Program Presentation
The Master in General Health Psychology trains to have a career as a general health psychologist. The general health psychologist is a professional who makes research, assessment and psychological intervention works in the health sector and, consequently, influences the promotion and improvement of the general health status of its recipients. Hence, it is a specialization within the Psychology clinical field.
The Master’s Degree deepens in the most scientifically-proven techniques in the assessment, diagnosis and psychological intervention in children, young people and adults. Furthermore, given its nature, it gives the abilities that are needed as well as broad technical and theoretical knowledge to be a health professional. So, it considers making external internship in famous health care centers, with which the University has signed a collaboration agreement, that enable putting into practice and gain experience in real working contexts.
Who is the programme for?
The Master in General Health Psychology trains the student to have a career in the health sector: with patients diagnosed with different mental disorders or who need psychological support due to other health-related problems. Hence, it is an specialization within the Psychology clinical field.
To have access to these studies, it is essential to be holding an undergraduate/bachelor’s degree in Psychology together with, if necessary, an additional training that ensures that the student has obtained at least 90 (ECTS) health-related credits For that reason, all those who meet this condition and wish to work as this and/or improve their professional competencies.
Diploma
The successful completion of the Program will allow the student to obtain the degree of MASTER IN GENERAL HEALTH PSYCHOLOGY, issued by the University where he or she has registered.
Program Structure
The Master in General Health Psychology’s length is 90 credits that contain all the theoretical-practical training that the student needs to have to obtain the Master’s Degree.
The structure of the Master's Degree in General Health Psychology consists of 4 modules, 7 topics and 22 subjects, organized according to the following scheme:
| MODULES | TOPICS | CREDITSa | HOURS | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Basic | Scientific and health foundations of health psychology | 6 | 150 |
| 2 | Specific | Mandatory
|
30 | 750 |
Electives B:
|
12 | 300 | ||
| 3 | External Internship | External Internship | 30 | 750 |
| 4 | Master’s Degree Final Project | Final Project | 12 | 300 |
| TOTAL | 90 | 2250 | ||
a.One (1) ECTS credit (European Credit Transfer System) corresponds to 25 hours (10 class hours + 15 study hours). If students attending the program are enrolled in a university not belonging to the European Higher Education Area (EHEA), the relationship between credits - hours may vary.
b. Within these elective subjects there are 12 subjects in total among which students can choose 4, no matter the topic they belong to. The four chosen subjects will be equivalent to 12 ECTS.
Objectives
Throughout the Master in Integrated Management: Environment, Quality and Safety, students will have to develop the following competencies:
- Acquiring, developing and putting into practice an integral health concept, where its biopsychosocial components fit in, in accordance with the guidelines established by the WHO
- Applying the bioethics foundations and release method in the professional practice, adjusting their work as health professionals as what is established in Law 44/2003, November 21st, health professions planning.
- Showing interpersonal communication skills and management of the right emotions for an effective interaction with patients, families and caregivers in the processes of problem identification, assessment, diagnosis’ communication and psychological intervention and follow-up.
- Critically analyzing and using the clinical information sources.
- Using and applying information and communication technologies in both the academic and professional field.
- Writing psychological reports in a way that is appropriate for the intended recipients.
- Formulating hypotheses in research work and collecting and valuing the information for problem-solving, using the scientific method.
- Knowing the framework of action of the general health psychologist and knowing to refer to the corresponding specialist.
- Developing the corresponding work from the perspective of quality and continuous improvement, with the self-criticism capacity required for a responsible and professional performance.
- Working and communicating with other professionals, and mastering the skills needed to work in teams and in multidisciplinary groups.
- Getting to know the health personnel obligations and responsibilities in the local legal framework and with regard to the information’s confidentiality and the patients’ information privacy.
- Deeply knowing the psychological nature of human behavior, as well as the social and biological factors that may affect it.
- Deeply knowing the psychological nature of the human behavior disorders.
- Deeply knowing the psychosocial factors associated with health and disease problems.
- Deeply knowing the biological and psychosocial factors associated with the health conditions, especially those related to the mental health.
- Deeply knowing the different assessment and intervention models in the General Health Psychology field, as well as the techniques and procedures that derive from it to treat behavior disorders and the psychological factors associated with health conditions.
- Planning, implementing, and monitoring the process of psychological evaluation of human behavior and psychological factors associated with health problems in order to establish the diagnosis.
- Designing, developing and monitoring and evaluating plans and programs of psychological intervention, according to the psychological evaluation and concurrent individual and social variables in each case.
- Knowing the activities that are needed to create, implement and manage a business, its different types and legal, accounting and tax obligations.
- Mastering the rules in force in the Spanish health field.
- Performing advocacy and education activities for the individual and community psychological health.
Career Opportunities
Among the career opportunities for the General health psychologist, there is:
- Psychology centers and psychological intervention cabinets.
- NGO health organizations in programs aimed at terminally-ill patients, drug addicts, patients in palliative care, etc.
- Nursing homes.
- Family and patients associations of people suffering from physical or mental conditions (cancer, diabetes, mental disorders, rare conditions, growth problems, etc).
- Municipal centers, institutions or centers with health-promotion programs, drug addicts, gender-based violence, etc.
- Rehabilitation and neuropsychological centers.
- Rehabilitation centers for the disabled.
- Psychosocial rehabilitation centers for chronically-ill patients.
- Addiction treatment and rehabilitation centers.
- Drivers recognition centers.
- Firearms license centers.
- Insurance companies and professional conditions.
- Penitentiary institutions,
- Psychological counseling in family courts and forensic courts.
- Minor care centers.
- Children development and early care centers.
- Reception and gender-based victims care centers.
- Educational and psycho-pedagogical care centers.
- Special education centers.
- Children social welfare care and adolescence with a high social exclusion risk centers.
- Sexual assault victims care centers.
- Civil protection and intervention equipment in crisis, emergencies and catastrophes.
- Assisted reproduction private centers and clinics.
Study Plan
The Master in General Health Psychology’s length is 90 credits that contain all the theoretical-practical training that the student needs to have to obtain the Master’s Degree. Estimated completion for the Master's Degree is 3 semesters distributed in two years.
| SUBJECTS | CREDITS | NATURE |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific and health foundations of health psychology | 3 | MAND |
| Professional foundations of the health psychologist | 3 | MAND |
| Assessment and intervention in mental disorders in adults | 6 | MAND |
| Assessment and intervention in mental disorders from childhood and adolescence | 6 | MAND |
| Neuropsychological intervention and evaluation | 6 | MAND |
| Attitudes and skills for the psychological services development in the socio-sanitary environment. | 6 | MAND |
| Intervention and evaluation in psycho-gerontology | 6 | MAND |
| Intervention in crisis, catastrophes and emergencies | 3 | EL |
| Risky behaviors and addictions: diagnosis and individual, group and community intervention | 3 | EL |
| Violence and its variants. Psychological, health, institutional and socio-community implications. | 3 | EL |
| Sexuality, couple and family | 3 | EL |
| Work health. Stressing and psychosocial working risks in the socio-health environment. | 3 | EL |
| Intervention in chronic health conditions. Personality and illness. | 3 | EL |
| Life cycle, lifestyles and daily life stress: consequences for the individual, community and public health. | 3 | EL |
| Design of promotion and prevention campaigns in health | 3 | EL |
| Intervention in disability: psychosocial and legal aspects in the socio-health environment. | 3 | EL |
| Psychotherapy’s theory and practice update. | 3 | EL |
| Psychological intervention: training and psychotherapy in the socio-health environment. | 3 | EL |
| Psychopathology’s and psychopharmacology’s updates: different alternatives. | 3 | EL |
| INTERNSHIP External Internship I |
12 | MAND |
| External Internship II | 18 | MAND |
| FINAL PROJECT Master’s Degree Final Project |
12 | MAND |
(MAND) - Mandatory
(EL) - Elective
Management
- Academic Director PhD. Paula Odriozola. Health psychologist, contextual therapy specialist. PhD in Psychology, University of Oviedo and Master’s Degree in Clinical Practice in Mental Health. University professor and researcher in the area of Personality, Evaluation and Psychological Treatment.
Teaching staff and Authors
- Dr. Carla Álvarez. Degree in Biology and PhD in Neuroscience. Researcher in the area of Neurophysiology, studying the role of neuromodulators in the development of various neuropsychiatric diseases and epilepsy. Currently, she is a university professor of biological subjects applied to health sciences.
- Dr. Marta Arrieta. PhD in Psychology from the University of Deusto. Specialist in Clinical Psychology. International Master in Leisure and Human Potential by the University of Deusto and Leeds Polytechnic (England). Extensive experience in the care of severe mental disorder in the community environment, exercising her activity as director of the Psychosocial Rehabilitation Center Padre Menni for 20 years. Temporary teaching collaboration as associate professor at the University of Deusto. She works as a clinical psychologist in the Mental Health area of the Padre Menni Hospital Center..
- Dr. Sarah Berrocoso. Researcher and manager of European Projects. Ten years of experience in research on neuropsychological and psychosocial aspects of rare diseases, especially in quality of life and coping strategies. Participation in R&D&I projects in the health field. Development and implementation of information, transfer and communication strategies. Experience in university teaching in face-to-face and online modality.
- Dr. Sergio Castaño. PhD in Mental Health; Genetics and Environment by the Univ. of Almeria and the Univ. Rovira i Virgili. Master in Mental Health. Research in Psychiatry, Neurotoxicology and Psychopharmacology by the Univ. of Almeria and the Univ. Rovira i Virgili. Postgraduate degree in Clinical Neuropsychology from the Instituto Superior de Estudios Psicológicos in Barcelona. Degree in Psychology from the Univ. of Almeria. Master's Degree in Secondary Education, Vocational Training and Languages. Postdoctoral Researcher in "Achucarro" in the project: "Rescuing the ApeE4 genotype by activating sterol biosynthesis in the CNS" of the NIH.
- Dr. Maitane García, PhD in Psychology from the University of Deusto, with a Master's Degree in General Health Psychology and a Master's Degree in Clinical Neuropsychology. She is a researcher in the Neuro-e-Motion Team of the University of Deusto, where she develops her activity studying the neuropsychological and psychosocial aspects of rare diseases, specifically on Chiari Malformation type I. She teaches in the Degree in Psychology and has experience in clinical practice as a neuropsychologist.
- Dr. David Gil, Clinical psychologist and PhD in Medicine and Psychiatry from the University of Cantabria. He combines his work as a teacher at UNEATLANTICO with his work at the Padre Menni Hospital Center.
- Dr. César González-Blanch. Clinical psychologist at the Marqués de Valdecilla University Hospital. PhD from the University of Deusto. Researcher in the area of psychotic disorders and psychological treatments to various populations. At the European University of the Atlantic, professor of the subject Psychological Intervention.
- Dr. David Herrero. PhD in Psychology from the University of Deusto. Specialist in Traffic Psychology and Road Safety, Psychophysiology and Methodology of Behavioral Sciences. Professor at the Faculty of Psychology at the University of Deusto between 2011 and 2015. Professor at the University of the Basque Country between 2015 and 2017. He teaches courses to companies and schools on prevention of traffic accidents in itinere and on mission. Author of more than 30 scientific articles and more than 30 presentations at international congresses.
- Dr. Ricardo Lanza. Degree in Psychology, PhD from the University of Cantabria. Master in study and treatment of pain. University Specialist in Clinical Hypnosis. He has done extensive research, teaching and care, especially in the field of children and youth, having developed much of this work in the Marqués de Valdecilla Foundation, the Faculty of Medicine of the University of Cantabria and the University Hospital Marqués de Valdecilla.
- Dr. Pamela Parada. PhD in Clinical and Health Psychology. Master in Clinical and Health Psychology. Training in DBT and EMDR Therapy. Expert in the treatment of psychological trauma and emotional regulation. Professor of Clinical Psychology, Psychopathology and Psychology of Personality and Individual Differences. Researcher in the area of Personality, Assessment and Psychological Treatment.
- Dr. Silvia Quer. PhD in Clinical and Health Psychology. Master in Neurosciences, Master in Clinical and Health Psychology and Master in General Health Psychology.
- Dr. (c.) Ángel Sanz. Degree in Psychology. Master's Degree in Drug Addiction. Private practice of psychology with extensive experience in various drug addiction treatment centers.
- Dr. (c.) Arlette Zárate. Degree in Psychology. Master in Organizational Psychology and Master in Educational Administration. Expert in Psychology by the Mexican Forensic Society and Technical Secretary of the College of Psychologists (Campeche, Mexico).
- Lda. Rosario Bengochea. Degree in Psychology from the Pontifical University of Salamanca. Psychologist specialized in Clinical Psychology. Working as a psychologist since 1998, until 2014 in community resources of Mental Health and since then in a Hospital Center, in psychiatry and psychogeriatrics services.
- Lda. Marisa Garcés. Diploma in Teaching, specializing in Music Education from the University of Salamanca. Superior Technician in Secretarial Work. Degree in Psychology, UNED. Master in General Health Psychology by the UNIR. Currently, she is part of the team of the Aván Clinic in Santander, a project formed by several professionals in speech therapy, physiotherapy and psychology, being responsible for the Area of Psychology, childhood and adults and is a psycho-oncologist in AMUCCAM, association to help women with breast cancer.
- Lda. Sara Moza. Degree in Psychology. Master's Degree in Teaching, Master's Degree in Conflict Resolution and Mediation and Master's Degree in HR and Labor Management. Expert in various fields of business and HR.
FUNIBER Training Scholarships
The Iberoamerican University Foundation (FUNIBER) allocates periodically an extraordinary economic item for FUNIBER Training Scholarships.
To apply, please fill out the information request form that appears in the web of FUNIBER or contact directly the Foundation’s headquarters in your country that will inform you if you need to provide some additional information.
Once the documentation is received, the Evaluation Committee will determine your application's eligibility for the FUNIBER Training Scholarship.