Training of Psychologists in Ecuador: Some Trends

Abstract

Higher education and the training of psychologists in Ecuador underwent profound transformations over recent decades. This documentary research aimed to analyze the main trends in the training of psychologists in Ecuador. Based on a review of physical and digital documentary sources, the following trends were identified: a high feminization of the profession; 36 of the country's 62 universities offered undergraduate degree programs; rapid growth in the offerings of the national private sector and especially transnational online institutions; an accelerated migration of graduate programs toward virtual modalities, characterized by low costs and shorter duration; and a marked separation between the health field and the social field, both in training and professional practice, as a result of current regulations. It is concluded that professional training and practice are being rapidly affected by changes at the national and international levels, making essential the articulation of training fields, as well as the quality regulation of online education.