# Developmental Psychology

**Source**: https://english.spbu.ru/admission/programms/graduate/developmental-psychology
**Parent**: https://english.spbu.ru/admission/programms/graduate

37.04.01 
*In Russian*

Level of education Master

Type of instruction Full-time

Duration 2 years

Programme description

The programme is designed to study the patterns of human mental development; and master skills to develop programmes of psychological assistance at all stages of the individual's life course, from infancy to the later stages of life.

Main courses

- Acmeology
- Somatology
- Psychology of Loneliness
- Art-Therapy
- Age-Related Psychological Counselling
- Differential Psychodiagnostics
- Methodology Training
- Mental Development Disorders and Correction
- Non-Clinical Psychotherapy
- Practical Classes in Methods of Psychology in Development
- Psychogerontology
- Family Psychology and Psychotherapy
- Career-Growth Psychology (with Supervision)
- Psychology of Early Intervention and Early Development
- Family Psychology and Family Upbringing

Our advantages

- The content of the academic programme is focused on all-round training and covers a range of issues associated with understanding age patterns and individual psychological characteristics of human development. It also includes mastering advanced methods of psychological diagnostics, psychological correction, and various types and technologies of counselling at all stages of life.
- Practical courses are an integral part of the programme. Among them are: psychological and pedagogical training; game and active teaching methods; workshops on psychotherapeutic and counselling activities; and workshops on methods of cutting-edge age-related psychodiagnostics. They are delivered by high calibre teaching staff, including top-level scholars and practitioners who are ready for fruitful cooperation with future specialists.

Teaching staff

- Olga Strizhitskaya, Research Supervisor of the academic programme ‘Developmental Psychology’; Doctor of Psychology, Associate Professor, Head of the Department of Developmental Psychology and Differential Psychology; leading expert in the field of mental well-being and the psychology of ageing, particularly the positive psychology of ageing and development; author of over 140 scholarly papers
- Larisa Golovey, Doctor of Psychology, Professor; Honoured Worker of Higher Professional Education of the Russian Federation (2004); winner of the 12th National Professional Psychology Competition ‘Golden Psyche’ (2010); expert with Russian science foundations; expert with the Higher Assessment Committee; expert with the Ministry of Science and Higher Education
- Victoria Manukyan, Candidate of Psychology, Associate Professor, certified specialist in the field of psychotherapy
- Svetlana Savenysheva, Candidate of Psychology, Associate Professor, leading expert in early child development; Recipient of the St. Petersburg State University medal ‘For Pedagogical Excellence’
- Evgenia Troshikhina, Candidate of Psychology, Associate Professor, internationally certified specialist in sandplay therapy

Main areas of research

- The role of family and parent-child relations in the development of children and adolescents
- Parenting psychology and parental stress
- Career choice and professional development crises
- Age and life crises of adults
- Human mental well-being and everyday stress
- Strategies and factors of development in the later periods of human life
- The psychology of loneliness
- Individual and domestic stresses and coping with them in normal and impaired development scenarios
- Psychobiographical research in personality

Career opportunities

The graduates can work as competitive psychologists who understand the laws of development and are capable of providing psychological support to a person at all stages of his/her life journey. They are well-trained to conduct independent research in the field of developmental psychology, to participate in research, whose results can be included into projects supporting public and private organisations.

[This webpage may contain outdated information. The programme descriptions and admission requirements for the 2026/2027 academic year are currently being updated. For the latest information on 2026/2027 admission, please visit the Admissions Office website.](https://abiturient.spbu.ru/en/)

[Tuition](https://english.spbu.ru/admission/tuition)

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