The Bachelor of Arts (BA) Psychology undergraduate course of studies imparts psychology as a science which maps the human as a social and cultural being. The BA Psychology is structured as a full-time course over six semesters comprising 180 ECTS credits. The syllabus covers the "classic" subjects of psychology, such as general psychology, developmental psychology, social psychology and empirical research methods, as well as biopsychology and neurocognitive psychology in addition to work and organisational psychology. The "clinical" subjects with differential psychology and diagnostics as well as theories and methods of psychological intervention form one focus of this study course, because experience shows that most of the graduates from psychology courses work in the counselling or psychotherapy fields. In addition, there is an "affine" area with courses offered from neighbouring disciplines. Furthermore, the students gain work experience by completing practical, work-placement professional training. One essential aspect is that the graduates from this study course become capable of working independently in the field of psychology; to this extent, the BA Psychology at the IPU is intended to provide a long-term qualification for a professional career in psychology. The graduates of this course can of course subsequently undertake a Master's degree (MA) in psychology studies. This qualification is also a precondition for admission to training as a psychological psychotherapist.

The advanced Master of Arts (MA) Psychology course of studies imparts the contents of the specialist field of psychology across its complete spectrum. Doing so, it presents psychoanalysis as a clinical theory, as a theory of human development both positive and negative, as a method of counselling and therapeutic treatment, as well as a cultural theory and subject-scientific learning theory. This study course is designed to be full-time, as well as in the form of an eight-semester part-time course with a total of 120 ECTS credits for working professionals or applicants who enrol as external students. The ECTS credits are spread to a similar extent across the semesters, with the Master thesis to be written in the final semester. With the part-time study course, external students and those working full-time are expected to personally attend one week and three weekends per semester. The course is arranged in five areas of study. In addition, there is a compulsory elective subject which is intended to give the students the opportunity to focus on a scientific or academic field in line with their own interests. Furthermore, the students should gain work experience by completing practical, work-placement professional training.
The intention with the MA Psychology course is to enable the students to work independently as clinical psychologists, to further their scientific or academic studies and to pursue a university or higher education career as the case may be. A guarantee that the graduates will be accepted onto the training course for psychological psychotherapists can however not be given. As per the current opinion of the German federal state examination boards, those graduates especially who do not commence their MA Psychology course at the IPU after completing their BA Psychology studies, but rather as a result of a career change following social science studies and exams, cannot expect to be accepted onto the training course for psychological psychotherapists.

No further students will be accepted onto the part-time Master of Arts (MA) Educational Studies - Psychosocial Intervention study course. Those students already attending this course will continue to be supervised and supported up to the end of their studies. Likewise, they can conclude this study course with an MA in one of the study directions chosen by them (Early Intervention or Psychodynamic Counselling) as planned.
We are currently planning an organisational psychoanalytic study course with a range of life long orientation focal points and a recognised qualification as a supervisor. Potentially, we will offer certified further training in this area initially, to be subsequently followed by a complete course of studies. The aim is to complete the planning by the end of March 2013. Should you be interested, please contact Ms. Kott in the MA Student Office under susanne.kott@ipu-berlin.de. We will keep all those interested informed and up-to-date regarding the situation.

The part-time Master of Arts (MA) Psychoanalytical Cultural Studies course to be taken parallel to working full-time is being held for the first time in the 2012-13 winter semester and is available in three fields of studies. The unique aspect of this study course is the double approach it takes: The psychoanalysis/culture interface is examined and studied from both sides. On the one hand, cultural issues are an original element of psychoanalytical object formation, while on the other hand, psychoanalytical approaches are an essential element of cultural studies. When studied as a full-time course, it covers a total of eight semesters (120 ECTS credits) and is organised in three consecutive study sections.

The new advanced Master of Arts (MA) Integrated Care of Psychotically Ill Persons (Psychosis Therapy) study course, intended to be taken parallel to working full-time, is being offered jointly by the IPU (primary responsibility) and three further universities, the Charité University Medical Department in Berlin, the Catholic University for Applied Sciences Berlin and the UKE Hamburg Eppendorf University Hospital. This cooperative effort by these four universities will permit the integration in a highly unique manner of four different professional competencies, all of which are required when working with psychotically ill people: Psychodynamic competency, medicinal and pharmacological competency, social work competency and social psychiatric competency.

The IPU has arranged a cooperation agreement with Humboldt University (Institute for Rehabilitation Sciences) in order to jointly accompany and support suitable scientists during their doctoral studies in the fields of psychodynamic psychotherapy/clinical psychology or psychoanalytical pedagogy.