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In 1968, psychology studying became a reality at UPJŠ. It was an important event in terms of UPJŠ, of the city and the region and in terms of then situation and further development of psychology in Slovakia. For an appreciation of the importance of opening psychology studying at UPJŠ it should be noted that at that time, to study psychology in Czechoslovakia was possible only at four universities, and three of them were in Czech Republic. Until 1968 it was possible to study psychology in Slovakia only at the Comenius University in Bratislava.
An important role in the formation of Department of Psychology played a situation in Kosice, which was an important centre of psychological workplaces. Workplaces from all the main areas of using psychological services in practice functioned here. In 1959, Regional psychological and educational clinic and Centre for career choices was founded and successfully led by prof. PhDr. J. Hvozdík, DrSc. A few years later, Regional marriage and marital counselling was established. Also, clinical psychology was doing well in Kosice with the most prominent representative associative professor Mgr. A. Stančák, CSc, who was that time also an associate professor at the Medical Faculty UPJŠ. A workplace for psychology of work was built in VSŽ, which after the completion at early 1970´s became one of the most important departments in this field in Slovakia and the former Czechoslovakia.
Since its opening at UPJŠ became a Faculty of Arts in Prešov an executor of psychology studying. The heaviness of conditions bound to Kosice led to physical location of the Department of Psychology to Kosice, thanks to effort of its founder prof. PhDr. J. Hvozdík, DrSc. Kosice became the seat of the Department of Psychology and the city where the study of psychology carried out. Problems with ensuring of studyoing in another city were the background of increasing efforts to relocate the Department of Psychology and the entire study of psychology to Prešov. The culmination of a multi-annual process was the relocation of the department in 1984. The department management took over in 1984 associative professor PhDr. Ľ. Fábryová, CSc., later, in 1989 associative professor PhDr. V. Kubáni, CSc. In 1990 associative professor PhDr. J. Frejenčík, CSc. became a head of the Department of Psychology. Socio-political changes after 1989 brought the return of Department of Psychology and the study of psychology to Kosice. This happened in 1991. After the resignation of the associative professor PhDr. J. Ferjenčík, CSc., as head of the department was nominee associative professor PhDr. M. Mesárošová, CSc. and later associative professor PhDr. Š. Vendel, CSc.
1 January 1997 came Prešov University into existence from faculties of UPJŠ acting in Prešov. The Department of Psychology, as the part of Faculty of Arts became then the part of Prešov University.
After dividing the former UPJŠ was as a priority considered the creation of conditions for establishing new faculties in the field of social sciences and humanities. After obtaining accreditation for programs at all three grades (bachelor, master, doctorate) and after certain organizational arrangements was in 2005 opened the study of psychology in new-established Institute of Philological and Social Sciences UPJŠ (a predecessor of the Faculty of Arts). That time (fall 2005) was established the Department of psychology as incorporate workplace for study of psychology. 1 January 2007 became it the new department of the Faculty of Arts UPJŠ.
Since its inception committed the Department of Psychology to the tradition of the study of psychology at UPJŠ in Kosice in the period 1968-1996. It takes into the account the fact that for the whole period it was a study at the Faculty of Arts UPJŠ in Prešov as a settlement, which became a faculty of Prešov University. Thanks to it is whole history of psychology studying and of the Department of Psychology at the original UPJŠ also part of the current Institute of Psychology of Faculty of Arts of Prešov University.
An important role in the formation of Department of Psychology played a situation in Kosice, which was an important centre of psychological workplaces. Workplaces from all the main areas of using psychological services in practice functioned here. In 1959, Regional psychological and educational clinic and Centre for career choices was founded and successfully led by prof. PhDr. J. Hvozdík, DrSc. A few years later, Regional marriage and marital counselling was established. Also, clinical psychology was doing well in Kosice with the most prominent representative associative professor Mgr. A. Stančák, CSc, who was that time also an associate professor at the Medical Faculty UPJŠ. A workplace for psychology of work was built in VSŽ, which after the completion at early 1970´s became one of the most important departments in this field in Slovakia and the former Czechoslovakia.
Since its opening at UPJŠ became a Faculty of Arts in Prešov an executor of psychology studying. The heaviness of conditions bound to Kosice led to physical location of the Department of Psychology to Kosice, thanks to effort of its founder prof. PhDr. J. Hvozdík, DrSc. Kosice became the seat of the Department of Psychology and the city where the study of psychology carried out. Problems with ensuring of studyoing in another city were the background of increasing efforts to relocate the Department of Psychology and the entire study of psychology to Prešov. The culmination of a multi-annual process was the relocation of the department in 1984. The department management took over in 1984 associative professor PhDr. Ľ. Fábryová, CSc., later, in 1989 associative professor PhDr. V. Kubáni, CSc. In 1990 associative professor PhDr. J. Frejenčík, CSc. became a head of the Department of Psychology. Socio-political changes after 1989 brought the return of Department of Psychology and the study of psychology to Kosice. This happened in 1991. After the resignation of the associative professor PhDr. J. Ferjenčík, CSc., as head of the department was nominee associative professor PhDr. M. Mesárošová, CSc. and later associative professor PhDr. Š. Vendel, CSc.
1 January 1997 came Prešov University into existence from faculties of UPJŠ acting in Prešov. The Department of Psychology, as the part of Faculty of Arts became then the part of Prešov University.
After dividing the former UPJŠ was as a priority considered the creation of conditions for establishing new faculties in the field of social sciences and humanities. After obtaining accreditation for programs at all three grades (bachelor, master, doctorate) and after certain organizational arrangements was in 2005 opened the study of psychology in new-established Institute of Philological and Social Sciences UPJŠ (a predecessor of the Faculty of Arts). That time (fall 2005) was established the Department of psychology as incorporate workplace for study of psychology. 1 January 2007 became it the new department of the Faculty of Arts UPJŠ.
Since its inception committed the Department of Psychology to the tradition of the study of psychology at UPJŠ in Kosice in the period 1968-1996. It takes into the account the fact that for the whole period it was a study at the Faculty of Arts UPJŠ in Prešov as a settlement, which became a faculty of Prešov University. Thanks to it is whole history of psychology studying and of the Department of Psychology at the original UPJŠ also part of the current Institute of Psychology of Faculty of Arts of Prešov University.