About us

The Department of Psychology was established as a separate department of the Faculty of Education, Charles University in 1982. Until then, it was part of the Department of Education and provided only the fundamentals of psychology for educational study programmes. However, at that time the department was already conducting purely psychological research and it gradually developed a focus in pedagogical, counselling and school psychology. Later, it was accredited as a guarantor for a psychology study programme.

Our department has been offering a psychology study programme since 1993. First, we offered a study programme combining psychology and education, then added a psychology and special education combination, and subsequently a psychology and extended special education combination.

We currently offer a BA study programme in Psychology (psychology with extended special education studies) and a follow-up MA Psychology study programme. We also offer a PhD programme entitled Educational and School Psychology.

We obtained accreditation for these study programmes for the maximum accreditation period and with excellent evaluation results. Further details about each study programme can be found in the Study section.

In addition to instructing students enrolled in the department’s study programmes, we also lead psychology courses for students in all other full-time and part-time study programmes at the Faculty of Education, Charles University. For all students in the faculty, the Department of Psychology provides psychological counselling services through its Academic Counselling Centre.

The Department of Psychology also teaches lifelong education classes for teachers and experts through the Counselling Centre. It offers professional development programmes for the following professions: Educational Counsellor, School Methodologist for Prevention, and School Psychologist/School Special Educator.  In addition, the Department of Psychology also offers topical programmes, which are listed in the Lifelong Learning section.

The department has a broad team of experts with rich experience in teaching who have achieved significant results in science and research and in psychological practice. Details about each department member’s work can be found on his or her page in the People section.

The department as a whole is highly appraised within the faculty and the university for its scientific research achievements. The department participates in the university’s Progres programmes in the fields of education and psychology.

The department also regularly runs several research projects supported by grants from the Grant Agency of the Czech Republic, the Technology Agency of the Czech Republic, ESF+ programmes, etc. These are mostly related to teaching, literacy development, learning and motivation, children’s games and other topics related to school and/or child psychology. A list of key research projects can be found in the Scientific Research section.

The department collaborates with a number of organizations. Our main International partner is Europsy. Our study programmes are recognized by Europsy, which allows our graduates to continue their studies or find employment abroad.

Specific lecturers are also members of various professional organizations including EFPPA, EERA, etc. At the national level, the department works with the Czech-Moravian Psychological Society. Most lecturers in the department are members of the Society.

Lecturers contribute to the continuing professional discourse both through their own publications and through positions on editorial boards of leading journals (e.g. Orbis Scholae, Studia paedagogica, E-psychologie, Gramotnost, pregramotnost a vzdělávání, etc.)

The department is characterised by positive interpersonal relationships, a close-knit atmosphere and a pleasant environment. The department regularly hosts a number of events. These include Students’ Psychology Days, Psychoseznamovák student orientation event and our Psychology Christmas Party. The department also organizes Day with School Psychology, an annual conference intended for the general professional public.