Social Policy and Social Work

The mission of the doctoral study in Social Policy and Social Work (henceforth DS SPSW) is educating experts focused on researching and designing measures which help people who experience troubles in mutual relations with society or are exposed to difficult social condition. Social policy programmes or case social work interventions; social problems or living situations; processes of designing, implementing, and evaluating particular measures are matters of concern in the context of the programme. These matters are related to international, national, regional, local, organizational, or social network contexts. The aim is to prepare excellent experts able to promote the above mentioned mission by autonomous researching or analysing; by evaluating existing or designing new measures; by managing implementation of such measures; or by everyday coordinating of mutually interrelated services and measures. The DS SPSW includes, among others, the Social Work Branch Exam.

„Using reflexive research to improve quality of helping interventions“

NEW:

The aim of the programme is to prepare professionals focused on the exploration of social and public policy issues, social work and human resources development programmes.

The subject of the research are social and public policy, social problems, difficult life situations, interventions social work and the implementation of specific interventions and the evaluation of their effectiveness.

Programme graduates are able to achieve this goal through their research activities, evaluation of existing or development of new measures and their implementation in practice. They can do this at international, national, regional and local levels.

Programme graduates are prepared for further research careers in national and international academic institutions, as well as for employment in public administration, social policy, social work and social service organisations.

Practical training

Participation of students in executing applied research projects is perceived as relevant form of practice in DS SPSW. This form of practical trainign includes devoting dissertation projects to answering research questions which brings knowledge valid in terms of both theory of and applicability in solving problems or responding to risks of processing social policy programmes or case social work interventions. Students are involved in applied research projects via CEPRES (Centre for practice and evaluation studies) which is sub-unit of Department of Social Policy and Social Work (see http://www.cepres-muni.cz).

NEW:

Research and pedagogical knowledge and skills are developed through hands-on activities.

Research competences: the students carry out their own research projects. They search for research questions and hypotheses, design research studies, collect and analyse data, write publications, gain experience in the publication process and make their expertise available to the general public.

Pedagogical competences: the students are involved in all types of pedagogical activities. They communicate with students, are administratively involved in the running of courses, assess students' course assignments, teach seminars and lectures, supervise and review bachelor theses.

The development of research and pedagogical competences takes place under the supervision of a supervisor, more experienced researchers/pedagogues and through cooperation with foreign experts.

Further information

https://spsp.fss.muni.cz/

CEPRES (Centrum praktických a evaluačních studií), které působí při Katedře SPSP (viz http://www.cepres-muni.cz)

Graduates of the DS SPSW are well prepared for research and academic institutions, public administration, and social policy, social work, and social services organizations. They often become researchers, project and program designers, or teachers in such organizations. As designers of solutions to social problems and as developers of ways to help people grapple with difficult living situations, they work at various levels (national, regional, local). Moreover, they also may become consultants or experts in political, administrative, or non-governmental organizations, in their home country or abroad.

NEW:

The primary areas of employment for graduates are international and national research and academia, public administration, social policy, social work and social services organisations.

In these organizations, they become researchers, creators of policies, programmes, and educators. They become authors of strategies for solving social problems or supporting the coping with difficult life situations at all levels of functioning (national, regional and local), as advisors and experts of political actors, state administration or non-governmental (even transnational) organizations.

No information available