Objectives and competences

The master's degree is addressed to graduates who want comprehensive and multidisciplinary training in the field of psychology and education. The course is essentially career oriented, and is aimed at working professionals in socio-educational fields and other graduates looking for further or specialized training.

The master's offers three specializations related to the two major environments in which professionals in psychology and education operate: education and social and labour. In relation to the social and labour environment, the specialization has the same name (Educational Counselling in Social and Labour Environments);  and in relation to the educational environment, there are the two different specializations Psychological and Educational Intervention in Early Childhood and Primary Education, and Educational Counselling in Secondary Education. The latter corresponds to the master's degree that qualifies graduates to serve as teachers in compulsory secondary education, upper secondary education, vocational training and language training, with a specialization in educational guidance and counselling.

Basic information

TypeMaster's degree
Faculty or schoolFaculty of Education
Branch of knowledge
  • Education sciences
  • Behavioural sciences and psychology
  • Interdisciplinary
Mode of delivery
  • Face-to-face
Credits60
Number of places available50
Length of course1 academic year
Language(s) of instructionCatalan and Spanish
Approximate price per credit27.67 euros per credit (82 euros for students who are not EU nationals and do not currently reside in Spain). Fees for the academic year 2023-2024
CoordinationELIA LOPEZ CASSA
E-mailmaster.psicopedagogia@ub.edu
Course detailsIndicators
Open pre-enrolmentYes
Open enrolmentNo
Lead to doctoral studiesYes
Admission for applicants not holding a degree qualificationNo
Bridging coursesYes
Specializations
  • Psychoeducational Care In Early Childhood and Primary Education
  • Psychoeducational Guidance In Secondary Education
  • Psychoeducational Guidance in Social and Occupational Environments

Objectives and competences

Objectives

  • Train as an education professional with a solid understanding of educational psychology applied to academic and professional guidance, capable of dealing effectively with issues of diversity and providing guidance on teaching and learning processes, and understanding the difficulties inherent in these processes.
  • Develop in-depth knowledge of how to plan and manage educational psychology services, including counselling, guidance and evaluation.
  • Carry out effective critical analysis and interpretation of educational psychology policy, practice and treatment scenarios, which will provide the basis for competent professional practice and the improvement of teaching and learning processes.
  • Employ a range of tools and strategies for improving the planning and management of educational psychology services, including counselling, guidance and evaluation.
  • Learn to respond ethically and professionally to the various theoretical and practical issues raised during the course and that may arise in future professional practice.

Competences

Basic competences

  • Knowledge forming the basis of original thinking in the development or application of ideas, typically in a research context.
  • Capacity to apply the acquired knowledge to problem-solving in new or relatively unknown environments within broader (or multidisciplinary) contexts related to the field of studies.
  • Capacity to integrate knowledge and tackle the complexity of formulating judgements based on incomplete or limited information, taking due consideration of the social and ethical responsibilities involved in applying knowledge and making judgements.
  • Capacity to communicate knowledge and conclusions and the grounds on which they have been reached to specialist and non-specialist audiences in a clear and unambiguous manner.
  • Capacity for ongoing self-directed and independent learning.


General competences

  • Capacity to solve problems in new or relatively unknown environments within broader (or multidisciplinary) contexts.
  • Capacity for decision-making based on problem analysis, and critical application of the latest knowledge and advances in the field of educational psychology.
  • Capacity to communicate professional decisions and conclusions and the grounds on which they have been reached to specialist and non-specialist audiences in a clear and unambiguous manner.
  • Awareness of beliefs and stereotypes in one's own culture and in others, and of the implications of these in professional practice. Capacity to demonstrate a respect for individual and social differences.
  • Capacity to work professionally and appropriately in all cases, demonstrating a respect for the code of ethics of the profession.
  • Capacity to maintain an up-to-date knowledge of information and communication technologies and apply them in professional practice.
  • Capacity to actively pursue continuous professional development, to recognize aspects of professional practice that must be improved upon, and to acquire greater independence and competence.


Specific competences

  • Capacity to assess the socio-educational needs of individuals, groups and organizations, using different tools and techniques, taking into account the specific context in each case.
  • Capacity to provide advice and guidance to education professionals and socio-educational agents on the organization, design and implementation of teaching-learning processes and experiences, with a focus on fostering diversity and equal opportunities.
  • Capacity to apply the basic principles of counselling to the design of strategies for stimulating the personal and professional development of individuals.
  • Capacity to design, implement and evaluate educational practices, programs and services aimed at meeting the needs of individuals, organizations and groups.
  • Capacity to plan, organize and implement services in the field of psychology and education.
  • Capacity to apply basic management principals to coordinated activity planning and in the leadership of educational psychology teams, supporting collaboration between the different socio-educational agents and institutions.
  • Capacity to analyse, interpret and propose actions and strategies, considering educational policies in a dynamic and constantly evolving social context.
  • Capacity to formulate new proposals for improving educational psychology practices, based on the results of research in the field.

Access and admission

Applicant profile and access requirements

Recommended applicant profile

This master's degree is addressed to professionals with a university qualification seeking further advanced training, which is both specialized and cross-disciplinary, aimed at professional specialization in the field of psychology and education. The course is essentially career-oriented, and is thus aimed primarily at two groups: education professionals looking for further training in the field of related psychology, and graduates who wish to complete specialized training in psychology and education.

Access requirements and conditions

General requirements
In accordance with Article 16 of Royal Decree 1393/2007, of 29 October, students wishing to be admitted to a university master's degree must hold one of the following qualifications:

  • Official Spanish university degree.

  • A degree issued by a higher education institution within the European Higher Education Area framework that authorizes the holder to access university master's degree courses in the country of issue.

  • A qualification issued by an institution outside the framework of the European Higher Education Area. In this case, applicants must request homologation of the degree to its equivalent official Spanish university qualification or obtain express approval from the University of Barcelona, which will conduct a study of equivalence to ensure that the degree is of a comparable level to an official Spanish university qualification and that it grants access to university master's degree study in the country of issue. Admission shall not, in any case, imply that prior qualifications have been recognized as equivalent to a Spanish master's degree and does not confer recognition for any purposes other than that of admission to the master's degree course.

Specific requirements
Qualifications granting direct access:

Undergraduate degrees in Education and Psychology, university diplomas or bachelor's degrees in Teacher Training, with special qualifications or certified training in issues related to diversity.

Qualifications granting access with train-up credits*:

University diplomas or bachelor's degrees in Teacher Training, Social Education and Social Work.
University qualifications in other disciplines with accredited professional experience in the field of educational psychology.

Holders of officially recognised equivalent qualifications awarded by foreign universities may also apply.

* The Master's Committee establishes in each case the specific content of train-up credits according to the students' prior knowledge. Train-up modules, up to a maximum of 30 credits, focus on content relating to the fundamental principles of educational psychology.

Pre-enrolment

Calendar

First period: from 1 February to 31 May 2024.
Notification of resolutions: 26 June.

Notes:

  • Pre-enrolment fee: A pre-enrolment fee of 30,21 euros is charged. Students who apply to more than one master's degree must pay the fee for each pre-enrolment request. Pre-enrolment requests cannot be processed until this fee has been paid.Fees will only be refunded if the master's degree in question is suspended.
  • Reserved places: A maximum of 5% of the new places of the master's degree are reserved for students who meet the general and specific access requirements and accredit the recognition of a degree of disability equal to or greater than 33%.

Required documentation

Selection criteria

The selection criteria established by the Master's Committee are evaluated according to the following characteristics, in order of priority:
  • Suitability of the academic profile: priority is given to holders of qualifications granting direct access. For holders of other qualifications, consideration is given to both the academic and professional curriculum relating to psychology and education.
  • Evaluation of academic record (mean grade).
  • Previous professional experience.
  • Assessment of motivation and interest in the training.

Notification

The Master's Coordinating Committee will only evaluate applications that include the required documentation (academic documentation, motivation letter and curriculum) and include the payment of the pre-registration fee. The resolutions will be notified electronically or through the publication on the web within the deadline provided in the pre-registration calendar.

Enrolment

As a general rule, at the UB you will be required to enrol online. Remember that you can lose your place if you do not enrol on the day you have been assigned

Course curriculum

Subjects and course plans

Distribution of credits

Type ECTS
Compulsory 15
Optional 25
Compulsory placements 14
Compulsory final project 6
TOTAL 60

List of subjects

Subject Type Language Credits
Specialization: BC for admission to the Master's Degree in Educational Psychology
Contemporary Thought on Teaching and Society Optional 1st semester 2
Developmental Disorders Optional 1st semester 2
Diagnosis and Educational Guidance Optional 1st semester 2
Diversity and Education Optional 1st semester 2
Evolutionary Psychology and Education Psychology Optional 1st semester 2
Teaching and Learning and the Curriculum Optional 1st semester 2

Bridging courses

Subject Type Language Credits
Specialization: Psychoeducational Care In Early Childhood and Primary Education
Assessment in the Practice of Educational Psychology and the Study of Teaching Compulsory 1st semester 5
Final Assignment Compulsory 2nd semester 6
Guidance and Assessment Models in the Practice of Educational Psychology and the Study of Teaching Compulsory 1st semester 5
Guidance and Tutorial Optional 2nd semester 5
Neurodevelopmental Disorders Optional 2nd semester 5
Planning and Management of the Practice of Educational Psychology and the Study of Teaching Compulsory 1st semester 5
Practicum Compulsory 2nd semester 14
Strategies and Resources in the Practice of Educational Psychology and the Study of Teaching in Early Childood and Primary Education Optional 2nd semester 10
The Practice of Educational Psychology and the Study of Teaching in Teaching and Learning Processes Optional 2nd semester 5
Specialization: Psychoeducational Guidance In Secondary Education
Assessment in the Practice of Educational Psychology and the Study of Teaching Compulsory 1st semester 5
Final Assignment Compulsory 2nd semester 6
Guidance and Assessment Models in the Practice of Educational Psychology and the Study of Teaching Compulsory 1st semester 5
Guidance and Tutorial Optional 2nd semester 5
Guidance Models in the Practice of Educational Psychology and the Study of Teaching for Personal, Academic and Professional Development in Secondary Education Optional 2nd semester 10
Neurodevelopmental Disorders Optional 2nd semester 5
Planning and Management of the Practice of Educational Psychology and the Study of Teaching Compulsory 1st semester 5
Practicum Compulsory 2nd semester 14
The Practice of Educational Psychology and the Study of Teaching in Teaching and Learning Processes Optional 2nd semester 5
Specialization: Psychoeducational Guidance in Social and Occupational Environments
Assessment in the Practice of Educational Psychology and the Study of Teaching Compulsory 1st semester 5
Final Assignment Compulsory 2nd semester 6
Guidance and Assessment Models in the Practice of Educational Psychology and the Study of Teaching Compulsory 1st semester 5
Guidance and Labour Transition Optional 2nd semester 5
Integration in the Community and in Employment for Disabled People Optional 2nd semester 5
Planning and Management of the Practice of Educational Psychology and the Study of Teaching Compulsory 1st semester 5
Practicum Compulsory 2nd semester 14
Strategies and Resources in the Practice of Educational Psychology and the Study of Teaching in Adults Optional 2nd semester 10
The Practice of Educational Psychology and the Study of Teaching in Lifelong Learning and Professional Development Optional 2nd semester 5

Previous years

Placements

Placements in a company or another type of organization are an integral part of university studies, providing first-hand experience of working methodologies in students' chosen professional fields. They offer invaluable practical experience for the transition into work after graduation.



Placements are supervised by tutors and subject to assessment. They are therefore included in the academic record.  There is also an option to complete non-curricular placements of up to 500 hours, which can be extended to 900 hours. For both curricular and non-curricular placements, an educational cooperation agreement is signed between the UB and the company, institution or other organization at which the placement will be carried out.



Institutional information


Career opportunities

What can you work on ?

The master's degree prepares students to practice educational psychology. Professional roles in the field of psychology and education are typically focused on educational processes related to counselling and guidance and teaching and learning in a wide range of occupations in both educational and socio-occupational environments.

Career opportunities in education:*
Departments of educational psychology and counselling services.
University counselling services.
Special education services:
- Advisory teams specializing in psychology and education.
- Special education services (centres for people with disabilities and motor skills disorders, educational resource centres for people with visual and auditory disabilities, etc.).
- Advisory teams specializing in language and social cohesion.
- Teams specializing in general behavioural disorders.
- Care centres and clinics specializing in early childhood development.
- Residential learning centres.

Career opportunities in socio-occupational environments:
- Public employment services.
- Public information and counselling services (economic development, youth centres, immigration departments, etc.).
- Vocational guidance and job placement services.
- Vocational training centres and training consultancies.
- Business clusters.
- Employment integration support services.
- Special work centres.
- Human resources departments and consultancies.
- Educational and social foundations.
- Publishing houses and media companies.

* For students who compete the specialization Educational Counselling in Secondary Education, the master's degree corresponds to the qualification that allows graduates to serve as teachers in compulsory secondary education, upper secondary education, vocational training and language training, with a specialization in educational guidance and counselling. This is a requirement for access to specific sites of educational psychology practice in public schools and education centres.

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