Doctor of Psychology

PROFILE

The Doctoral Program in Psychology, Faculty of Psychology, Universitas Airlangga, is established to address the need for advancing psychological science through research-based doctoral education that responds to societal challenges. The program has achieved “Excellent” (Unggul) accreditation and is the first in Indonesia’s psychology landscape to implement a research-based curriculum.

Supported by experienced faculty members and supervisors with national and international recognition, the program is structured to cultivate students’ academic and research independence—an essential foundation for careers as researchers, academics, and scholarly leaders in psychology. Accordingly, students are mentored to develop critical, analytical, and reflective thinking, and to produce meaningful scholarly contributions through dissertation research: from formulating a research agenda and articulating the study’s novelty, designing an appropriate research framework, managing and analyzing data, to disseminating findings in accordance with research ethics and academic integrity. The learning process also strengthens students’ mastery of disciplinary concepts and advanced research methodologies.

A distinctive feature of the program lies in its learning system, which is oriented toward building research competencies and supporting the timely, well-directed completion of dissertations. Through a structured and adaptive approach, students are prepared to generate new knowledge that contributes to the development of psychological science and the resolution of societal issues, within a dynamic, collaborative, and globally competitive scholarly community.

CURRICULUM

Based on Regulation of Ministry of Higher Education, Science, and Technology No. 39 of 2025 concerning Quality Assurance and Airlangga University Rector Regulation No. 27 of 2025 concerning Education Guidelines, The Doctoral Program in Psychology uses a Semester Credit System (SKS) with a minimum study load of 108 SKS, consisting of 60 SKS of Dissertation Courses and 48 SKS of Non-Dissertation Courses. All Non-Dissertation Courses are designed to strengthen scientific foundations, advanced research methodology, sharpen academic skills, and disseminate and evaluate student research progress.

The curriculum structure is arranged in a gradual and integrated manner, starting with strengthening the philosophy of science, scientific writing, and research planning, followed by the preparation of dissertation proposals, research seminars, and mastery of data analysis techniques. The final stage focuses on the implementation and completion of the dissertation and the publication of research results in reputable international journals as a form of student scientific contribution.

The total number of credits that must be completed by each student in the Doctoral Program in Psychology is 108 credits (minimum). With this study load, the completion of studies is considered on time if students can graduate within 6 (six) semesters and complete their studies within 12 semesters at the latest. Students have the opportunity to complete the doctoral program in a shorter time than the standard period of study, provided that they have completed the required course load.

Students are permitted to take non-dissertation courses in excess of the minimum number of credits required, as long as they are relevant to the dissertation research and based on an agreement between the Study Program and the promoter team.

CURRICULUM STRUCTURE

STUDY LOAD

HANDBOOK DOWNLOAD

• The Dissertation Writing Guide can be downloaded here.
• The Main Academic Handbook can be downloaded here.
• The Student Academic Implementation Guide, as the technical guidelines, can be downloaded here.

All of the handbooks and guides above are available only in Indonesian, as doctoral study and academic activities are conducted in Indonesian.

RESEARCH-BASED LEARNING MODEL

The Doctoral Program in Psychology at Universitas Airlangga is conducted under a research-based learning model, positioning students as primary researchers from the beginning of their doctoral studies. The learning process is designed to support the development of doctoral research, dissertation completion, and scholarly publication, emphasizing independence, analytical depth, and academic responsibility.

The program does not adopt a conventional coursework model. Instead, it applies a learning model structured in accordance with the Program’s forms and patterns of learning activities. Learning activities are delivered through an integrated combination of workshops, academic seminars, research supervision, publication mentoring, teaching assistant activities, and independent research aligned with the stages of doctoral research.

The Doctoral Program organizes internal workshops as a core component of the learning process to strengthen students’ methodological and academic competencies. Workshops organized by the Doctoral Program may be substituted with equivalent external workshops, provided that they meet the academic criteria established by the Doctoral Program and are actively attended by the student. Recognition of workshop equivalency is subject to Program regulations.

As part of the doctoral learning model, students are required to undertake teaching assistant activities during their first year of study. Consequently, students are required to be physically based in Surabaya during the first year of study to support effective participation in workshops, seminars, supervision, and teaching assistant activities.

FORMS OF LEARNING

Learning activities in the Doctoral Program in Psychology are designed to support the achievement of intended learning outcomes through an integrated, reflective, and research-oriented doctoral education process. The main forms of learning include:

1. 1. Research Supervision
   
   Research supervision consists of structured interactions between students and their supervisors/co-supervisors at every stage of the research process, from problem formulation to the refinement of the dissertation manuscript. This form of learning ensures methodological rigor, analytical accuracy, and the quality of scholarly argumentation in doctoral research.
   
   
2. Academic Seminars
   
   Academic seminars serve as scholarly forums for disseminating research ideas, defending methodologies and findings, and receiving academic feedback from faculty members, examiners/reviewers, and fellow doctoral students. These include Topic Seminars, Periodic Seminars, Research Instrument Seminars, and Dissertation Seminars, comprising Dissertation 1 and Dissertation 2.
   
   Dissertation 1 (Dissertation Readiness Assessment) is an academic seminar that evaluates the scholarly readiness and academic quality of the dissertation manuscript before the student proceeds to the final writing stage. Dissertation 2 (Final Manuscript Assessment) assesses the readiness of the final dissertation manuscript prior to the public defense. Through these academic seminars, students’ analytical skills, scholarly argumentation, and research coherence are rigorously examined.
   
   
3. Methodological Workshops
   
   Methodological workshops provide in-depth engagement with research theories and techniques, including exploratory and systematic literature reviews, research design, quantitative and qualitative data analysis, and academic writing and publication strategies. These workshops play a crucial role in supporting doctoral research readiness.
   
   As part of this learning component, students also undertake teaching assistant duties in relevant undergraduate and/or master’s-level courses under faculty supervision. These activities include learning facilitation, academic discussions, and scholarly feedback, aiming to strengthen pedagogical competence, scientific communication skills, and conceptual and methodological understanding.
   
   
4. Independent Research Activities
   
   Independent research activities encompass all research processes carried out autonomously by students throughout their doctoral studies, including literature review, proposal development, data collection and analysis, scholarly writing, and dissertation preparation. This form of learning emphasizes independence, perseverance, and advanced research capability.
   
   
5. Scholarly Dissemination
   
   Scholarly dissemination involves participation in national and international seminars, publication of articles in reputable journals, and other forms of academic communication. Dissemination expands the academic impact of doctoral research and forms an integral part of developing a professional identity as a psychological scientist.
   
   
6. Dissertation Evaluation
   Dissertation evaluation constitutes the formal assessment stages of doctoral research, comprising Dissertation 1 (Dissertation Readiness Assessment), Dissertation 2 (Final Manuscript Assessment), and Dissertation 3 (Public Defense / Doctoral Promotion). Dissertation 1 and Dissertation 2 are conducted as structured academic seminars evaluated by an examination committee, while Dissertation 3 is a public defense in which students present and defend their research as a requirement for graduation.
   
   

Through these six forms of learning, doctoral education is conducted in an integrated, research-oriented manner, supporting the creation of new knowledge, scholarly publication, and the development of high-quality psychological scientists.

QUALIFICATION MANUSCRIPT PREPARATION

Note for Prospective Students: All prospective students are expected to prepare a draft Qualification Manuscript in accordance with the required format (Download the Qualification Manuscript Template). The qualification process will take place in the middle of Semester 1, approximately two months after your official enrollment as a doctoral student at the Faculty of Psychology, Universitas Airlangga.

COMPETENCY OF THE GRADUATES

Graduates of the Doctoral Program in Psychology are competent to:

1. Generate original and scientifically validated psychological knowledge.
2. Design, conduct, and lead psychological research.
3. Produce and disseminate reputable scientific works recognized nationally and internationally.
4. Critically and reflectively analyze psychological phenomena and issues through scientific inquiry.
5. Demonstrate academic leadership and scientific integrity.

RESEARCH INTEREST AREAS

Research interests in the Doctoral Program in Psychology, Faculty of Psychology, Universitas Airlangga cover the full spectrum of psychological science. Areas include, but are not limited to:

• Industrial and Organizational Psychology
• Educational Psychology
• Developmental Psychology
• Social Psychology
• Clinical Psychology
• Health Psychology
• and other emerging areas of psychological research