The Department of General Scientific, Social and Behavioral Disciplines is a graduating department of the Odesa Institute of PJSC “HEI ‘MAUP’” and provides training for higher education applicants at the first (Bachelor’s) and second (Master’s) levels in the specialty C4 (053) “Psychology.”
The Department’s activities are aimed at ensuring the quality of higher education in accordance with the Higher Education Standards of Ukraine, the requirements of NAQA (National Agency for Higher Education Quality Assurance), the ESG (Standards and Guidelines for Quality Assurance in the European Higher Education Area), and the principles of academic integrity.
Higher Education Standard – First (Bachelor’s) Level
Higher Education Standard – Second (Master’s) Level
Mission of the Department. The mission of the Department of General Scientific, Social and Behavioral Disciplines is to train highly qualified specialists in the field of psychology who are capable of responsible professional practice, scientific inquiry, and continuous professional development, taking into account modern social challenges, labor market needs, and employer demands.
The Department ensures the development of students’ personal, professional, research, ethical, and practical competencies.
Vision of the Department. The vision of the Department is to be a modern academic center of psychological education and research, integrated into the national and international educational and scientific space. The Department combines education, science, and practice, fosters the professional identity of psychologists capable of working in conditions of uncertainty, crisis, and social transformation, and contributes to the development of a culture of mental health and psychological assistance in society.
Development Strategy. The development strategy of the Department is implemented through ensuring quality and systematic renewal of educational programs, introducing competency-based and practice-oriented approaches, strengthening the practical component of training, developing research activities and academic staff potential, and maintaining active cooperation with stakeholders, employers, students, and alumni.
Educational Process. The educational process at the Department is carried out in the form of lectures, seminars, practical classes, and training sessions, using modern interactive teaching methods (discussions, case studies, group work, and practical modeling of professional activities). It is aimed at achieving program learning outcomes and developing students’ ability for independent professional thinking.
Research Activities. The main areas of the Department’s research focus on the relationship and interaction between personality and society. Research topics include:
-psychology of communication;
-leadership psychology;
-organizational and occupational psychology;
-methods of socio-psychological influence;
-conflict studies;
-image psychology;
-systemic studies of crisis and bifurcation personality development, etc.
The Department also provides strong practical training for future specialists in consultative psychological practice.
Departmental Research Project. For the period 2025–2030, the Department approved a departmental research project entitled “Psychological Health of the Individual from a Multidisciplinary Perspective.”
Within the framework of this research project, the following areas are studied and further developed:
-current state and trends in social sciences;
-dynamics of social paradigms;
-psychological and mental health of individuals at different stages of life;
-social psychometrics;
-types of psychological, psychosocial, and social assistance;
-trends in organizing research activities in psychology and sociology;
-development of modern information and communication trends;
-multidisciplinary approaches to identifying and correcting psychosocial states of individuals, etc.
The results of these studies are presented at international and national scientific and practical conferences and published in peer-reviewed academic journals of Ukraine and the EU indexed in scientometric databases, including Scopus, Web of Science, and Copernicus. Scientific and Methodological Laboratory
To support the implementation of the research project, a Scientific and Methodological Laboratory was established at the Department in November 2020.
Head of the Laboratory: Head of the Department, Doctor of Philosophy, Associate Professor Alla Nerubasska. Deputy Head: Candidate of Psychological Sciences, Associate Professor Svitlana Prokofieva-Akopova.
The Laboratory operates in accordance with its official Regulations.
Practical Training and Student Development. Practical training and professional orientation of students are ensured through internships at specialized institutions in Odesa and the Odesa region, involvement of students in the activities of the Center for Psychological Counseling and Psychocorrection, and the development of practical psychological skills in compliance with professional ethical standards.
The Department actively supports student research activities. The student scientific club “PSYCHOLOGIST” operates at the Department, and scientific events are regularly organized, contributing to the development of students’ research competencies and academic culture.
Department Staff
Full-time Academic Staff
1.Alla Nerubasska – Head of the Department, Doctor of Philosophy, Associate Professor
2.Tamara Hovorun – Doctor of Psychological Sciences, Professor
3.Rostyslav Kostenko – Doctor of Pedagogical Sciences, Professor, Professor of the Department
4.Alisa Yermakova – PhD in Psychology, Associate Professor of the Department
5.Maryna Kryukova – Candidate of Psychological Sciences, Associate Professor, Associate Professor of the Department
6.Svitlana Prokofieva-Akopova – Candidate of Psychological Sciences, Associate Professor, Associate Professor of the Department
7.Viktoriia Voitsekh – Senior Lecturer of the Department
8.Anastasiia Kuznetsova – Senior Lecturer of the Department
Part-time (Adjunct) Academic Staff
1.Nataliia Borysenko – Associate Professor of the Department, Candidate of Philological Sciences
2.Tamara Zubilevych – Senior Lecturer
3.Serhii Ohanezov – Senior Lecturer
4.Olena Balbuza – PhD in Psychology (MKA), Senior Lecturer
5.Mykola Karpenko – Candidate of Technical Sciences, Associate Professor
6.Roman Asieiev – Senior Lecturer
7.Iryna Shulha – Lecturer of the Department
