| Study programme | dKP - Clinical Psychology |
| Study | Grade of study - III. - doctoral, study form - full time, study type - Single degree study |
| Document type: | Description of the study programme |
| The name of the university | Comenius University Bratislava |
| The seat of the university | Šafárikovo námestie 6, 818 06 Bratislava |
| The name of the faculty | Faculty of Arts |
| The seat of the faculty | Gondova 2, 81102 Bratislava |
Not applicable to this study programme.
A graduate of the III. level of the Clinical Psychology program is able to apply principles of scientific work, methods of scientific problem formulation, language communication, promotion and communication with the public, application of research results in practice and ethical principles of scientific information, media and promotional activities. Upon completing the study program Clinical Psychology at the III. level of higher education, the graduate acquires a broad professional background based on current general psychological knowledge, the latest research trends in clinical psychology, but also interdisciplinary areas such as psychopathology, neurophysiology and neuroscience. The graduate of the Clinical Psychology program at the III. level not only uses knowledge of current knowledge in the above areas, but is able to apply the acquired knowledge and skills in current trends in methodology and statistical analysis and modeling. The graduate is able to work with modern technological procedures in psychological and interdisciplinary research.
Theoretical knowledge and skills: the graduate is able to conduct scientific research and create new knowledge in the field of clinical or general psychology as well as in the field of psychopathology and neurosciences. He is able to master the basic methodology and use it creatively while solving complex scientific problems at the level of theoretical and applied research. He is able to creatively apply professional knowledge and to apply knowledge in the creation of new methods and new scientific knowledge in the field and to contribute to the development of psychological and clinical psychological science. He is able to process conceptual and analytical materials and is able to creatively enrich the field by publishing in quality international journals and publishers. He creatively uses information systems and works in a digital environment. He can utilize methods and techniques in the preparation and implementation of research projects. He is able to formulate his research results not only for a specific and general scientific community, but also through dissemination and popularization of outputs for the general public and other stakeholders, such as the state and public administration or the private sector.
Learning objectives in the study programme are achieved through measurable learning outcomes in the study programme's individual sections (modules, courses). They correspond to the relevant level of the Qualifications Framework in the European Higher Education Area.
The study programme is perceived primarily as the preparation of scholars in the field of Clinical psychology. The graduate is prepared for the academic career in basic and applied research, including being able to independently solve project tasks and manage project teams, including interdisciplinary cooperation not limited to the field of mental health and neuroscience. More specifically, it may include the positions of researcher, analyst, university teacher, methodologist, consultant, manager of research and other project teams, specialist in clinical psychology and counseling in areas such as occupational health psychology, school environment and other areas. Graduates of the study program can be employed in various positions in the state and public sector, as well as in various branches of private business, not limited to the field of healthcare.
The study program does not have regulated professions in accordance with the requirements for obtaining professional competence in keeping with a special regulation. The independent performance of the work of a psychologist is a regulated profession within the existing Slovak legislation but it is not tied to obtaining a PhD degree. It is the subject of an independent specialized study accredited by the Ministry of Health of the Slovak Republic. However, the program prepares students for research direction in a variety of areas of research, application, and intervention in various areas related to mental health.
We regularly research the employment of graduates within the study program - by communicating with graduates, as well as by researching and evaluating the employment of graduates at the faculty level. We monitor the proportion of graduates who are employed both in the field and outside of it. The results of the surveys are reflected in the study plan transformation that reflects the changes in the labor market related to the employment of the study program graduates.
Throughout the decades-long tradition of the study program, the relevant legislation of the Slovak Republic has changed several times. In the current designation of the study program Clinical Psychology since 2009, many graduates have held and continue to hold many important positions, are prominent personalities not only in the field of clinical psychology in Slovakia, they participate in the development of clinical psychology and forensic psychology not only in research but also in practice. Several of them have worked and continue to work as associate professors and professors not only at the Department of Psychology, Faculty of Arts, Comenius University but also in other universities and academic institutions, and have fundamentally participated in the formation and development of clinical psychology in Slovakia.
In accordance with the attached document on graduates of the last ten years, we present the following examples of successful graduates:
See supplements - evaluations of relevant external stakeholders.
Employers' evaluations are given in the supplements.
MEMORY Center
RTVS
Swiss Re
Institute of Normal and Pathological Physiology SAS
Prison and Guard Corps
Department of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine, Charles University
The rules for the design of study plans are part of the process of modification of the study programme which is defined in Internal Regulation No. 23/2021 - Internal Quality Assurance System for Higher Education of Comenius University Bratislava (hereinafter referred to as "IQAS CU"), Art. 32(2), Art. 33, 35, 36 and 37. The structure of the study plans of 3rd degree study programmes is also regulated by Internal Regulation of Faculty of Arts CU No. 11/2023 - Study Regulations of Comenius University Bratislava, Faculty of Arts ("Comenius University Bratislava" hereinafter also referred to as "CU" and "University"; "Faculty of Arts of Comenius University" hereinafter also referred to as "Faculty of Arts CU" and "Faculty"), Part Three, Special Provisions on Doctoral Studies.
The Council of the study programme of the III. level Clinical psychology was created in accordance with Art. 24(1) to (7) and Art. 10 IQAS CU. Members of the Council of the study programme of III. level Clinical psychology: prof. Mgr. Anton Heretik, PhD. (main responsible person/guarantor), doc. Michal Hajdúk, PhD. (co-guarantor), doc. PhDr. Milica Schraggeová, PhD. (co-guarantor), Prof. PhDr. Petr Weiss, PhD. (co-guarantor), doc. PhDr. Eva Rošková, PhD. (co-guarantor), Mgr. Gabriel Hrustič (employers' representative), Mgr. Jozef Smoroň (representative of students).
An integral part of the PhD programs is a faculty-wide offer of elective courses for doctoral students. Courses are updated for each academic year, so that the student, especially in the 1st and 2nd year, can enroll in several courses on his/her choice during the studies. When preparing this offer, emphasis is placed on interdisciplinarity and the methodology of scientific work. More detailed information about the actual offer, including information sheets, can be found in AIS2 and on the study programme website.
The complete text of the study programme with all the required information and course information sheets is provided in the annexes. The study plan contains blocks of compulsory and compulsory elective courses with the recommended year and semester of their implementation, the educational methods used, the names of the persons providing the courses, the ECTS allocation, the range and form of the courses, and if required, prerequisites. For each block of compulsory elective courses, instruction on the selection of courses is provided so that the student can shape the pathway of their studies. The information sheets for each course contain, among other items, the following:
The sum of the above minimum number of credits in the individual parts of the study programme is lower than the total number of credits required for the proper completion of the doctoral studies (186 ‹ 240), which means that the student must obtain more than the prescribed minimum number of credits in some part(s) of the study programme.
The relevant rules on learning outcomes and student assessment and the possibilities for remedial actions are available in the documents:
The study programme of III. level Clinical psychology has precisely defined and previously published rules, criteria, and methods of assessment of learning outcomes in the information sheets of individual courses as prescribed by the above-mentioned internal regulations and the Decree on credit system study. At the Faculty, course information sheets of all study programmes are accessible via the Academic Information System (AIS2) and published on study programme website.
Among other details, the course information sheet provides the student with advance access to information on the type, scope and form of educational activities, the course requirements, the learning outcomes, the course syllabus, and recommended literature. The results of assessments of individual courses of the study programme are recorded in the Academic Information System (AiS2) and archived according to the regulations:
The relevant rules are available in the documents:
Detailed information on mobility and credit recognition is also available on a separate faculty website and can also be obtained from the mobility coordinator of the study programme. The University and the Faculty have separate departments providing support for mobility programmes (the Department for European Projects and Erasmus+ programme of Comenius University and the International Relations Office of Faculty of Arts CU). A separate guideline governs the operation of the organizational units of the University and the faculty:
The flexibility of study pathways and the achievement of learning outcomes are ensured by the fact that the individual study plan of the doctoral student in the study programme is drawn up by the supervisor in cooperation with the doctoral student, taking into account the student’s specialization and the topic of the dissertation project. Students of the study programme will have the opportunity to take advantage of international mobility programmes, including the jointly supervised doctoral programme (cotutelle), as well as through inter-faculty mobility programmes and elective courses of another faculty which they will be able to enrol in based on the study contract (Internal Regulation No. 5/2020, Study Regulations, Art. 8(6)(a) and (f). The rules of Comenius University and its Faculty of Arts respect the transfer and recognition of credits acquired during a mobility programme. A course taken at the receiving University which is comparable in content and scope to a course taken at the sending faculty and which the student takes as part of approved academic mobility will automatically be recognized as completed (compulsory course, compulsory elective course, or elective course).
According to the Study Regulations of Faculty of Arts CU, Art. 17(1), the student has the right to apply for a change of study programme within the same field of study at Comenius University, thus ensuring the possibility of flexible study pathways. Subsequently, the Study Regulations of Faculty of Arts CU, Art. 18, regulate the conditions for the recognition of studies and parts of studies completed in the past, specifying both the length of the period and the level of assessment that allows the assessment to be recognized.
Faculty of Arts CU, according to the Internal Regulation of Faculty of Arts CU No. 5/2020, Art. 19, allows students to transfer credits acquired while completing part of their studies at another higher education institution in the Slovak Republic or at a higher education institution abroad (student mobility) in the number of credits accumulated by the student pursuant to § 4(3) of the Decree on credit system study.
The mobility coordinator: doc. PhDr. Barbora Mesárošová, PhD., barbora.mesarosova@uniba.sk
Topics of the final theses of the study programme are listed on the website.
The final theses: the thesis for the dissertation examination and the dissertation thesis play a crucial role in completing the studies of the III. level study programme Clinical psychology. Their form and rules for their assignment, processing, opposition, defence, and evaluation are regulated by the internal regulations of the University and the Faculty:
Opportunities and procedures for participation in student mobility:
Students of the III. level study programme Clinical psychology are provided with access and support to participate in domestic and international mobility and internships. The International Relations Office assists students in this respect by providing administrative support and advice in student exchange programmes, internships, and promoting international mobility. The Erasmus+ Office at the Comenius University is available to students within Comenius University. The Department of Psychology implements exchanges via Erasmus+ mobility (teaching, administrative, combined and student mobility and internships) and bilateral agreements with 15 universities in the Czech Republic, Germany, Portugal, Poland, Netherlands, Spain, Slovenia, and France. Specific universities and contact information are available on the website. Negotiations are currently underway on the possibility of concluding bilateral agreements within Erasmus + with three universities, which belong, along with our university, to the ENLIGHT university alliance: University in Gent (Belgium); University in Uppsala (Sweden); and National University of Ireland (Gallway University). An agreement with KU Leuven, Belgium, with which the members of the department are collaborating on several research projects, is also being negotiated. The procedures for participation in student mobility are defined in the Internal Regulation of CU No. 3/2016, Guideline of the Rector of CU on the competence of CU and its faculties in the framework of the European Community Erasmus+ programme, Art. 4(7) to (8), (11) to (13), (15) to (16)
Rules for adherence to academic ethics and rules for drawing consequences:
There is a number of regulations within the CU and the Faculty of Arts CU that define the rules for adherence to academic ethics and drawing consequences for all members of the academic community. These are the following:
· Faculty of Arts CU Internal Regulation No. 8/2022 – Code of Conduct.
It is also stipulated in the course information sheets of the study programme that a breach of academic ethics results in the annulment of the points obtained in the relevant item of assessment.
The meetings of the Disciplinary Committee of the Faculty of Arts for Students are governed by the Rules of Procedure - Internal Regulation No. 14/2018, Rules of Procedure of the Disciplinary Committee of the Comenius University Bratislava for Students.
The disciplinary proceedings conducted in the last two academic years within the Faculty are published on the website.
Procedures applicable to students with special needs:
To support applicants and students with special needs, the Faculty has a coordinator doc. PhDr. Milica Schraggeová, CSc. and the Center supporting students with special needs of CU (hereinafter also referred to as "CSS"). Their activities are regulated by the Internal Regulation of CU No. 23/2021, Internal Quality Assurance System of Higher Education of Comenius University in Bratislava, Art. 42.
Detailed information and CSS services are available to students on the website of CU: https://cezap.sk/
Ensuring fair, transparent and consistent evaluation of results at the Faculty, fairly applied to all students with particular emphasis on students with special needs is also ensured by the Internal Regulation of Faculty of Arts CU No. 13/2019, Code of Conduct, Art. 3(3),
In accordance with the Rules of the Admission Procedure, applicants with special needs are allowed, upon their written request, a special way of taking the admission examination, taking into account their special needs, in cooperation with the Center supporting students with special needs of CU.
The course of study and its assessment are adapted to the needs of students with special needs in the study programme in accordance with the objectives of the Center supporting students with special needs of CU, in which the Faculty is represented through its coordinator.
Comenius University in Bratislava cooperates with the Support Centre for Visually Impaired Students, which provides services in processing study literature and providing computer technology. In recent years, the Faculty has worked intensively on removing barriers from its buildings, which has greatly accommodated students with special needs (adjusted entrances to individual buildings, elevator access, and complete barrier removal from the building on Štúrova ulica).
Procedures for filing complaints and appeals by students:
The relevant rules on complaints and appeals are defined in the following regulations:
Course information sheets are available in AIS2 and published on the study programme website.
prof. Mgr. Anton Heretik, PhD., professor, e-mail: anton.heretik2@uniba.sk
Persons responsible for core courses are listed in the study plan, core courses are marked with the abbreviation 'C'.
Links to the Central register of university staff can be found in the „VUPCH“ (research/art/teacher profiles) of individual teachers, which are accessible through AIS2. Contact information of teachers is also available on the departmental websites.
Research/art/teacher profiles are accessible through AIS2.
Persons responsible for courses are listed in the study plan.
Links to the Central register of university staff can be found in the „VUPCH“ (research/art/teacher profiles) of individual teachers, which are accessible through AIS2. Contact information of teachers is also available on the departmental websites.
The list of supervisors and listed topics of final theses is published on the website.
https://ais2.uniba.sk/ais/start.do
Mgr. Jozef Smoroň, študent PhD., Department of Psychology, Faculty of Arts CU, e-mail: smoron1@uniba.sk
doc. PhDr. Michal Hajdúk, PhD, Department of Psychology, Faculty of Arts CU, e-mail: michal.hajduk@uniba.sk
At the Faculty, there’s the Department of Postgraduate Studies with adequate staff, expertise, and financial security. The specialized supporting staff in this department, whose competence and numbers correspond to the needs of students and teachers of the study programme in relation to the educational objectives and outcomes, provide tutoring, counselling, administrative, and other support services and related activities for students of 3rd degree study programmes (contacts to the staff of the department are listed on the Faculty's website. The responsibilities and competences of the department are regulated in the organizational regulations of Faculty of Arts CU - Internal Regulation of Faculty of Arts CU No. 7/2023, Art. 21.
With related issues, students can turn to the Office at the Department of Psychology, Faculty of Arts CU: Katarína Mešinová, katarina.mesinova@uniba.sk
Accommodation at the Faculty of Arts CU is the responsibility of the registrar: PhDr. Martin Čičilla, Faculty of Arts CU, Gondova ulica 2, 811 02 Bratislava 1, Phone: +421 2 9013 1310, E-mail: martin.cicilla@uniba.sk. All accommodation information is available on the website of CU.
Students of the study programme of III. level Comenius University are provided with sufficient spatial, material, technical, and informational resources of the study programme, which are a guarantee for achieving the learning objectives and outcomes. The Faculty provides the teaching of the study program in the building on Gondova ulica 2, where the Department of Psychology is situated on the third and fourth floor.
The building on Gondova ulica has 54 classrooms with a capacity of 1,331 seats and an area of 1,953m2. Recently, all classrooms have been modernized both technically and didactically and equipped with new equipment. Of the total number of classrooms, ten classrooms have a capacity of 65 to 120 seats, while the remaining classrooms have a capacity of 20 to 35 seats and are intended for teaching smaller study groups. Most of the classrooms are equipped with interactive whiteboards and video projectors (detailed statistics on technical support and equipment for individual academic years are given in the annual reports of the Faculty). Each classroom has a port to connect to the internet.
The Department of Psychology has a technically well-equipped laboratory of psychophysiology, where scientific projects (APVV, VEGA, KEGA, etc.) and specialized teaching are carried out. LF UK and BMC SAV actively cooperate with the laboratory team. Doctoral students with a biopsychology orientation can directly participate in the laboratory's scientific activities. The Department of Psychology is also behind the Psychiatric Disorders Research Center of the UK, which was created in 2018 as a platform for the collaboration of experts in mental disorders from the Department of Psychology FIF UK and the Psychiatric Clinic of the LF UK and UNB. The center is located in the UK Science Park. The primary goal of the center was to create a platform for interdisciplinary research on mental disorders and mental health using various research methods (behavioral methods, self-rating scales, eye-tracking, physiology (EMG, EDA, pulse, etc.) etc.). The center is also intended to be a platform for multidisciplinary post-graduate education (clinical psychology, psychiatry and medical neuroscience). Several doctoral students are working on their dissertations in the center, they also supervise undergraduate students during data collection. Doctoral students in our program thus have the practical opportunity to carry out interdisciplinary research from the early stages of their studies. The center is equipped with modern instrumentation, financially covered from research projects.
When creating the schedule for the following academic year, individual teachers participating in the implementation of the teaching of the study programme shall request the allocation of teaching spaces with installed information devices. The Faculty meets all the requirements in this regard.
On the faculty premises, there are computers available exclusively for students. Students can use computers and connect to the internet also in the Library of the Faculty of Arts CU.
Comenius University in Bratislava cooperates with the Support Centre for Visually Impaired Students, which provides services in processing study literature and providing computer technology. In recent years, the Faculty has worked intensively on removing barriers from its buildings, which has greatly accommodated students with special needs (adjusted entrances to individual buildings and elevator access).
The expansion of physical activities offered for students and employees of Faculty of Arts CU in Bratislava is provided by the Centre of Physical Education and Sports Activities of the Faculty of Arts CU, which has several sports grounds at its disposal.
Cooperation with special teaching facilities in practical teaching is regulated by the Internal Regulation of the Comenius University - Internal Quality Assurance System of Higher Education of the Comenius University Bratislava, Art. 87-98.
The literature listed in the course information sheets is available online, via MS TEAMS and Moodle (presentations, in some cases also manuscripts and unpublished university textbooks of teachers), or in the Library of the Faculty of Arts CU (hereinafter also referred to as "Library"). Literature in the Library’s holdings is searchable through the Library’s online catalogue, where it is possible to check the availability of individual copies. In case of an insufficient number of copies or need for acquisition of new literature, students and teachers may use the request/book proposal option. The Library also provides access to several external electronic resources.
The Library is the largest library and information workplace at Comenius University and it fulfils the function of an educational, scientific, and information workplace. The central workplaces of the Library are situated in the annex of the Comenius University on Múzejná ulica. Readers have access to a central lending library, a study room for textbooks, and a reading room for journals. During the semester, the library is open until 6 pm. A comprehensive reconstruction and modernization of the reading areas were carried out in 2009. The modernization of the premises has significantly improved the conditions for full-time study; the number of study spots in the study room has doubled (from the original 30 to 64), and the collection at hand for full-time study has been significantly expanded (from the original 3,500 books to 9,000). The construction modifications to the lending library have allowed for increasing the handling and storage space for outside-of-library borrowings, expanding the reading room for journals, and placing computers for students. All reading areas offer wi-fi connections, power sockets, and self-service photocopiers. The library stock consists of approximately 500,000 library units. Annual growth in recent years has been fairly stable, ranging from 7,000 to 9,000 library units. The Library subscribes to 249 journals; in addition to traditional print periodicals, library users have access to full texts of approximately 48,000 electronic journals and approximately 440,000 electronic books, which are available via the Comenius University Academic Library website. The library grants around 90,000 borrowings per year.
The procedures for the transition from full-time to distance education are regulated by the internal regulations of Comenius University in Bratislava and the Faculty of Arts CU in Bratislava, which are published on the faculty’s website.
The departments of Psychiatric Clinic of the Medical Faculty of Comenius University and UNB in Bratislava - Staré Mesto and Psychiatric Clinic of UNB Bratislava - Ružinov participate in the teaching. Evidence of cooperation is included in the file supplements. We also cooperate with other workplaces at the informal level and we are going to formalize these cooperation through contracts or memoranda of cooperation in the near future.
An updated list of other contracted workplaces is here.
Handbook for students – (section 4.8 and 4.9)
Students of the study programme are provided with access and support to participate in domestic and international mobility and internships. The International Relations Office assists students in this respect by providing administrative support and advice in student exchange programmes, internships, and promoting international mobility. The Erasmus+ Office at the Comenius University is available to students within Comenius University. The most significant share of student exchanges is accounted for by mobility under the Erasmus+ programmes, scholarships awarded by the Ministry of Education, Science, Research and Sport of the Slovak Republic on the basis of bilateral agreements, and scholarships under the CEEPUS programme (Central European Exchange Programme for University Studies). Mobility also takes place on the basis of other types of agreements: bilateral agreements between universities concluded at the university or faculty level, intergovernmental and international interdepartmental agreements in education (administered by the Slovak Academic Information Agency), the National Scholarship Programme, International Visegrad Fund scholarships, and individual scholarships. The position of the University and its faculties in relation to Erasmus+ mobility programmes at CU is regulated by the Internal Regulation of CU No. 3/2016 on the competence of CU and its faculties within the European Community Erasmus+ programme. In connection with the implementation of international mobility, the Faculty has established a system of recognition of courses and transfer of credits acquired at foreign universities (Art. 19 of the Internal Regulation of Faculty of Arts CU No. 5/2020, Study Regulations of Faculty of Arts CU).
The abilities and requirements necessary for admission are assessed by the admissions committee based on the submitted dissertation project and the course of the admission examination. Information about the admission procedure is published on the Faculty website.
Admission process are published on the Faculty website
The results of the admission process for the last period are published on the Faculty website.
The results of student feedback are reviewed by the faculty management, by the Dean’s Collegium, and at the level of the study programme council. Study programme council reviews the relevance of suggestions and comments on teachers, courses, and the study programme. Relevant comments are an incentive for the efficiency and overall improvement of the study programme. Each semester, the results of student feedback are commented on by all interested parties (faculty management, study department, the director of the Faculty of Arts Library, the student section of the Academic Senate and study programme council). Statements on the student feedback are published on the faculty website. Individual teachers of the study programme may also respond to students’ comments directly in the survey form and provide them with immediate feedback. The review of the student survey is also part of the faculty annual report.