Psychology in English at SWPS is the first program in Poland where students can acquire extensive knowledge and practical skills in psychology while studying in English. The program is intended for those who value quality learning and have high academic expectations. During the course of studies, our students deepen their understanding on various facets of psychology during small group lectures, seminars, and – most importantly – workshops. Our motto for working with students is: Let’s talk! Communication between students and faculty is very important to us. Our graduates are presented with a spectrum of possibilities and job opportunities in various sectors, such as clinical settings, business, education, and marketing.

 

Psychology at SWPS has been highly regarded as an excellent choice both by students and independent university rankings. It is the only Psychology program in Poland honored by the governmental accreditation body (PKA) with the designation of "Exceptional" (the highest quality designation). Program content and structure are based on BA/MA programs in leading US universities.

 

The program has been created and is supervised by faculty members with extensive academic experience in the US:

Jerzy Karylowski, Dean of Psychology Faculty at SWPS obtained his PhD from Warsaw University and did post-doctoral work in the US at the University of Michigan, Stanford University and New School for Social Research. He has held tenured and visiting Faculty positions in the US for over 20 years. He is a former Chair of the Department of Psychology at the University of North Florida and a former Director of the MA program in Counseling Psychology there. He holds a title of a Distinguished Professor at the University of North Florida and served as a Visiting Professor at such US and European universities as Ohio State University, Washington University/University of Washington/or Washington State University and Giessen University (Germany). He is a former US Fulbright Scholar.

Monika Suchowierska, Vice-dean of Psychology Faculty, Director of the Psychology in English Program obtained her Ph.D. from the University of Kansas (US) and holds a US certification in Behavior Analysis. She is a former Fulbright Fellow and cooperates closely with the Fulbright Commission in Poland.

 

Although Psychology in English is a five year program, you can obtain a Master's Degree in as little as five semesters if you transfer to SWPS with a BA (in psychology or a different major). Students can also transfer with other degrees (e.g. an Associate Degree) and accelerate their course of studies.

Depending on one’s interests and goals, there are multiple academic paths to follow. Our study program includes compulsory core subjects which give students a solid foundation in psychological knowledge, but at the same time allows the student to choose many elective courses. This system promotes independence in our students and lets them pursue their own academic interests. We consistently try to have a few hot topic courses available. Some of this year’s most popular courses are “Sports Psychology”, “Death, Sex, Violence and the Sacred”, “Autism and Developmental Disabilities”, “Talent Management”. Additionally, our students have the possibility to choose courses taught in English by other departments.

Each year we offer courses held by international lectures as well as by excellent Polish psychologists. Several faculty members hold joint appointments with US universities. This includes Professors Piotr Winkielman (University of California, San Diego), Eugene Burnstein (University of Michigan) and Andrzej Nowak (Florida Atlantic University). We try to cater to our students’ academic needs by organizing multiple guest lectures and workshops. We even offer a course called Current Issues in International Psychology which consists solely of lectures delivered by our international guests.

We value student mobility and offer many student exchange programs. We are most proud of our Dual Master’s Degree Program Atlantis, where, apart from an SWPS degree, students can receive an MA in Psychology from California State University Stanislaus (USA) and a MSc from Bangor University (UK). We also have over 70 European partner universities with whom we exchange about 100 students annually. For those who are interested in mobility to Asia, we offer exchange programs with universities in South Korea and are preparing a partnership with universities in China.