This Master's program complies with the requirements of the new Psychotherapists Act and the Licensing Regulations for Psychotherapists and qualifies students for professional psychotherapeutic activities in the field of clinical psychology and psychotherapy for adults, children and adolescents. It provides the skills, abilities and knowledge required to apply for admission to the psychotherapeutic examination (state examination for licensure) and access to further training as a specialist psychotherapist.
Students deepen and broaden their basic knowledge acquired in the Bachelor's program in Psychology through a research- and application-oriented scientific education in four semesters. They apply scientific methods in the field of clinical psychology, practice clinical psychological diagnosis, and practice psychotherapeutic intervention. The full spectrum of mental disorders and evidence-based practices across all age ranges are considered.
The content of the program is the theoretical foundation, practical implementation and scientific research of psychotherapy. Building on the content acquired in the Bachelor's program, courses are offered to deepen the scientific foundations and research methods, and are expanded practically in the context of the Master's thesis. As regards content level, in-depth knowledge of disorders, procedures and diagnostics is taught and consolidated in practice in the courses Professional Qualifying Activity II and the practical assignments of Professional Qualifying Activity III, which comprise a total of 600 hours and have a strong practical connection. Self-reflection also plays a role in this context. The framework conditions in the field of psychotherapy (application in different settings, documentation, evaluation and organization) also form part of the degree program.
The program comprises four semesters. The first two semesters have a normal semester structure, with lecture periods as in other KU programs. In this phase, students take courses from the basic psychological subjects (research methods, scientific specialization, diagnostics and assessment), on the theoretical foundations of clinical work (e.g., Disorders and Procedural Theory, Evaluation, Documentation) and on practical content (Professional Qualifying Activity II, Self-reflection). This study phase also includes a research internship.
After this first half of the program, students are divided into three groups, which then go through the following stages in a trimester structure (13 weeks each): inpatient internship, outpatient internship at the Psychotherapeutic University Outpatient Department, and the main part of the work on the Master's thesis. The trimesters are divided into three periods from September to November, January to March, and May to July. This solution enables a good supervision of students as well as an even distribution of internship places due to constant small group sizes.
KU students and alumni have voted for their University to be Germany's most popular university in the 2022 ranking of the online portal StudyCheck. This is the second time in a row, as KU was also voted the most popular university in 2021. The ranking was based on over 70,000 evaluations for more than 500 higher education institutions and universities. 97 percent of students questioned for the ranking would recommend studying at the KU to others.
"There is no better praise for a university than almost 100 percent of students and alumni agreeing: I can only recommend studying at the KU! That is why we are very pleased with the ranking’s outcome, because it expresses the high level of satisfaction of our students," says KU President Prof. Dr. Gabriele Gien.
Since the program is designed to meet the comprehensive and specific requirements of the PsychThApprO, it is difficult to spend time abroad earning relevant ECTS credits. Such a stay abroad would therefore always be connected to an extension of the duration of studies by at least one semester, possibly more.
Support during the application process as well as information about the semester abroad is provided by the International Office at the KU.
The program includes several internships and courses with a high practical relevance.
Upon graduation, students are qualified to work independently in the clinical psychology field and to take the licensure examination for psychotherapists. This in turn entitles graduates to further training as a specialist psychotherapist, which is not only a prerequisite for self-employment, but will also be increasingly in demand in areas of institutional care for the mentally ill and in clinical teaching and research. Both with and without further training, the job market situation for applicants in the psychotherapeutic field is excellent.
Short distances on campus at the KU save time and avoid stress. The KU is a campus University with modern facilities. The buildings on campus are located close to the Eichstätt old town. Although the University and its campus has grown, it is still characterized by short distances: In Eichstätt, everything can be reached within ten minutes’ walking distance. On campus, green spaces such as the Hofgarten are the perfect places to relax. The garden of the Kapuzinerkloster is also used by different student initiatives for their projects. The canteen is located at the heart of the Eichstätt campus and has a sun deck and cafeteria that leave nothing to be desired.
Studying at the KU is more than just acquiring specialist knowledge. We broaden our horizons together and take on responsibility in and beyond the individual degree programs. The KU has a particular focus on topics such as personal development, sustainability, social skills and social commitment.
It offers its students the possibility to study and work in a welcoming atmosphere and benefit from outstanding support and comprehensive service offers, a well-stocked library, a broad range of sports and leisure activities and a large global network of approx. 300 partner universities. Our team at the International Office helps you to plan your semester abroad and the KU Career Service provides comprehensive advice and support for embarking on your professional career.
No, the KU is open to students of all faiths and beliefs.
At the KU, just as at all state universities, there is freedom of research and teaching. This means that our degree programs focus on the subjects for which you have enrolled – free from external influences.
As a student at our University, you will notice what our understanding of being a Catholic University means for us in one thing in particular: The University’s focus is on the individual person. The talents and potential of all those who teach, study, work and carry out research at the KU form our most important foundation – regardless of their religion or beliefs, nationality, ethical, cultural or social background, disabilities, gender, sexual orientation or age.
This is why we promote your best possible academic education through personal support and an ideal staff-to-student ratio. At the same time, the KU is more than just a place for earning your degree: We attach particular importance to imparting social skills and advancing our students’ sense and value orientation in addition to providing them with a high level of academic and methodical qualification.
Our aspiration for our University is to build bridges between science and society and to make knowledge available for society as well as to integrate impulses from outside the University into our research and teaching practice. We aim to make a valuable contribution to social coexistence, to the free democratic basic order and to preserving creation.
With a population of around 15,000, it is probably the smallest university town in Europe. For our students, this means living and learning in a friendly and informal atmosphere. Whether it is on the way to a lecture in the morning, at the canteen for lunch or in the pub in the evening, you will often come across people you know. It is easy to meet people in Eichstätt! By the way, the KU’s “living room” is the Theke, a bar run by students for students. Here, people meet for parties, jam sessions, karaoke evenings or a cozy round of table football.
A small town also means short distances: The library, the swimming pool, the cinema or the supermarket – everything can be reached in a few minutes on foot or by bike. The town is located right in the heart of the Altmühltal natural park – a real paradise for climbers, canoeists, hikers and cyclists just around the corner.
Should you still reach a point when you feel too cooped in, you can breathe big city air easily near Eichstätt. Ingolstadt with its 135,000 inhabitants is only a few kilometers away and offers a variety of shopping and nightlife options.
Eichstätt and the surrounding Altmühltal natural park are not only a popular destination for culture enthusiasts and nature lovers, but also for cyclists, climbers, canoeists and fossil collectors. Located between Munich and Nuremberg, the city impresses with its Baroque setting and southern flair combined with modern and prizewinning architecture as well as a broad variety of cultural offerings and leisure activities.
The Baroque park at the heart of the campus and the nearby banks of the Altmühltal river are the KU’s “green living room”. Another big advantage: all University facilities are just a short walk away from each other.
Some offers and study conditions are different for international students – our International Office is happy to provide help and support. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact our team. We are happy to accompany you on your way to the KU and hope that we can welcome you in person soon!
The application process for international applicants is now completely digital. You can register online in our application portal and carry out and submit your application. After you have carried out the application and uploaded your documents, you do not need to send your documents to us again by post. You do have to submit certified true copies only if you are admitted at the time of enrollment.
Depending on the course of study, you may be asked for information on internships, professional experience, etc. Please upload the relevant documents in the upload area for all the information you provide, even if these are not mandatory fields!
Before you start the application process, please read the additional information on this page, in particular the information on the respective (German) language requirements and university entrance qualifications.
Available places in the program: 45
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