Curriculum Summary
The Social Psychology of Transformation (SPOT) programme is a two-year, 120 ECTS course focusing on "Transformative Leadership," "Conflict and Cooperation," and "Environment and Sustainability." It involves mandatory study periods at IPU Berlin (Germany), ISCTE (Portugal), and the University of Padua (Italy), along with a 20 ECTS internship, preferably in Serbia or Bosnia and Herzegovina. The curriculum consists of 10 modules, including a student-organised summer school.
Semester 1 (IPU Berlin)
Focuses on foundational concepts across 3 modules and on practices of scientific research in a 4th module:
- Transformative Leadership I (Societal Transformations | Ethical Dilemmas | Leadership & Sustainability)
- Conflict and Cooperation I (Psychoanalysis & Conflict Dynamics or Epistemology & Subject Theory | Social Psychology of Violence or Social Influence | Action-oriented Interventions I)
- Environment and Sustainability I (Environmental Psychology | Digital Transformation & Sustainability)
- Advanced Research Methods (Research Workshop | Qualitative Research Design | Cross-cultural Methods or Multivariate Statistics)
Semester 2 (ISCTE Lisbon)
Focuses on the driving forces behind socio-environmental conflicts and their transformation towards sustainability while building on the knowledge gained in the 3 basic modules:
- Transformative Leadership II (Community Psychology | Social Intervention Programs)
- Conflict and Cooperation II (Social Trauma | Action-oriented Interventions II or Intergroup Conflicts)
- Environment and Sustainability II (Environment, Justice and Health | Social Psychology & Environment)
Semester 3 (University of Padua)
Focuses on cross-cultural psychology and includes 1 module:
- Cultural Diversity in Organizational Psychology (Cross-Cultural Issues in Personnel Psychology | Human Rights or Psychology of Inclusion and Social Sustainability)
Summer School
Students organise an online summer school on "Digital Transformation and Sustainability," selecting speakers and designing the programme. The process is supported by partner universities, with financial and organisational backing.
Internship
A 20 ECTS internship in Serbia or Bosnia and Herzegovina, supervised by professional psychologists, offers hands-on experience in post-conflict societies amid democratisation processes, focusing on psychosocial support and community interventions. Students are guaranteed placement within a diverse network of NGOs and civil society organisations in these countries. Alternatively, students may fulfil the 20 ECTS requirement through an internship at an organisation or in a country of their choice, provided that the internship meets the standards and conditions set by the SPOT programme.
Thesis
After completing the internship, students write a master’s thesis under supervision from two partner universities, with an oral defence required for graduation.
Learning Outcomes & Skills
The SPOT programme aligns with European standards (ESCO, EuroPsy) and equips you with the ability to distinguish leadership styles within psychodynamic processes, understand conflict and cooperation in the context of social change, and promote sustainable social environments amidst digital transformation. You will master mixed research methods, assess psychosocial problems in diverse settings, and apply community-intervention tools. Additionally, you will explore the social, psychological, and health impacts of environmental policies, and develop cross-cultural and diversity management skills for real-world challenges.
The modules are laid out in detail in the programme’s handbook.
Qualifications & Recognition
As a SPOT student, you will earn the following degrees:
- a joint master’s degree in “Social Psychology of Transformation – Understanding and Mastering Social Change” awarded by IPU, ISCTE, TLU, UNSA, UNIBL and UniNis
and
- a national master’s degree in clinical, social and intercultural psychology, Classe LM-51 - Classe delle lauree magistrali e professionalizzanti in Psicologia – (Legge n. 163/2021), awarded by the University of Padua