Objectives and competences
The master's degree qualifies graduates to pursue a career as a self-employed or salaried professional in the public health system and to work as a registered specialist in healthcare units or psychological consultations centres listed in the General Register of health centres, services and establishments.
The degree has a total study load of 90 credits, 78 of which are awarded for compulsory subjects: of the compulsory study load, 30 correspond to the external professional placement and 12 correspond to the master's degree final project. The course follows a face-to-face learning model. Students interested in continuing their studies at doctoral level can consult general information about the doctoral programme in Clinical and Health Psychology in the following guide (in Catalan).
Basic information
| Type | Master's degree |
|---|---|
| Faculty or school | Faculty of Psychology |
| Branch of knowledge |
|
| Mode of delivery |
|
| Credits | 90 |
| Number of places available | 70 |
| Length of course | 2 academic years |
| Language(s) of instruction | Spanish, 70%; Spanish/Catalan, 30% |
| Approximate price per credit | 18.46 euros per credit (71 euros for students who are not EU nationals and do not currently reside in Spain). Fees for the academic year 2024-2025 |
| Coordination | ADELA FUSTE ESCOLANO |
| master.psicologiasanitaria@ub.edu | |
| Course details | Indicators |
| Open pre-enrolment | No |
| Open enrolment | No |
| Lead to doctoral studies | Yes |
| Admission for applicants not holding a degree qualification | No |
| Professional practice | Yes |
| Bridging courses | Yes |
Objectives and competences
Objectives
The course takes a scientific and professional approach that confers the skills required to analyse and formulate hypotheses on human behaviour and the capacity for behavioural intervention in order to promote and improve health.
Competences
- Capacity to draw on extensive knowledge in an original way and to apply knowledge in new or unfamiliar environments.
- Ability to make judgments based on limited or incomplete information.
- Commitment to lifelong learning and capacity to pursue continuing education independently.
- Ability to apply ICTs in professional practice.
- Capacity to apply the scientific method to data collection and evaluation and to critically analyse the information obtained.
- Capacity to work with a focus on quality and continual improvement, and capacity for self-criticism and for the critical analysis of the work of other professionals.
- Ability to communicate with other professionals and with non-specialists.
- Commitment to the prioritization of health, and an understanding of and ability to put into practice a holistic concept of health which acknowledges and respects human diversity.
- Capacity to apply the principles of bioethics in professional practice and broader social contexts, and to respect the human and democratic rights.
- Understanding of the scope of the general health psychology profession and the current regulations in the Spanish health system, including an awareness of and respect for obligations regarding patient confidentiality.
- In-depth understanding of the biopsychosocial nature of human behaviour and of the health problems and disorders relating to human behaviour.
- In-depth knowledge of models and techniques for diagnosis and intervention in the field of health psychology.
- Capacity to plan and conduct psychological evaluations of human behaviour, understanding of the factors that affect it, and ability to apply knowledge in a critical and rigorous manner.
- Ability to design, develop and evaluate psychological intervention programmes, addressing issues with a concern for the principles of equality and human dignity.
- Capacity for writing psychological reports suited to the needs of their intended recipients.
- Awareness and understanding of personal limitations and capacity for interpersonal communication and emotional management.
- Capacity to work in teams and multidisciplinary groups.
- Understanding of how to promote psychological health in individuals and communities.
- Understanding of business structures and business management.
See the full list of competences
Access and admission
Applicant profile and access requirements
Recommended applicant profile
This master's degree is suitable for students who have completed a bachelor's degree or equivalent undergraduate qualification in psychology and are interested in pursuing a career in general health psychology. Applicants must be able to work with scientific texts written in English.Access requirements and conditions
Specific requirementsIn accordance with the provisions of Law 33/2011, of 4 October, on general public health and Royal Decree 967/2014, of 21 November, the qualifications required to access the master's degree in General Health Psychology at the University of Barcelona are:
- Spanish university degree or bachelor's degree in Psychology
- Foreign Degree or Degree in Psychology, which is approved in Spain at the time of the application for registration to the master's degree. In this sense, foreign graduates who did not homologate the degree in the past (until 2014) must validate the degree at a Spanish university before applying for access to the master's degree. The equivalence certification issued by the Ministry does not allow access to this master's degree and is not a document of approval for legal purposes.
In accordance with the provisions of Order ECD/1070/2013, the necessary requirement to access the master's degree in General Health Psychology is to have a bachelor's degree or bachelor's degree in Psychology and have obtained 90 ECTS credits of a specifically health nature. From the 2020-2021 academic year, all students obtain the Health Psychology Mention, taking into account the training made with the basic and compulsory training subjects of the degree; therefore, this requirement is already met. In addition, according to the agreement of the REACU of January 15, 2020, all graduates in Psychology before the aforementioned academic year have recognized the requirement of having taken the 90 health credits to access the master's degree.
Students with an approved foreign qualification must accredit, through the academic certificate of the university of origin, the possession of 90 specifically health ECTS credits.
Pre-enrolment
Calendar
From march 10 to may 23, 2025Exam: Tuesday, July 1, from 16.00 to 18.00 h
Provisional resolution: July 9, 2025
Final resolution: July 23, 2025
Notes:
- Pre-enrolment fee: A pre-enrolment fee of 30,21 euros is charged. Students who apply to more than one master's degree must pay the fee for each pre-enrolment request. Pre-enrolment requests cannot be processed until this fee has been paid.Fees will only be refunded if the master's degree in question is suspended.
- Reserved places: A maximum of 5% of the new places of the master's degree are reserved for students who meet the general and specific access requirements, achieve the minimum entrance score and accredit the recognition of a degree of disability equal to or greater than 33%.
Required documentation
- Pre-enrolment application
- Photocopy of degree certificate or equivalent qualification. In case of admission, foreign degrees that require so should be translated and authenticated through diplomatic channels before completing the enrolment.
- Students with an unapproved foreign qualification: request to the Accreditation Committee of the Psychology Studies.
- Other specific documentation related to the selection criteria
Selection criteria
The selection criteria are listed below, in order of priority and the weighting of each one (the sum of the score of the criteria can be a maximum of 100 points).- Criterion 1. Examination of multiple-choice questions in the field of clinical psychology and health. 80% of the questions are in Spanish and the other 20% in English (up to a maximum of 40 points). The questions are about the contents of the degree and refer to the areas of psychopathology, personality, assessment, intervention, clinical psychology, health psychology and neuropsychology. A minimum total score of 56 points out of 100 is required.
- Criterion 2. Average grade of the academic transcript of the access degree (up to a maximum of 30 points).
- Criterion 3. Electives taken at the undergraduate or graduate level in the field of clinical and health psychology (up to a maximum of 15 points).
- Criterion 4. Specific training in the field of clinical and health psychology (except for the access degree) (up to a maximum of 5 points).
- Criterion 5. Professional, teaching and research experience in the field of clinical and health psychology (up to a maximum of 5 points).
- Criterion 6. Accredited knowledge of English (up to a maximum of 5 points)
It will be a requirement to obtain a minimum total score of 56 points out of a possible 100 to be accepted into the master's degree.
The recommended entry profile for future students responds to a student with a high motivation for solid clinical and health psychology training, which includes a high degree of personal involvement and willingness to train and improve the basic skills necessary for work in this field. In addition, and to take advantage of the teachings offered by the degree, the student is expected to have specific postgraduate training and/or an itinerary in the bachelor's degree linked to the field of Clinical and Health Psychology, in addition to an intermediate level of English. Likewise, and due to the level of demand for the degree offered by the UB, full-time dedication is recommended.
Notification
The coordination committee master's degree evaluates the suitability of all applicants, ensuring that they meet the access conditions and taking into account the specific admission criteria and weightings.Notification of results is posted on the master's degree web page.
Enrolment
As a general rule, at the UB you will be required to enrol online. Remember that you can lose your place if you do not enrol on the day you have been assigned
- Documents required for enrolment
- Procedure to formalize enrolment
- Grants and financial aid (in Catalan)
- Economic information (in Catalan)
Course curriculum
Subjects and course plans
Distribution of credits
| Type | ECTS |
|---|---|
| Compulsory | 36 |
| Optional | 12 |
| Compulsory placements | 30 |
| Compulsory final project | 12 |
| TOTAL | 90 |
List of subjects
Previous years
Placements
Placements in a company or another type of organization are an integral part of university studies, providing first-hand experience of working methodologies in students' chosen professional fields. They offer invaluable practical experience for the transition into work after graduation.
Placements are supervised by tutors and subject to assessment. They are therefore included in the academic record. An educational cooperation agreement is signed between the UB and the company, institution or other organization at which the placement will be carried out.
Institutional information
Career opportunities
What can you work on ?
This master's degree provides the training that graduates require to access to the healthcare profession in the field of psychological care. They will acquire the skills to work in a number of settings, including the following:- Clinics and private healthcare units.
- Municipal health centres, institutions or companies that run prevention and health promotion programmes.
- Rehabilitation centres for people with health problems or disabilities.
- Addiction treatment centres.
- Associations for people with health problems or behavioural disorders.
- Sports teams.
- Military centres.
- Schools and psychological guidance centres.
- Early childhood development and care centres.
- Special education centres.
- Childcare centres.
- Nursing homes.
- Prisons.