Doctoral Degree Program in Psychology

Department of Psychology, Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences

Introductory word of the head of Doctoral studies

Welcome to the doctoral degree program in Psychology!

It is my great pleasure to announce to all alumni and current and future doctoral students that our doctoral degree program has successfully undergone international accreditation and that, in July 2018, our department was issued a certificate of eligibility for conducting the program.

Based on a self-analysis conducted in 2017 and the recommendations of an international commission, changes were made to the program that enabled greater choice of course content and work methods and an individual approach to the needs and interests of each candidate. At the end of 2019, the Senate of the University of Zagreb approved these changes.

Instructors and mentors in our doctoral program are active scientists engaged in research in various fields of psychology and can be characterized by high levels of scientific productivity, international citation, and teaching competencies. In addition to the 25 instructors from the Department of Psychology at the University of Zagreb, our team also includes prominent scientists from the Department of Psychology at the University of Zadar, instructors from other faculties of the University of Zagreb and scientists from the Institute for Social Research in Zagreb.

Doctoral students of psychology at the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences in Zagreb are characterized by a variety of research interests and diverse career paths. Approximately half of our students are employed at academic institutions as researchers, research novices or assistants, while the other half come from practice or business, public and non-governmental sectors. For this reason, the executive program of doctoral study has been adapted to allow students to study part-time while continuing to work. The needs of students as well as their satisfaction with the program, instructors and the work of mentors is continuously monitored, and the results of this monitoring are reported to instructors and student representatives. After successfully completing the preparatory year, candidates from other professions can also enrol in the doctoral degree program in psychology. The obligations and rights of students are regulated by the Ordinance on Doctoral Studies at the University of Zagreb.

The backbone of our study program is the students’ individual work with the mentor and individual consultations with other instructors. Depending on the needs and interests of students, scientists from other countries are also included in this process. Each student is assigned an individual monitoring committee and has an individualized study program. In the program, we nurture a collegial relationship between instructors and students and a collaborative climate among students. We value commitment to research, openness to collaboration, innovation, and scientific productivity. We encourage students to conduct research, publish scientific papers and participate in scientific conferences and international exchange. Our doctoral students are exempted from paying the registration fee for participation in the two largest international conferences in psychology held biennially in Croatia: Days of Ramiro and Zoran Bujas and Days of Psychology in Zadar.

Doctoral studies represent the highest level of academic education. Upon successful completion, candidates acquire the academic title of Doctor of Science (Ph.D.) in the field of social sciences, discipline of psychology. This means that they have developed the competencies needed to conduct research that will lead to new insights and that they possess the knowledge and skills needed to successfully perform the most complex tasks in practice.

In 2024, we will be enrolling a new generation of doctoral students. The enrolment announcement and all instructions related to conditions of enrolment and the application procedure will be announced in March.

Join us!