Psychology with Neurobiopsychology as Specialization

About the Studies

Graduates from Psychology at the Institute of Psychology UG will be familiarized with modern psychological knowledge, which will allow them to start their career as psychologists and/or to decide which path of applied psychology they should further pursue. The graduates know and understand basic mechanisms that regulate people's behaviors (individuals and social groups alike), understand individual and social determinants of these behaviors; they are able to distinguish between scientific and popular psychological knowledge; they know and understand essential psychological theories and can apply them to explain people's behaviors and/or psychological processes – they know what regularities underlie these behaviors; they are able to predict how humans will behave under specific psychological conditions; they have essential knowledge of regularities observed in human development; they know the mechanisms that govern behavioral changes; they have sufficient knowledge of how to react in difficult, critical and traumatic situations; they have basic knowledge of psychological intervention; they realize that any inferences about other people's behaviors must be preceded by reliable psychological research; they can conduct such research studies, design them or refer to the already existing ones; they can report their findings; they know the code of ethics for psychologists and observes its rules (among other things, they respect the laws regarding privacy, confidentiality, self-determination and autonomy of other human beings); they are aware of their own value systems, beliefs, needs and limitations – and they know how these influence their work.

Specializations

The graduates from Neurobiopsychology as a specialization at the Institute of Psychology UG get to understand the many-sided relations between the human psyche and its disorders, the structure and function of the brain, complex forms of behavior, and environmental adaptation ability. They familiarize themselves with physiological, genetic and molecular conditionings of the psyche and how psychological processes are connected with brain plasticity (development, memory, learning, function restitution). They are aware of psychosomatic basis of mental disorders and chosen types of neuropathy – including pathological addictions and aggressive behavior. They demonstrate skills in accumulating, processing and reporting information, both in written and oral form. The graduates have a foreign language competence at B2 level (according to Common European Framework of Reference for Languages), and they can use specialist terminology of psychology and neurobiology. They are trained to analyze and to interpret academic papers, to discuss and provide a critical review of their own findings and literature in general. The graduates should get the chance to demonstrate creative initiative and to attempt problem-solving in keeping with the innovative character of the studies. Education acquired during these specialist studies creates a number of possibilities for the graduates to use their knowledge when they become employed as, e.g., neuropsychologists in medical facilities, scientific and research institutions, addiction treatment facilities or socialization centers. Classes will be organized in cooperation with the Faculty of Biology. In their senior year students can additionally attend classes in applied psychology outside the neurobiopsychology specialization.

Majors

Developmental psychology, introduction to social psychology, biological basis of human behavior, psychology of individual differences, personality psychology, psychology of emotion and motivation, psychology of cognitive processes, psychological diagnosis, psychopathology, code of ethics for psychologists, social cognitive psychology, essential statistics for psychologists, psychometrics, physiology of the central nervous system, behavioral neuroscience, functional neuroanatomy, neurohormonal regulation of body functions, behavioral methods in neuroscience, genetic basis of mental disorders, adult clinical neuropsychology, essentials human genetics, essential ethology, introduction to child clinical psychology.

Why Us?

In their senior year, the students of Psychology with neurobiopsychology as a specialization have an option to complete pedagogical training. They can pursue their passions and scientific interests through active participation in academic circles or student exchange programs such as Erasmus and MOST. By cooperating with a number of practitioners, students can improve a wide range of practical competences, interact with companies, organizations and association, as well as complete educational and work practice. The Institute of Psychology features, among others, a classroom for observation and therapy (equipped with one-way mirrors), rooms for instrumental testing and a laboratory equipped with modern methods of psychological diagnosis.

Employment prospects

The graduates of neurobiopsychology specialization are not only trained psychologists, but also obtain a specialization as neurobiopsychologists. This specialization has not been previously offered to students as a regular course of study, although it integrates fields of knowledge whose overlapping and interdependence have been universally recognized. The knowledge of a neurobiopsychologist encompasses the curricula that conform to current standards of psychological studies, complemented by some elements of biological studies and some elements that combine psychology and biology, such as: neurolinguistics and neuropsychology of communication, cognitive neuroscience, physiological and psychological mechanisms of emotion, neuroscience of addiction, neurocybernetics, neuropsychopharmacology, and psychophysiology of emotion.