Doctorate in Psychology

Presentation

In recent years, research in psychology has significantly grown, partly because we count on new technologies for the production of knowledge, but mainly because today’s world requires progress in our understanding of what is human and requires that we propose solutions to the challenges we face at different levels. The specialized training in the different fields of Psychology is timely and relevant, since it enables to update and/or provide new assessment, intervention and transformation tools in the different contemporary contexts in which human activity is developed.

The study program of the Doctorate in Psychology has as aim the advanced education for research, teaching and professional practice. We are committed to the training of highly skilled PhD candidates with a high level of technical qualification, ethical sense of discipline as a science and profession, and an approach towards the production of knowledge and social change in different fields in which the program is developed: clinical and health psychology, social and community psychology, forensic psychology, educational psychology and industrial and organizational psychology.

Each one of these areas has a strong social presence and a corpus of theoretical, technological and applied systematized knowledge, clearly differentiated from other disciplinary areas. The PhD candidate will choose the specialization, corresponding to one of these areas, will study three subjects and will develop the PhD thesis within one of the offered research lines.

Who is the program for?

The program of Doctorate in Psychology is aimed at students with a Degree or Master’s Degree in some of the following fields:

  • Psychology
  • Physicians specialized in Psychiatry

Structure

LENGTH PURPOSE STUDY PLAN
PHASE I: TEACHING - CORE COURSES
6 months Acquiring the knowledge and skills needed to provide solutions that contribute to human development, scientific and technological development of the PhD candidate. Taking on-line subjects related to the research process, as well as its different methodological perspectives.
PHASE II: TEACHING - SPECIALIZATION COURSES
6 months Acquiring specific knowledge from the research area chosen by the PhD candidates, that help them to deepen into their knowledge, and to focus the thesis’ research line. Taking a total of 3 subjects belonging to the specialization chosen by the PhD candidates.
PHASE III: RESEARCH
1 year Helping to define the PhD thesis topic, objectives, hypothesis and methodology, as well as to develop the thesis. Developing research works conducive to the project execution.
PHASE IV: THESIS DEVELOPMENT
1 - 3 years Drafting the PhD thesis. Developing the PhD thesis under the supervision of the Director.

Educational Methodology

The virtual campus as support tool to the formation has been designed in such a way that enables to put into practice a formative methodology oriented to encourage a significant learning (through the proposal of challenging training activities related to the students’ interests), which is flexible (it enables to overcome barriers of space and time), dynamic and interactive, personalized (it attends to different cognitive and learning styles), cooperative (through activities promoting the joint construction of knowledge), and that stimulates the student’s critical and practical thought and it attends both their cognitive and affective dimension.

From this perspective, learning is understood as the joint construction of knowledge from the interactive relation and collaborative work between teachers, students, training activities and teaching materials.

Diploma

The doctoral student who meets the academic requirements and passes the defense of his or her doctoral thesis according to the rules of the university that offers the doctoral program, may qualify for the degree of:

  • DOCTOR IN PSYCHOLOGY from the International Iberoamerican University (Mexico).

Study Plan

The Doctorate in Psychology is a multidisciplinary program that provides the student with the necessary knowledge and skills to develop a rigorous and quality contribution to the scientific research. This program responds to the challenges imposed by the social, cultural and economic change experimented over the years, which also requires the scientific community to provide new questions and solutions. The doctorate teaching phase is based on the scientific research of excellence by training the doctorate candidates in acquiring the knowledge that will enrich their learning process. Thus, through the strengthening of knowledge in research methods and profiling the research lines, students will be able to deepen into their area of choice.

The Doctorate in Psychology consists of the following phases:

  • INTRODUCTION PHASE
INTRODUCTION PHASE
During this first period, the objective is that the student learns how to use the Virtual Campus and its tools, in addition to receive the information about the academic program and the study dates.
  • PHASE I: TEACHING - CORE COURSES
PHASE I: TEACHING - CORE COURSES
# SUBJECTS
1 Research methodology
2 Research Seminar
  • PHASE II: TEACHING - ELECTIVE MODULE (THE PHD CANDIDATE STUDIES THE ONE THAT HAS BEEN CHOSEN)
PHASE II: TEACHING - ELECTIVE MODULE
# SPECIALIZATION IN CLINICAL AND HEALTH PSYCHOLOGY
1 Psychometric models and data analysis in psychology
2 Overall methods and tools for the clinical evaluation and psychodiagnostic
3 Evaluation and intervention of the psychological problems
# SPECIALIZATION IN EDUCATIONAL PSYCHOLOGY
1 Psycho-pedagogical Assessment and Diagnosis
2 Psychopedagogy: Education and the Learning Process
3 Interculturality and Education
# SPECIALIZATION IN INDUSTRIAL AND ORGANIZATIONAL PSYCHOLOGY
1 Critics and analysis of research in Industrial and Organizational Psychology
2 Organizational behavior from a complex vision
3 The individual-organization link: essences, debates and challenges
# SPECIALIZATION IN SOCIAL AND COMMUNITY PSYCHOLOGY
1 Designs and methodologies of intervention in Social and Community Psychology
2 Theoretical and epistemological references of Social and Community Psychology
3 Analysis and intervention of psychosocial and community processes
# SPECIALIZATION IN FORENSIC PSYCHOLOGY
1 Criminal Psychological Assessment
2 Legal Psychology
3 Forensic Psychopathology
  • PHASE III: RESEARCH
PHASE III: RESEARCH
# SUBJECTS
1 Research Work I
2 Research Work II
3 PhD Thesis’ Proposal
  • PHASE IV: THESIS DEVELOPMENT
PHASE IV: THESIS DEVELOPMENT
# SUBJECTS
1 Development of the Thesis
2 Dissertation Thesis

Lines of Research

PHD IN PSYCHOLOGY. LINES OF RESEARCH:
# CINICAL AND HEALTH PSYCHOLOGY
1 Mourning, trauma and anxiety disorders
2 Psychobiological risk and vulnerability factors in psychotic disorders: effectiveness and efficiency of the combined psychotherapeutic treatments and repercussions in the health status, psychosocial adjustment and impairment
3 Self-image and diet: Study of the evolution of eating disorders in youth population
4 Child-juvenile psychopathology: Study of the disorders with onset in childhood and adolescence, effective treatments, evaluation and diagnosis
5 Personality: type A personality profiles as a pattern and personality disorders
6 Perspectives for prevention and stress management. Health and quality of life promotion
7 Third-generation therapies: applications and challenges
8 Resilience and development. Eco-systemic understanding in the clinical psychology field
9 Human communication from a complexity approach. Contexts of development, cultures, ecology and psychopathology
10 Diversity, identity and systemic family therapy in clinical psychology. Individual, couples and family therapies
11 Traffic psychology and traffic safety
12 Clinical neuropsychology
13 Clinical Psychoneuroimmunology
14 Mood Disorders and their Relationship to Personality Factors and Prevalent Traits
15 Perspectives for the Prevention and Treatment of Depression, Health Promotion and Quality of Life
16 Psychoethics
17 Family Roles and Psychological Adaptation in Adoptive Families
18 Adherence to Treatment in Chronic Disease of Onset at Birth
# INDUSTRIAL AND ORGANIZATIONAL PSYCHOLOGY
1 Composition of effective work groups: dilemmas for the organizational growth
2 Leadership and gender: Glass ceilings, women’s access to managerial positions
3 The conflict as a manager of the organizational growth
4 Interorganizational relationships: challenges and growth alternatives from cooperation
5 Individuals and society: Employability in times of crisis
6 Prevention and intervention of Mobbing and Burnout in the work context
7 The new scenarios: the change as a management of the uncertainty and organizational complexity
# EDUCATIONAL PSYCHOLOGY
1 Cultural perspectives in the study of learning and education
2 Equity and inclusive education: evaluation and improvement of cultures, policies and school practices. Quality of family life and disability
3 Learning and teaching processes in different formal and informal educational contexts
4 Learning and teaching processes in different knowledge fields (mathematics, social sciences, history, language, music, science, sports, art, etc.)
5 Psychological processes and interpersonal relationships in formal and informal educational contexts (cooperation, aggression, inclusive intervention and students’ participation)
6 The influence of the family context in the psychological development. Positive parenting
7 Intervention programs based on the evidence in minors and their families
# FORENSIC PSYCHOLOGY
1 Anti-social, violent and criminal behavior in minors: Minors’ legal psychology
2 Testimony psychology: dishonesty and veracity
3 Victimology
4 Criminal psychopathology
5 Therapeutical and restorative justice, reparation of victims and forgiveness
6 Judgements and legal decisions-making
# SOCIAL AND COMMUNITY PSYCHOLOGY
1 Political-community perspectives on migration and integration: Diversity, acculturation and participation
2 Demographic longevity and social inclusion: Alternatives of community participation and life quality in elderly people
3 Interpersonal networks, inter-group relations and new communities
4 Socio-cultural perspectives of gender and family Male and female roles and family structure
5 Implementation and evaluation of programs, strategies and models of psychosocial intervention and conflict resolution in different fields
6 Ethnic minorities: legislation, protection, inclusion and social-community intervention

*It is included the creation of new research lines in accordance with the students’ interests.

Direction

  • Dr. Juan Luis Martín Ayala. PhD in Psychology from the University of the Basque Country, Spain. Master’s Degree in Mental Health at the Universidad de Deusto, Spain. Expert on Family Mediation. Director of the PhD in Psychology at the International Iberoamerican University, Mexico. Director of the Academic Degree in Psychology and Teacher and Researcher of the Evolutionary Psychology and Education area at the European University of the Atlantic, Spain. Author and co-author of numerous books, book chapters and research articles on the field. Participation in international conferences on development and education.
  • PhD. Laura Natalia Pérez. PhD (Cum Laude) and Master's Degree in Cognitive Science and Language at the University of Barcelona, Spain. Academic Director of the Master’s Degree in Health Psychology at the International Iberoamerican University, Mexico; Academic Coordinator of the PhD in Psychology and Professor at this university. Psychologist and coach, founder of Human Flourishing. Research Experience at the University of Barcelona, Spain. Experience as a psychologist at the Hospital San Juan de Dios and La inmaculada, Colombia.

Teaching staff and Authors

  • Dr. Óscar Ulloa. PhD in Education by the Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul (Brazil). Master’s Degree in Community Development and Social Psychology. Holder teacher at the Havana Medical Sciences University (Cuba). He has participated in many research projects from 2005 to present. Author of several publications in prestigious scientific journals and author of books on Educational Psychology, Social Psychology and Community Psychology. Speaker at national and international congresses.
  • PhD. María de los Ángeles González García. PhD in Educational Psychology and Sport Psychology by the Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona. Master’s Degree in Research in Health Psychology and Sport Psychology by the Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona. Degree in Psychology, Specialization: Clinical Psychology, Universidad de Salamanca. Part-time Holder Teacher at Soler i Sala SL, Barcelona, in Consultation and Training in Health Psychology, Coaching and PNL (June 2009-2011) and currently Associate Professor at the Degree in Psychology at the European University of the Atlantic. She has worked as a Psychologist in the Unity of Internal Medicine of the Hospital Germans Trias i Pujol, Barcelona, in Assistance, Research and Training tasks. At present, she is Director of the Psychoeducational Center “BalanCe”, in Santander, Psychologist and Mindfulness trainer. She has published manuals and scientific articles published in international journals on Clinical Psychology and she has collaborated in many clinical studies.
  • PhD. Andrea Corrales Pardo. PhD in molecular Biology and Biomedicine (Cum Laude) with research training in neuropsychophysiology. Master’s Degree in Molecular Biology and Biomedicine at the University of the Basque Country and the University of Cantabria. Degree in Psychology at the National Distance Education University. Degree in Biology (Sanitary specialization) at the University of Oviedo. Professor at the Physiology department of the Medicine Faculty at the University of Cantabria. She has taught Physiology and Psychophysiology at the European University of the Atlantic.
  • PhD. Pamela Parada Fernández. PhD (Cum Laude) in Clinical and Health Psychology from the Universidad de Deusto, Spain. Master's Degree in Health Psychology at the Miguel Hernández University of Elche, Spain. Degree in Psychology with honors at the Universidad Católica Silva Henríquez, Chile. Neuropsychologist of the Diputación de Álava, Spain. Researcher at the Universidad de Deusto. Lecturer at various national and international events. Author and co-author of several scientific publications.
  • PhD. Mireia Oliva Macías. PhD in Clinical and Health Psychology and Master’s Degree in Mental Health and Psychological Therapies at the Universidad de Deusto, Spain. Experience as a teacher and researcher at the Universidad de Deusto. Experience as a psychologist in the Centro Psicológico y de Logopedia Logos, Bilbao, Spain. Speaker at national and international congresses. Author and co-author of several scientific publications.
  • Dr. Ángel Olider Rojas Vistorte. Doctorate in Psychiatry and Medical Psychology from the Federal University of São Paulo, Brazil. Master in Clinical Psychology from the University of Havana, Cuba. Degree in General Psychology from the University of Oriente, Cuba. Researcher at the Program of Recognition and Intervention in Mental States at Risk (PRISMA, Programa de Reconocimiento e Intervención en Estados Mentales de Riesgo), as well as at the Brazilian Institute of Psychopharmacology and Pharmacogenetics (BIPP) where he is responsible for several projects. Professor and researcher since 2005 where he has taught undergraduate and graduate subjects related to: Basic Processes, History of Psychology, Psychometric Scale Evaluation, Cognitive Processes, Psychopathology, Psychopharmacology, Neurosciences, Research Methodology, Statistical Analysis (SPSS), Human Intelligence, Social Psychology, among others. Has several scientific publications in indexed journals and book chapters in Psychiatry and Psychology. Speaker at national and international conferences and workshops.
  • PhD. Silvia Quer Palomas. PhD in Clinical and Health Psychology, Master’s Degree in Neurosciences and Degree in Psychology at the Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona. Master’s Degree in Clinical and Health Psychology, and Master’s Degree student in General Sanitary Psychology at the University of Barcelona. Experience as a reasercher in different groups at the Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona. Experience as a Sanitary Psychologist in many private centers, assisting children, adolescents, adults and elderly people. Author and co-author of several scientific publications.
  • PhD. Lilia Stevens De la Cruz. PhD in Pedagogical Sciences by the Cátedra Manuel F. Grant, University of Oriente, Cuba. Degree in Psychology, University of Oriente, Cuba. Her working activity has been linked to teaching and research in the context of Psychology of the pre-school and adolescent development, as well as in processes of tutoring, psychological and educational counseling in the field of Higher Education. Experience in research project management in the area of learning, didactics, curricular design, human resources management and scientific research methodology applied to the marketing and business management processes. She has also worked in the area of psychological counseling in spaces of clinical and therapeutic intervention. Significant participation in Workshops, Seminars and Congresses. Author and co-author of several scientific publications in cooperation with Denmark, Canada, Angola and Spain.
  • Dr. Emmanuel Soriano Flores. Doctor in Higher Education Sciences from the Chapingo Autonomous University. Master in Educational Innovation from the Pedro de Gante University. Master and Bachelor’s degree in Administration from the National Autonomous University of Mexico (graduate with honorable mention). Post-degree in Financial Management and Accounting from the European Business School in Barcelona. Master in Business and Corporate Communication from the University of Isabel I. Professor in the International Iberoamerican University.
  • PhD. Juliana Azevedo Gomes. PhD in Education and Society by the University of Barcelona. Master’s Degree in Didactics, Teacher Training and Educational Evaluation by the University of Barcelona, Spain. Specialization in Psychopedagogy by the Universidade Luterana do Brasil. Her professional career has been linked to teaching and research in the Didactics field, in different learning environments. Experience in design of evaluation tools and didactic materials development, mainly for the virtual environment teaching. Author and co-author of scientific publications in Brazil, United States and Spain. Speaker at congresses and seminars in the United States, England, Germany and Spain.
  • Dr. Abel Ponce. PhD in Psychology by the Universidad Autónoma de Madrid. Degree in Psychology and Master’s Degree in Social Communication by the Universidad de La Habana. He is currently professor and researcher at the Universidad Autónoma de Madrid and at the International University of La Rioja. He has participated in several research projects on drug addiction and youth cultures, implications of drug consumption in families of drug addicts, migration in university students, cultural studies, creativity and development of the creative potential in children, clinical and health psychology. He has publications in international journals and he has completed research stages in universities of many countries. Moreover, he has received several awards and fellowships due to his research projects. After more than 14 years of teaching and research, his fundamental interest is linked to the research on creative potential development in different fields (Health, Education and Business).
  • PhD. Andresa Sartor Harada. PhD in Education by the Iberoamerican International University. Master’s Degree in Education by the University of Barcelona. Coordinator of the Master’s Degree in Education offered by the International Iberoamerican University of Mexico. Experience as a teacher in virtual environments. Experience as a teacher and coordinator in high schools, middle schools and elementary schools. Speaker at congresses, educational activities and national and international workshops.
  • PhD. Yadira Palenzuela. PhD in Psychology by the University of Chile. Master’s Degree in Systemic Analysis Applied to the Society and in Educational Psychology. Professor of Interpersonal Communication at the University of Chile and researcher of the Fondecyt project. She has collaborated in many research projects over the last 12 years, mainly in research lines in the social, organizational and educational fields. As a result of her research activity, she has participated in several speeches and publications.
  • Dr. David Herrero Fernández. PhD in Psychology by the Universidad de Deusto. He has been teacher of Psychology, Developmental Psychology, Evolutionary difficulties and Developmental disorders, and he has tutored students in their Undergraduate Degree Final Project in Psychology. Regarding his research activity, he has 30 scientific publications, mainly in the area of Traffic Psychology and Traffic Safety, on which he developed his PhD thesis. He has followed research lines focusing on both the driver and the pedestrian, analyzing risky and aggressive behaviors and contextual and characterological aspects. Besides, he has carried out researches in many areas such as couple psychology, child sexual abuse, pathological gambling, mindfulness, depression, etc. Regarding more applied aspects, he has designed a prevention program of risky behaviors and traffic accidents, which it is applied in many enterprises and schools.
  • Dr. Juan José Cuervo Rodríguez. PhD in Educational Psychology by the Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Spain. Master’s Degree in Clinical and Family Psychology by the Universidad Santo Tomás, Colombia. His professional career has been developed in the systemic family therapy and in the understanding of clinical psychology from a complexity perspective. His publications deepen into human development from an eco-systemic perspective; resilence and indentity processes; pragmatic perspective of human communication; emotional development and intelligence; health education; marital viability and durability.
  • PhD. Paula Odriozola. Degree and PhD in Psychology. Her path is mainly linked to Clinical Psychology, both due to her training (Master’s Degree in Contextual Therapies, Master’s Degree in Clinical Psychology and PhD in the area of Psychological Personality, Evaluation and Treatment) and by her teaching and research development in public universities (Universities of Oviedo, Murcia and Valladolid) and in private universities (Asociación Española de Psicología Clínica Cognitivo-Conductual and Universidad Europea of Madrid). Her study subject have been Third-Generation Therapies, as well as their application at different levels, such as Clinical, Educational and Work levels. She has many publications in prestigious international journals and she has participated in national and international congresses on this topic.
  • Dr. David Gil. Degree in Psychology and PhD in Medicine and Psychiatry from the University of Cantabria. He is currently the main researcher of two multicentre projects of Hospitaller Sisters, focused on personal stigmatization of patients suffering from schizophrenia and on evaluation and rehabilitation of social cognition. He is author of several articles on clinical topics and he has presented scientific works in national congresses.

Scholarships

The Iberoamerican University Foundation (FUNIBER) has created the following program: “PhD Scholarships” aimed at people with an excellent academic record. Other foundations, institutions and universities have joined this program.

This PhD scholarship program is aimed at university teaching staff, with the objective of contributing to an increase in the percentage of PhDs in universities. It is also aimed at professionals from the business and public administration world, in order to contribute to the R+D departments and to generate innovation.