INVEST Master’s Degree Programme in Public Mental Health

Become an expert in Public Mental Health

Are you interested in improving mental health and developing better ways to prevent mental health problems?

The INVEST Master’s Degree Programme in Public Mental Health gives you the knowledge and specialised skills to understand and develop mental health services, prevention and evidence-based interventions, with a particular focus on children, adolescents and families.

Why Public Mental Health matters

Mental health needs remain unmet across the world, creating an urgent demand for effective and accessible services and interventions.

Public Mental Health approaches these challenges at the population level. Research is needed to understand how mental health problems can be prevented, how service systems can be improved and how effective interventions can reach the people who need them.

Digital and technology-assisted interventions offer new possibilities for making evidence-based support more accessible. Developing and implementing these solutions requires professionals who understand mental health, epidemiology, prevention, interventions and healthcare service systems.

What will you learn?

The programme provides a strong research-based foundation for developing, evaluating and implementing mental health services and interventions.

During your studies, you will develop expertise in areas such as mental health and epidemiology, healthcare service systems, preventive and early interventions, and research-based development and implementation.

You will learn how scientific evidence can be translated into effective practices and services that support the mental health and wellbeing of children, adolescents and families.

Where can the degree take you?

The programme prepares you for expert, research, development and management positions in the field of mental health.

Graduates can pursue careers as, for example, researchers, epidemiologists, healthcare service managers, development specialists and public mental health experts.

Career opportunities can be found in a wide range of organisations, including public and private healthcare, government and public administration, universities, research institutes and other organisations working to improve mental health and wellbeing.

Build a career with impact

The INVEST Master’s Degree Programme combines research-based knowledge, specialised expertise and an international academic environment.

You will gain the skills to understand complex mental health challenges – and to develop evidence-based solutions that can make a difference at the level of individuals, services and society.

Programme in brief

The extent of the Master’s degree in Public Mental Health is 120 ECTS credit units and the completion time of the program is two years.

Curriculum for the Master´s Degree Programme in Public Mental Health covers:

Major Studies and Research Methods in Public Mental Health (40 ECTS)

• Orientation to University Studies
• Transmissions and Seminars
• Study Seminars and Journal Club
• Fundamentals of Public Mental Health
• Public Mental Health in Humanitarian Crises
• Global and Local Public Mental Health
• Basics of Epidemiology
• Statistical Methods in Clinical Trials
• Epidemiology in Child and Adolescent Psychiatry
• Intervention Development, Implementation and Impact for Public Mental Health
• Digital Mental Health Interventions
• Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis
• Qualitative Research in Public Mental Health

Master’s Thesis 40 ECTS

Minor Studies 25 ECTS

Elective Studies 15 ECTS

Learning through research

The programme uses diverse, student-centred learning methods and provides you with a strong theoretical and methodological foundation for becoming a Public Mental Health expert.

Study in an active research environment

As a student, you will become part of an active research community. The Research Centre for Child Psychiatry conducts several research projects focusing on the mental health and psychosocial wellbeing of children, adolescents and families.

You will have the opportunity to choose your master’s thesis topic from ongoing or upcoming research projects, allowing you to work with current research questions and data.

Gain hands-on research experience

Your internship can be completed as part of a research project, giving you practical experience of how research is conducted and how scientific knowledge can contribute to improving mental health and wellbeing.