The Second-level Short Specialisation Degree in Architectural and Landscape Psychology provides theoretical knowledge and application tools in the field of architectural psychology. This discipline, also known as environmental psychology, studies the interaction between people and the physical environment and offers up a design concept that takes into account the cognitive, affective, behavioural, and motivational characteristics of users.

The Second-level Short Specialisation Degree in Architectural and Landscape Psychology trains students in the use of application tools in the various architectural contexts (residential, urban, work, learning, care and leisure) and in verifying the effectiveness of interventions, providing the skills to analyse requests from private and institutional environments and to come up with assessment, implementation, and verification tools after the fact in various environments and from a multidisciplinary perspective.

The Master’s has an agreement with the IUAV University of Venice and CIRPA (Inter-University Centre for Research in Environmental Psychology) of Sapienza University in Rome.

The Second-level Short Specialisation Degree in Architectural and Landscape Psychology is aimed at psychologists, architects, engineers, local administrators, and those working in schools, healthcare, cultural and architectural heritage protection and safety.

Psychologists experienced in environmental psychology can advise public administrations, architects, engineers, town planners, on projects aimed at creating safe, healthy and welcoming environments in schools, prisons, urban environments, offices and homes.

Local administrators, tourism and cultural heritage professionals, and planners can also make use of the knowledge provided by the Master’s course to broaden and enrich their areas of expertise and action.

The Second-level Short Specialisation Degree in Architectural and Landscape Psychology takes on the following topics:

Module 1 – INTERACTION BETWEEN INDIVIDUAL AND ENVIRONMENT.THE ENVIRONMENTAL PSCYHOLOGY APPROACH.

Introduction to the tools, methods and main theoretical models in the study of the relationship between humans and the environment.

Module 2 – PERCEPTION, COGNITION, EMOTIONS, MOTIVATION

Main psychological theories on perception, motivation and emotions in relation to how affective and cognitive factors influence the relationship between humans and the environment.

Module 3 – COMMUNICATIONS IN THE PROFESSIONAL SPHERE

Communicating effectively in a multidisciplinary work context.

Module 4 – SOCIOCOGNITIVE APPROACH TO ARCHITECTURAL PSYCHOLOGY

Affordance, embodiment and environmental primes: changing norms and behaviour through environmental cues.

Module 5 – SAFETY AND NAVIGABILITY

Safety laws: general principles. Emergency management. Elements of inclusive design, navigation and wayfinding.

Module 6 – AGE FRIENDLY DESIGN

Principles guiding the design of homes for the self-sufficient elderly and communities for the elderly who are not self-sufficient.

Module 7 – QUALITY, PROTECTION, AND ENHANCEMENT OF THE LANDSCAPE

Analysing the factors that can make the landscape more appealing and the tools aimed at protecting or improving the quality of the landscape.

Module 8 – ARCHITECTURAL AND URBAN DESIGN

Main studies on forms of the city and landscape. Participatory design and case studies.

Module 9 – OBJECTIVE AND SUBJECTIVE INDICATORS OF URBAN QUALITY

User-centred design and post-occupational assessment, environmental psychology counselling in the design of urban environments.

Module 10 – CONSTRUCTION OF SCHOOLS, HOUSING, PRISONS, OFFICES

The principles of Environmental Psychology applied to the design of school buildings, offices, prisons and homes.

Module 11 – HUMANISATION OF CARE ENVIRONMENTS

The humanisation of care environments: user needs and focus on design attributes. Methods, research techniques, and survey tools.

Module 12 – ART, MUSEUMS, EXHIBITIONS, COMMERCIAL SPACES, PLACES OF WORSHIP

Indications for Environmental Psychology as it pertains to the design of commercial spaces, places of worship, art exhibitions, museums.

The general merit list for A.Y. 2024/25 will be published here according to the timeline stipulated in the Notice.

Information

Mind and psycho-physical well-being
10/10/2025
70%
10
30
€ 2.122,50
€ 1.000,00
I titoli di accesso saranno specificati nell'avviso di selezione 24/25

FAQ

The internship takes place at an organisation that is already accredited with the university, or with one of the student’s choice (entering into agreement with the university). The internship may be tied to the thesis, though it isn’t necessary; there should be an internship advisor within the organisation, and the work can be started in February. Project work is something that the student (alone or in a group of other students) carries out independently without necessarily having to partner with another organisation. Unlike the internship, project work is not tied to a specific location and therefore does not require a defined venue. It may be tied to the thesis, though it isn’t necessary.

You can receive a list of affiliated organisations by sending an email to the secretariat of the Master’s course master.psicologiaarchitettonica@unipd.it