in the world, our department strives to provide high-quality education by employing distance learning methods.
The graduates are able to carry out scientific research independently, publish in international scientific journals, and present research results. They can formulate research questions and solve them creatively with the appropriate methodological procedures.
Graduates of the PhD. program are successful on the job market as Researcher in Psychology, University Assistant Professor, Social Psychologist, Work Psychologist, School Psychologist, Educational Psychologist, Clinical Psychologist, Traffic Psychologist, Forensic Psychologist, etc.
Compulsory courses
- Foreign Language for PhD Students
- Multidimensional Statistical Methods
- Research Methods - Research Projects
Compulsory elective courses
- Methods of Applied Social Psychology
- Contemporary Psychology of Work
- Contemporary Social Psychology
Elective courses
- Pedagogy for University Teachers
- Psychology for University Lecturers
Research section
- Autumn School for PhD Students
- Autumn School for PhD Students
- Spring School for PhD Students
- Monograph
- Publication in a Journal Registered in the Current Contents Connect Database
- Chapter in a Publication
- Publication in a Journal not Registered in the Current Contents Connect Database
- Citation in Databases-Registered Magazines
- Citation in Journals
- Contribution to a Reviewed Publication
- Active Participation in a Foreign Academic Event
- Active Participation in a Domestic Academic Event
- Individual Study of Specialised Information
- Research Project Co-Researcher (VEGA, APVV)
- Completion of a Pre-Defined Stage of Dissertation Research
- Active Participation in a Departmental Academic Event
- Internal Research Grant Acquisition
Other activities
- Direct Educational Activity 1
- Direct Educational Activity 2
- Direct Educational Activity 3
- Completion of Study Program Abroad
- Final Thesis Supervisor
- Participation in an Organizing Committee of a Conference
- Final Thesis Review
Compulsory courses
- Doctoral Thesis Defense
- Dissertation Examination
The goals of education 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 doctoral study masters and is able to choose specific scientific methods of basic and applied research in the field. He has extensive professional knowledge from several areas of the field of study, which serves as a basis for conducting research and development and creating new knowledge in the field of psychology. The graduate is able to formulate new hypotheses and strategies for further research and development of psychology. He applies his own findings of his theoretical analysis and his complex scientific research in solving problems in the fields of study. The graduate is characterized by independent, critical and analytical thinking, which he applies in changing conditions. During the study, he / she acquires the ability to independently and creatively solve the researched issues. It takes into account social, scientific and ethical aspects in formulating research intentions and interpreting research results, as well as in publishing and publicly presenting research results. Can determine the focus of research and coordinate the research, conceptual and analytical work of experts in the relevant field of science.
Skills
The graduate is able to work both independently and in a research team. He is ready to develop a research project and implement it, whether as a member of the research team or the principal investigator. He is open to new knowledge, which he actively acquires, critically compares and analyzes. It is characterized by the ability to cultivate to communicate about its research and present it both domestically and internationally. He is able to creatively develop new approaches to the chosen issue and place them in the context of his research area. He is constantly acquainted with new knowledge in the field in terms of global development, not only in his field but also in related fields. He practically masters the chosen research methods. Based on its outputs and findings, it is able to design, verify and implement new research and working procedures.
Competences
The graduate of the study program Social Psychology and Psychology of Work will acquire the latest knowledge from the indicated content areas, given primarily by the focus of his dissertation; learn the basics of individual and team scientific work, scientific research and problem formulation; develop habits of systematic monitoring of the latest scientific production in their field; acquire habits of supplementing their knowledge through lifelong learning; they will learn to process, publish and by other methods present scientific results and disseminate the acquired knowledge in a popular form to the general public. The graduate will be prepared for pedagogical work at the university, he will be employed in scientific research, in the university and other pedagogical activities, and in applied areas.
In the study program, the professions for which the qualification is required are indicated as follows:
- 2634009 - Researcher in the field of psychology
- 2310003 - University assistant professor
- 2634005 - Social psychologist
- 2634003 - Occupational psychologist
- 2634006 - School psychologist
- 2634007 - Educational psychologist
- 2634001 - Clinical psychologist
- 2634004 - Traffic psychologist
- 2634008 - Forensic psychologist
Psychologist not mentioned elsewhere.
The graduate of the doctoral degree in psychology is familiar with the latest knowledge and trends in the development of the field, with special regard to the areas of social psychology and work psychology. The knowledge and skills of the graduate in the given field represent the European standard of a beginning researcher. It is used both in the academic field (in the field of higher education) and in scientific research within research institutes, resp. in institutions at both national and international levels. Based on knowledge of social psychology and work psychology, he is able to independently plan and use their methods in creating and planning intervention programs in organizations. Graduates have the opportunity (in some cases only after obtaining the necessary certificate, specialization study or certified activity) in various positions in all areas of departmental application of psychological services.