APC 510
Current Issues in Developmental Psychology (C)
The course will provide students with the knowledge required to identify the developmental changes taking place in the cognitive, emotional and social domain in childhood, adolescence and adulthood. These changes are analyzed by deploying the most dominant interpretations of the extent of deviation or similarity as well as the degree of existing empirical supportive evidence. It also discusses the distinct role of specific frameworks within which the developmental progress is marked in accordance with the Bronfenbrenner’s exosystemic approach, so that students comprehend how findings/evidence and interpretations may inform the perception of the educational process and the community.
APC 511
The Principles of the Orthodox Theology (C)
This course will presents to the students the foundations of the Orthodox Theology and the principles that characterize the Orthodox Tradition through a unified vision, highlights the importance of God’s Economy for the course of the world and shows the inseparable relationship between works and faith.
The students familiarized with the use of the Holy Bible and the Patristic texts as the starting point and framework for pastoral and social ministry and they connected with the composite nature of the Christian ministry, which refers simultaneously to the needs of the people and the reality of the Kingdom of God
APC 512
Ethics and Research Methodology (C)
Students will learn the great importance of adhering to rules and procedures in conducting research to promote research itself, as well as individual and social well-being. They will understand the values and integrity that should distinguish the researcher from designing and conducting research to writing articles and publishing research results. The students will acquire knowledge and skills regarding the designing of research protocols, sampling, data collection and analysis and the extraction of valid conclusions from this data and become more familiar with the scientific method in general and the skill to make evidence-based conclusions.
APC 513
Development of Counselling Skills (C)
The students will be acquainted with the essential principles of Counselling as expressed in current developments in the Humanities. Through the process of Cooperative Learning, they will utilize interactive conversation and the language of change and they will apply basic counselling skills like active and ‘double’ listening, the deconstruction of problematic history, the deployment of competencies and skills and the promotion of desirable changes. In addition, they will look at the importance and ways of promoting autonomy and competence for choices in the context of an equitable counselling conversation with the counsellor and they demonstrate cultural sensibility and sensitivity in relation to gender differences, power etc.
APC 514
Counselling for Children and Adolescents (C)
Prerequisite APC 513. Students will be aware of the current and developmental needs of children and adolescents, and the prerequisites for well-being and they develop their communicative skills with children/adolescents. Students will understand the ethical issues that arise for people who provide services to children and adolescents and they learn the practical use of particular techniques underpinned by respective theories and research.
APC 515
Applied Pastoral and Social Ministry (E*)
Prerequisite APC 511. An introduction to the importance of the Pastoral and Social work of the Church and the theological requirements for the Pastoral and Social ministry of the Church in the modern world. The students will be involved in the multifaceted Pastoral and Social Work of Church Parishes. They know the organization and structure of the Church of Cyprus and design the appropriate pastoral and social work to accommodate the needs of the local Church/parish and they appreciate the multifaceted pastoral and social work of the Church (catechism and communication, charity, social work).
APC 516
Postgraduate Research Project (E*)
Students will be given the opportunity to engage in research projects and intervention initiatives of faculty members and develop research methodology skills that may be deployed within the school framework as well as to prepare them to conduct research for the purposes of other research projects.
APC 517
Non-Profit Organisation Management (E)
Students will learn how to make an informed decision depending on the organisational environment, aims and vision of the organisation.
The course covers main principles of organization management with an emphasis on the non-profit and public sector.
APC 518
Statistics (E)
Prerequisite APC 512. The students will familiarize themselves with the main tools of Statistics, both descriptive and inferential, which are used in research in the Social Sciences. They will acquire knowledge and skills regarding the statistical analysis of data (descriptive analysis, correlational analysis, parametric and non-parametric tests, group comparisons, linear regression, etc.). They will code and manage data to make valid scientific conclusions and they use those statistical methods in SPSS, to analyse data collected by themselves or given to them to analyse. They will read and interpret the results of statistical analyses, report the results of statistical analyses often used in the Social Sciences in an appropriate way for a scientific report and critically review the validity of the conclusions and interpretations given by others based on statistical analyses of data.
APC 520
Internship (C)
Required (only for those who will work in church communities or NGO) APC 515 and APC 517
The Internship Course seeks to transfer students from theories, to practice in regards to the multifaceted Social Ministry of the Church, of Non-Profit Organizations (via the Volunteer Commissioner) working with vulnerable groups of society (e.g. offenders, prisoners, drug users, charities, cancer patients and patients with other acute and chronic illnesses, nursing homes, counselling centres etc.), and educational, prevention and intervention programmes for the elimination of bullying and delinquency, the reintegration of prisoners into society etc.
APC 616
Juvenile Delinquency (C)
Students will acquire the necessary skills in the process of identifying the nature, the dimensions, the measurement and frequency of juvenile delinquency in Cyprus and internationally. They analyse the causes of juvenile delinquency (biological/environmental factors), explain the role of the parents, school, peers, the mass media, and society, as well as, how gender, race, social class and abuse have been associated with delinquency in research. Students will also be involved in conducting research for control/preventive and intervention programs with a view to combating juvenile delinquency and they identify and analyse delinquency and deploy appropriate practices with a view to combating juvenile delinquency in school and their community.
APC 614
Counselling of Family and Elderly (E**)
Prerequisite APC 513. Students will be deepening on particular factors that affect family health and functionality and they identify and discuss the various problems within the family system. Also, will be deepening on issues pertaining to the third age (failing health, bereavement and loss, assessment of personal life). They will know the principal theoretical approaches concerning the stages, the procedure and the problem solving techniques. They will recognize the root of the difficulties: resistance, lack of objectivity in its various forms. They will analyse issues concerning the formation of confidential relations, setting of goals and recognize cultural differences.
APC 610
Individual Differences and Deviations (C)
Prerequisite APC 510. Students will familiarize themselves with the main categories of characteristics that define individual differences in all ages both considering how well can a person be described in terms of an overall within-person average and an overall between people or groups. They will identify the various deviations in developing individuals and members of the community, to address issues of difference effectively and refer individuals to specialized services.
APC 617
Seminars: Special Issues of Applied Psychology in Education (E**)
Seminars will provide students with the opportunity to be acquainted with Special Issues of Applied Psychology within the Educational framework. The selection of topics will offer in-depth understanding of contemporary evidence-based practices, which will pertain to a variety of issues. Knowledge and skills are gained through experiential experience.
APC 618
Seminars: Special Themes in Applied Psychology in the Community (C)
Students will have the opportunity to be acquainted with Special Issues of Applied Psychology within the Community. The selection of topics will offer in-depth understanding of contemporary research findings, which pertain to a variety of issues. They become capable in-depth understanding of the findings of contemporary research in special issues of Applied Psychology in the Community and they acquire the appropriate communicational skills with individuals or groups encountering specific psychological difficulties.
APC 620 & APC 621
Dissertation (C)
Prerequisites courses: APC 512, APC 515, APC 517, APC 518, APC 520
The objective of the Dissertation is for the postgraduate students to demonstrate their skills in defining and delving into an innovative research topic by applying research methods, and to produce a complete research monograph.
The Dissertation is a research project that should contain elements of novelty in fields of study related to the postgraduate programme in applied psychology and can take the form either of an experimental study, or of literature review of the topic under investigation, or be applied research.