Curriculum

Students consolidate their knowledge of scientific research. Students acquire theoretical knowledge of selected methods of evaluation and quality assurance, the development of evaluative questions and appropriate research designs, familiarity with all phases of scientific writing, in-depth knowledge of scientific writing standards, the ability to develop personal strategies when preparing for and writing their Master’s thesis in light of the requirements.

Students consolidate their diagnostic skills and knowledge of clinical psychology, with a focus on psychosomatics and mental illnesses in adulthood. Students acquire in-depth knowledge of psychosomatic disorders, including their diagnosis, genesis, frequency and course, in-depth knowledge of neuropsychology, an overview of the main psychotropic drugs, including their neurobiological bases, groups, effects and side effects, knowledge relating to the phenomenology, aetiology, epidemiology and treatment of mental illnesses, and more advanced diagnostic skills.

Students deepen their knowledge of the diverse fields of work and organisational psychology. Students acquire knowledge of the key topics in this field, such as work design, employee motivation and leadership, an overview of the concepts of human beings on which the theories are based, and a deeper insight into selected areas of work and organisational psychology such as company health management, employee recruitment, change management, personnel development and organisational development.

Students deepen their knowledge of the basic principles, theoretical backgrounds, requirements and possible applications of common evaluation methods in the context of psychological issues. Students acquire an overview of the principles of multiple and multivariate statistical methods, skills in the practical and applied examination of psychological questions and statistical analysis, knowledge of advanced qualitative and quantitative research methods, and the ability to use statistical software in computer-aided data analysis with multivariate methods.

Students deepen their knowledge of psychological and psychotherapeutic forms of intervention in clinical settings. Students acquire an overview of clinical psychological and psychotherapeutic activities, knowledge of disorder-specific and general disorder interventions, knowledge of the possibilities, side effects and limitations of clinical psychology and psychotherapy, knowledge of the legal framework for practising clinical psychology, a theoretical and practical introduction to modern therapeutic approaches, promoting resources and fostering resilience, and professional knowledge of the application of creative media and creativity methods.

Students expand their knowledge of the psychological aspects of marketing products and consumer behaviour. Students acquire an overview of the main features of the sales strategies deployed by companies, theories of consumer behaviour and the associated empirical studies, greater insight into areas such as purchasing decisions and money management in private households, an overview of market and consumer psychology and the psychological aspects of companies sales strategies, an overview of the extensive methods of addressing market and consumer psychology, an overview of the diverse methods for recording and improving the image of products, pricing principles, knowledge of the psychological mechanisms behind consumer decisions and a critical approach to their use in corporate marketing.

Students deepen their knowledge of applied social psychology, diversity and intercultural skills. Students acquire an overview of various approaches to interdisciplinary social psychology with a focus on research into prejudice, social interactionism, violence prevention and intercultural skills, an in-depth examination of critical theories of the subject and society, knowledge of social areas of applied psychology, e.g. in the field of health, practical knowledge of innovative fields of action for social psychology and competence development in a globalised world, and the ability to critically analyse social psychology research.

Students extend their knowledge of economic psychology. Students acquire a psychological perspective on financial topics, such as behaviour on stock markets, behaviour relating to savings and debt, insight into tax ethics, with particular attention to judgement and decision-making research, an overview of topics in economic psychology such as lay theories and everyday understanding of economic phenomena, an overview of the psychology of money, saving and spending behaviour in private households, investor behaviour on stock markets, the behaviour of players in labour markets and the consequences of unemployment from a psychological perspective, and in-depth knowledge of tax phenomena and decision-related psychology.

Students consolidate their knowledge in the field of clinical paediatric and adolescent psychology. Students acquire in-depth knowledge of paediatric and adolescent psychiatry and paediatric psychotherapy, an overview of the most common disorders in this age group and their specific symptoms, an introduction to the methods of clinical psychological treatment of children and adolescents with specific intervention strategies and developmental psychological phenomena, and knowledge of various prevention approaches and health-related psychological measures for children and adolescents.

Students build upon prior teaching on occupational, organisational and business psychology in preparation for engaging with key professional fields in this area. Students acquire the ability to apply theoretical knowledge in practice, learn about practical preparation for professional activities and acquire the skills required of business psychologists, management consultants, political consultants, market researchers and opinion researchers.

Students consolidate their skills and knowledge of health psychology and its areas of application. Students acquire in-depth knowledge of psychological concepts of healthcare and health promotion in planning, diagnostics, implementation and realisation, an overview of different healthcare provision, an overview of the possibilities for collaboration with other healthcare professions and practical experience through specific health-related psychology projects.

As part of their degree, students complete a traineeship of 200 hours at one or more institutions. KL offers students traineeships with various partners in the Lower Austria/Vienna region. The traineeship can also be completed at any psychology institution in Austria or internationally. Students gain experience in applying the knowledge and skills acquired in actual professional psychological practice and learn the ability to cooperate, take criticism and a sense of responsibility. The traineeship consolidates personal decision-making and action competence in everyday psychological work and improves professional reflection under supervision.

Students prepare a scientifically grounded, empirically focused or theoretical research paper. They evaluate the data collected and conduct their work in accordance with scientific standards. In writing their thesis, they demonstrate that they are able to carry out psychological research under supervision that corresponds to scientific standards of theory and methodology. Students acquire the ability to apply psychological research methods to an empirical or theoretical question, create data sets and analyse them using special software, interpret their own research results in the light of theory and specialist literature, organise scientific work, apply presentation techniques appropriate for the scientific field, give and receive constructive feedback, meet deadlines and use limited resources efficiently.