Study plan

Studying DS SPSW is completed by the Final State Exam (FSE). Passing FSE is a precondition of access to dissertation defence. FSE concerns a respective topic of individual dissertation and its broader theoretical and methodological context. The chairman of the Field Commission and respective opponents determine three broadly conceived questions. Student is obliged to answer one of these three question selected by the examination committee. FSE tests the deepness and complexity of knowing theoretical and methodological context of the topic, which is the matter of individual student specialization. To say it in terms of learning outputs, FSE tests mainly deepness of theoretical knowledge relevant for social policy and social work; ability of reflecting in complex scientific manner processes of solving social problems or living situations; and ability of self-reflexion in terms of ethical and methodological responsivity and effectiveness of expert activities by students. Compulsory elective courses which concern theory of social policy and theory of social work, research methodology, and compulsory courses which concern the process of writing dissertation, especially the course consisting in presenting conceptualization of research question among them, are directly connected to FSE.

Doctoral study in Social Policy and Social Work (henceforth „DS SPSW“) lasts four years and can be prolonged for a maximum of seven years in justified cases. Students follow ensuing principles when designing their study plans: 1/ There are three courses which have to be passed in determined term in the study plan. These are “Thesis Aim Workshop” in the 1th semester – submitting theoretical and methodological substantiation of dissertation research question and key steps of searching for its answer (25 ECTS); the defence of conceptualizing thesis research question in the 5th semester; passing SDE and defending dissertation usually in 8th semester, at the latest 8 years after starting studies in DS SPSW. 2/ Compulsory undergoing of one semester stay (consisting in minimum three months) at relevant foreign academic site, which purpose consists in executing project of elaborating dissertation research (20 ECTS). 3/ Compulsory completion of the course Social Work Branch Exam (11 ECTS). 4/ Passing compulsory one of the two selective courses in theory either, while the second course is facultative (15 ECTS). 5/ Passing compulsory one of the three pair of courses in research methodology, while the second and third pair of courses are facultative (11 + 15 ECTS). 6/ Access to SDE and to dissertation defence which follows SDE is preconditioned by collecting 240 ECTS for courses of DS SPSW, and by publishing at least two peer reviewed original academic texts (15 + 15 ECTS), one have published in a minimum of two academic publications peer-reviewed in a standard manner. One of these articles must be published in an academic journal registered in the database WOS Q1, Q2 or Q3. It is obligatory to publish the second of these articles in an academic journal registered in databases WOS or SCOPUS. 7/ Participation on in minimum one international conference of doctoral students (15 ECTS). 8/ The total credit value of courses enrolled has to be at least 20 ECTS in every semester.
The student's individual plan of study includes, in accordance with the MU Study Regulations, the student's participation in the teaching. The form of participation may consist in assisting in the course, conducting or opposing bachelor's theses, or in the preparation of teaching texts. With the approval of the faculty board, the student can take part in lectures. The particular form of participation in the teaching is negotiated jointly by the student, the supervisor and the head of the department.

Dissertation topics concern helping interventions (i.e. social policy programmes or case social work interventions); social problems or living situations which are helping interventions targets; designing, implementing or evaluating concrete measures; actors (makers, implementers, administrators, target subjects) of helping interventions or complex contexts or processes of their designing, implementing or evaluating. Topic examples of theses focused on the above mentioned matters are as follows: „actions of Trans-governmental networks and implementing the principle of non-refoulement“; “the dilemma of child safety vs. family autonomy and modern child protection”; „domestic violence against men and social work in Nigeria: a case of Ondo-state“; “the effect of social transfers on education, food security and healthcare in Ghana”; “Strategies of statutory social insurance security schemes and extending old age coverage to the informal economy in Sub-Saharan Africa“.

Examples of defended dissertations theses:

- Institutialization of Mediation in Context of Social Work in Czech society (https://is.muni.cz/th/rfkhz/)
- The meaning of participation for people with marginalized lifestyle and helping workers in the context of social work (https://is.muni.cz/th/d9928/)
- Discourses of troubles of people with visual impairment (https://is.muni.cz/th/h3m86/)
- The potentiality of children in foster care (https://is.muni.cz/th/snoo3/)