PSY406 Positive Psychology
Syllabus | International University of Sarajevo - Last Update on Feb 02, 2026
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Psychology
Selvira Draganović
Course Lecturer
Course Objectives
The course is dedicated to the study of main concepts in positive psychology like : happiness, wellbeing, flow, mindfulness, creativity, spirituality etc. and their role in psychological health. Understanding these concepts helps students finally shift away from disease model in psychology and focus on the role of positive concepts in overall psychological and physical health
Learning Outcomes
After successful completion of the course, the student will be able to:
Course Materials
Required Textbook
1. Positive psychology in a nutshell, Boniwell Ilona, Open University Press, 2012.
Additional Literature
Positive psychology, Alan Carr, 2004.Teaching Methods
Class discussions with examples
Active tutorial sessions involving workshops on course related, in class covered topics for engaged learning and continuous feedback on progress
Individual and team assigments and projects
Weekly Topics
| Week | Topic | Readings / References |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Positive psychology -, course overview, syllabus | |
| 2 | An Introduction- short history of PP, What is Positive Psychology? | 1. pp. 1-9 + handouts |
| 3 | Your Emotions and You | 1. pp. 9-19 |
| 4 | Optimism and Hope | 1. pp. 19-29 |
| 5 | Living in Flow | 1. pp. 29-37 |
| 6 | Happiness and (Subjective) Well-being - PERMA model of PW | 1. pp. 37-49 + handouts |
| 7 | Is Happiness Necessary or Sufficient? The Concept of Eudaimonic Well-being | 1. pp. 49-63 |
| 8 | Meaning in Making: Values, Motivation and Life Goals | 1. pp. 63-71 |
| 9 | MIDTERM EXAM | |
| 10 | Time in Our Lives, Positive Psychology and Life Complexities and Challenges | 1. pp. 71-83 |
| 11 | The Freedom of Choice and How to Survive it | 1. pp. 83-95 |
| 12 | The Positive Psychology of Strengths | 1. pp. 95-103 |
| 13 | Love; Positive Psychology Interventions | 1. pp. 103-119 |
| 14 | Positive psychology in practice | 1. pp. 119-143 |
| 15 | Wrap up |
Course Schedule (All Sections)
| Section | Type | Day 1 | Venue 1 | Day 2 | Venue 2 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PSY406.1 | Course | Monday 12:00 - 14:50 | A F1.10 | - | - |
Office Hours & Room
| Day | Time | Office | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Monday | 09:00 - 12:00 | B F2.3B | |
| Tuesday | 09:00 - 12:00 | B F2.3B | |
| Wednesday | 09:00 - 11:00 | B F2.3B | |
| Friday | 10:00 - 12:00 | B F2.3B |
Assessment Methods and Criteria
Assessment Components
Final Exam
AI: Not AllowedAlignment with Learning Outcomes : 1 2 3 4 5 6
Presentation / In class activiy
AI: Not AllowedAlignment with Learning Outcomes : 1 2
Midterm Exam
AI: Not AllowedAlignment with Learning Outcomes : 1 2 3 4
Weekly assignments (gratefulness, positive sayings, characters strenghts)
AI: Not AllowedAlignment with Learning Outcomes : 5 6
IUS Grading System
| Grading Scale | IUS Grading System | IUS Coeff. | Letter (B&H) | Numerical (B&H) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0 - 44 | F | 0 | F | 5 |
| 45 - 54 | E | 1 | ||
| 55 - 64 | C | 2 | E | 6 |
| 65 - 69 | C+ | 2.3 | D | 7 |
| 70 -74 | B- | 2.7 | ||
| 75 - 79 | B | 3 | C | 8 |
| 80 - 84 | B+ | 3.3 | ||
| 85 - 94 | A- | 3.7 | B | 9 |
| 95 - 100 | A | 4 | A | 10 |
Late Work Policy
Information about late submission policies will be shared during class and posted in this section. Please check back for official guidelines.
ECTS Credit Calculation
📚 Student Workload
This 6 ECTS credit course corresponds to 150 hours of total student workload, distributed as follows:
Lecture Hours
45 hours ⏳ (15 week × 3 h)
Assignments
10 hours ⏳ (2 week × 5 h)
Tutorials
15 hours ⏳ (15 week × 1 h)
Home Study
15 hours ⏳ (15 week × 1 h)
In-term Exam Study
9 hours ⏳ (1 week × 9 h)
Final Exam Study
40 hours ⏳ (2 week × 20 h)
Term Project/Presentation
16 hours ⏳ (2 week × 8 h)
150 Total Workload Hours
6 ECTS Credits
Course Policies
Academic Integrity
All work submitted must be your own. Plagiarism, cheating, or any form of academic dishonesty will result in disciplinary action according to university policies. When in doubt about citation practices, consult the instructor.
Attendance Policy
Students are expected to adhere to the attendance requirements as outlined in the International University of Sarajevo Study Rules and Regulations. Excessive absences, whether excused or unexcused, may impact academic performance and eligibility for assessment. Mandatory sessions (e.g., labs, workshops) require attendance unless formally exempted. For detailed policies on absences, documentation, and penalties, please refer to the official university regulations.
Technology & AI Policy
Laptops/tablets may be used for note-taking only during lectures. Phones should be silenced and put away during all class sessions. Audio/video recording requires prior permission from the instructor.
Artificial Intelligence (AI) Usage: The use of AI tools (e.g., ChatGPT, Copilot, Gemini) varies by assessment component. Please refer to the AI usage indicator next to each assessment item in the Assessment Methods and Criteria section above. Submitting AI-generated content as your own work, where AI is not explicitly allowed, constitutes an academic integrity violation.
Communication Policy
All course-related communication should occur through official university channels (institutional email or SIS). Emails should include [PSY406] in the subject line.
Academic Quality Assurance Policy
Course Academic Quality Assurance is achieved through Semester Student Survey. At the end of each academic year, the institution of higher education is obliged to evaluate work of the academic staff, or the success of realization of the curricula.
Learning Tips
Be prepared to contribute thoughtfully during class discussions, labs, or collaborative work. Active participation deepens understanding and encourages critical thinking.
Complete assigned readings or prep materials before class. Take notes, highlight key ideas, and jot down questions. Aim to grasp core concepts and their applications—not just facts.
Use course frameworks or methodologies to analyze problems, case studies, or projects. Begin early to allow time for reflection and refinement. Seek feedback to improve your work.
Don’t hesitate to reach out when something is unclear. Use office hours, discussion boards, or peer networks to clarify concepts and stay on track.
Syllabus Last Updated on Feb 02, 2026 | International University of Sarajevo
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Referencing Curricula Print this page
| Course Code | Course Title | Weekly Hours* | ECTS | Weekly Class Schedule | ||||||
| T | P | |||||||||
| PSY406 | Positive Psychology | 2 | 1 | 6 | Monday 12>00- 14>50 | |||||
| Prerequisite | None | It is a prerequisite to | - | |||||||
| Lecturer | Selvira Draganović | Office Hours / Room / Phone | Monday: 9:00-12:00 Tuesday: 9:00-12:00 Wednesday: 9:00-11:00 Friday: 10:00-12:00 |
|||||||
| sdraganovic@ius.edu.ba | ||||||||||
| Assistant | Iman Ehnech Seran | Assistant E-mail | imanehnech-seran@student.ius.edu.ba | |||||||
| Course Objectives | The course is dedicated to the study of main concepts in positive psychology like : happiness, wellbeing, flow, mindfulness, creativity, spirituality etc. and their role in psychological health. Understanding these concepts helps students finally shift away from disease model in psychology and focus on the role of positive concepts in overall psychological and physical health |
|||||||||
| Textbook | 1. Positive psychology in a nutshell, Boniwell Ilona, Open University Press, 2012. | |||||||||
| Additional Literature |
|
|||||||||
| Learning Outcomes | After successful completion of the course, the student will be able to: | |||||||||
|
||||||||||
| Teaching Methods | Class discussions with examples. Active tutorial sessions involving workshops on course related, in class covered topics for engaged learning and continuous feedback on progress. Individual and team assigments and projects. | |||||||||
| Teaching Method Delivery | Face-to-face | Teaching Method Delivery Notes | ||||||||
| WEEK | TOPIC | REFERENCE | ||||||||
| Week 1 | Positive psychology -, course overview, syllabus | |||||||||
| Week 2 | An Introduction- short history of PP, What is Positive Psychology? | 1. pp. 1-9 + handouts | ||||||||
| Week 3 | Your Emotions and You | 1. pp. 9-19 | ||||||||
| Week 4 | Optimism and Hope | 1. pp. 19-29 | ||||||||
| Week 5 | Living in Flow | 1. pp. 29-37 | ||||||||
| Week 6 | Happiness and (Subjective) Well-being - PERMA model of PW | 1. pp. 37-49 + handouts | ||||||||
| Week 7 | Is Happiness Necessary or Sufficient? The Concept of Eudaimonic Well-being | 1. pp. 49-63 | ||||||||
| Week 8 | Meaning in Making: Values, Motivation and Life Goals | 1. pp. 63-71 | ||||||||
| Week 9 | MIDTERM EXAM | |||||||||
| Week 10 | Time in Our Lives, Positive Psychology and Life Complexities and Challenges | 1. pp. 71-83 | ||||||||
| Week 11 | The Freedom of Choice and How to Survive it | 1. pp. 83-95 | ||||||||
| Week 12 | The Positive Psychology of Strengths | 1. pp. 95-103 | ||||||||
| Week 13 | Love; Positive Psychology Interventions | 1. pp. 103-119 | ||||||||
| Week 14 | Positive psychology in practice | 1. pp. 119-143 | ||||||||
| Week 15 | Wrap up | |||||||||
| Assessment Methods and Criteria | Evaluation Tool | Quantity | Weight | Alignment with LOs | AI Usage |
| Final Exam | 1 | 30 | 1,2,3,4,5,6 | Not Allowed | |
| Semester Evaluation Components | |||||
| Presentation / In class activiy | 1 | 20 | 1,2 | Not Allowed | |
| Midterm Exam | 1 | 30 | 1,2,3,4 | Not Allowed | |
| Weekly assignments (gratefulness, positive sayings, characters strenghts) | 10 | 20 | 5,6 | Not Allowed | |
| *** ECTS Credit Calculation *** | |||||
| Activity | Hours | Weeks | Student Workload Hours | Activity | Hours | Weeks | Student Workload Hours | |||
| Lecture Hours | 3 | 15 | 45 | Assignments | 5 | 2 | 10 | |||
| Tutorials | 1 | 15 | 15 | Home Study | 1 | 15 | 15 | |||
| In-term Exam Study | 9 | 1 | 9 | Final Exam Study | 20 | 2 | 40 | |||
| Term Project/Presentation | 8 | 2 | 16 | |||||||
| Total Workload Hours = | 150 | |||||||||
| *T= Teaching, P= Practice | ECTS Credit = | 6 | ||||||||
| Course Academic Quality Assurance: Semester Student Survey | Last Update Date: 23/02/2026 | |||||||||