Integration sessions, experience-sharing, and conviviality marked the welcome given to new students at the Universidade Católica in Porto.

The Faculty of Education and Psychology of the Universidade Católica Portuguesa (FEP-UCP) welcomed the Master’s in Psychology students of the 2025/26 academic year with a programme specially designed to enhance academic integration and foster closer ties between students, lecturers, and alumni.

The welcome event, held on 19 September, began with a session for first-year students. During this session, the Master’s coordination team, members of the teaching staff, and the academic services introduced students to the structure of the course and the opportunities available to them throughout their academic journey. The morning was marked by the presentation of the programme’s main scientific areas and the sharing of expectations in an atmosphere of enthusiasm and curiosity.

The afternoon session was dedicated to second-year students, who, among other highlights, had the opportunity to hear testimonies from alumni. These shared experiences illustrated the richness of the academic and professional paths made possible by their training at Católica.

Between the two sessions, a brunch was held in the University gardens, designed as an informal moment of encounter, where students and lecturers could exchange ideas and strengthen the bonds that underpin academic life within the FEP-UCP community.

For Mariana Barbosa, Coordinator of the Master’s in Psychology at FEP-UCP, the welcome was a moment of profound symbolism: “More than the beginning of a new academic year, this is a space for encounter and belonging. We want students to recognise, from the very first moment, that they are not alone on this journey, but part of a community that accompanies, challenges, and values them. The Master’s in Psychology at Católica is demanding and challenging, and it is in this demand that lies the possibility for personal, academic, and professional growth.”

With this welcome, FEP-UCP reinforced its commitment to training highly qualified psychologists, capable of responding with rigour, critical thinking, and ethics to the emerging needs of contemporary society.