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How does the brain process emotions? How do affective states guide behaviour, decisions and social interactions? What is the role of emotions in the context of health, well-being, work, education or marketing? How can recent advances in psychology and neuroscience provide us with tools for a better understanding of these topics?
Emotions and affective processes are a vibrant and rapidly expanding area in disciplines such as psychology, neuroscience, biology, computer science or medicine.
The interest in these topics across multiple disciplines reflects the complexity of affective processes and their central role in everyday life, from shaping cognition and behaviour to their influence in health and well-being.
This is one of the only MSc programmes focused on the topic of affective sciences across Europe, and it was considered innovative by the Portuguese Agency for Assessment and Accreditation of Higher Education (A3ES).
It is part of the Iscte Department of Psychology and It also benefits from a strong connection with the psychological research center Cis-Iscte, evaluated as ‘excellent’ by the Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology.
It provides high-quality scientific training that can serve as a basis for PhD study or to undertake research and development activities outside academia (e.g., industry). The MSc also promotes transferable skills and the acquisition of knowledge relevant for careers in marketing, education, health, technology, science communication or management.
Entry Requirements
Students with a minimum of bachelor’s degree who want to develop in-depth knowledge in this scientific domain. Our students typically come from diverse backgrounds, including Social Sciences (e.g., Psychology, Sociology, Economics, Educational Sciences), Medical and Health Sciences (e.g., Medicine, Nursing), or Exact and Natural Sciences (e.g., biological sciences).
2026/2027
The duration is 2 academic years (4 semesters), and the programme is delivered through a combination of lectures, laboratory classes, debates and practical work, which provide students with a comprehensive understanding of the latest developments in basic and applied affective sciences research.
| Unidades curriculares | Semester | ECTS |
|---|---|---|
| Biological Bases of Emotions | 1 | 6.0 |
| Methodos of Data Analysis | 1 | 6.0 |
| Perspectives & Theories of Emotion | 1 | 6.0 |
| Research Methods in Psychology I | 1 | 6.0 |
| Advanced Research Methods in Psychology | 2 | 6.0 |
| Cognition & Emotion | 2 | 6.0 |
| Ontogenesis of Emotion | 2 | 6.0 |
| Psychophysiology of Emotion | 2 | 6.0 |
Recommended optative
1st semester
00731 - Emotions, Marketing & Advertising
00124 - Emotional Development in the Family and in the School
2nd semester
00136 - Emotion in Social & Cultural Relations (english)
01697 - Individual and Cultural Diversity Competencies Development (english)
00730 - Qualitative Methods in Psychology
The study plan includes 5 optional curricular units: 2 optional in the 1st year (1 in each semester) and 3 optional in the 2nd year (2 in the 1st semester and 1 in the 2nd semester)
Optional courses will only be held if they achieve a minimum number of enrollments.
| Unidades curriculares | Semester | ECTS |
|---|---|---|
| Applied Project in Emotion Sciences Final Work | 1 | 42.0 |
| Master Dissertation in Emotion Sciences Final Work | 1 | 42.0 |
Recommended optative
1st semester
00731 - Emotions, Marketing & Advertising
00124 - Emotional Development in the Family and in the School
2nd semester
00136 - Emotion in Social & Cultural Relations (english)
01697 - Individual and Cultural Diversity Competencies Development (english)
00730 - Qualitative Methods in Psychology
The study plan includes 5 optional curricular units: 2 optional in the 1st year (1 in each semester) and 3 optional in the 2nd year (2 in the 1st semester and 1 in the 2nd semester)
Optional courses will only be held if they achieve a minimum number of enrollments.
Applying knowledge and skills from science on emotions in various contexts: health, education, family, community and organizations. The level of success of this goal is evaluated throughout the different modules in the course, which culminate in the dissertation or final project. The programme aims to develop knowledge and specific skills that enable students to:
The faculty of this programme are extremely qualified, including professors and researchers of various nationalities with research and intervention experience in the scientific field of the emotions.
An important aspect of the programme is the collaboration with researchers from other national and international universities. These nationally and internationally recognized researchers regularly take part in the MSc, in the context of talks or teaching in specific curricular units.
2025/2026
The students have the opportunity to acquire solid theoretical and methodological knowledge on affective sciences, and to develop skills that can be applied to a range of professional contexts in which emotion and affective processes are relevant. The research project that they develop in the second year of the programme, supervised by experienced researchers, allows them to learn directly from experts in theirs fields of interest in a hands-on way.
Employability:
The course provides high-quality scientific training that can serve as a basis for PhD study or to undertake research and development activities outside academia (e.g., industry). This trajectory has attracted an increasing number of our students in recent years
The course promotes transferable skills (e.g., data analysis, communication, critical thinking, planning), as well the acquisition of knowledge in an area – emotions and affect – that is relevant across multiple professional contexts, such as health, teaching, educational and social projects, consultancy, and professional and personal development. Many of our students have used the course as a platform to launch their careers in this way.
A significant number of our students are already employed (e.g., human resources managers; teachers; psychologists; sociologists; consultants), and find in this programme an opportunity to acquire state-of-the-art knowledge that will help them promote and enrich their careers.
Can apply for the Master's degree in “Science of Emotions”:
SELECTION AND RANKING CRITERIA
Evaluation criteria and other usefull information about the aplication available HERE (portuguese only).
DOCUMENTS
The application is made exclusively online. The following documents are mandatory:
*Applicants still completing the bachelor degree must upload a declaration of honor (draft available on the platform) as an alternative to the diploma.
Applicants who do not submit the above-mentioned documents will be transferred to the next round. If they do not deliver the missing documentation by the end of the application period of the subsequent round, they will be exclu