Master in Applied Child and Adolescent Psychology at University of Padua

About the programme

Applied Child and Adolescent Psychology is a two-year, 120 ECTS master's degree in class LM-51-R (Psychology), taught in English in Padua. It belongs to the School of Psychology and is run by the Department of Developmental Psychology and Socialisation. Enrolment is limited, with 40 places for non-EU applicants living abroad in 2027/28.

The degree trains professionals who turn developmental theory and research into practice that supports the positive adjustment of children and young people in educational, social and health settings. Teaching combines core areas of psychology, small-group activities and specialised topics such as paediatrics and intercultural communication, so that graduates can work with children and families in culturally diverse, international contexts.

What you will study

The plan starts with compulsory units, adds advanced courses and closes with practical workshops. Course units listed on the admissions portal include:

• Fundamentals of Developmental Cognitive and Social Neuroscience
• Emotion Regulation in Children and Adolescents
• Atypical Development and Learning
• Risk Prevention and Wellness Promotion among Youth
• Principles and Applications of Psychological Testing
• Developmental Trauma: Assessment and Treatment
• Language Development: From Brain to School
• Pediatric Neurology and Child Adjustment

How the programme is taught

Workshops cover prevention in clinical and educational settings, parenting and family assessment, scientific dissemination, professional communication, and ethics and deontology in psychology. The plan includes a 500-hour practical internship and a compulsory unit in Applied Italian Language Skills. The course page describes teaching as blended mode in Padua, while the portal lists the degree as full-time and in person.

Career paths

The admissions portal states that graduates are licensed to practise as psychologists in Italy and can go on to doctoral studies. They work in applied child and adolescent psychology, offering training, consulting and intervention for children and families, mainly in:

• Educational and school settings
• Social and childcare services
• Healthcare facilities
• Third sector bodies and community organisations, including NGOs

Fees and scholarships

All School of Psychology degrees are in fee Group B. Under the 2026/27 fee call, non-EU students whose household is resident abroad pay a fixed €2,990 a year, or €996.66 if they hold citizenship of a country on the ministry's list of particularly poor countries; an ISEE parificato alters only the regional tax. Veneto regional scholarship winners are exempt, which gives zero euro tuition for eligible students, and international applicants living abroad are considered for merit fee waivers. See the fees page.

How to apply from outside the EU

Places are limited and ranked. Along with your transcript, CV, motivation letter and English certificate, you must upload the programme's evaluation form. Non-EU applicants living abroad apply on apply.unipd.it only from 7 January to 7 March 2027 (23:59 CET), paying the €60 fee; legalised documents are not needed to apply.

After admission you pay a non-refundable €208 fee, complete Universitaly pre-enrolment and apply for a type D study visa. Legalised, apostilled or CIMEA-verified documents are due by 31 July 2027 for limited-access degrees, and studies start on 1 October 2027.

How ApplyAZ helps

If this programme fits your goals, ApplyAZ can include it in a shortlist of 20 to 30 English-taught programmes at Italian public universities. We write your CV and a tailored statement of purpose, submit your applications and Universitaly pre-enrolment, file your DSU scholarship application and prepare your visa file, with a named person on each stage. The university decides admission, the region decides the scholarship and the consulate decides the visa. See how ApplyAZ works or check your eligibility.