Public and Social Policy and Human Resources

The objectives of the program are: to master and apply general concepts and approaches in the field of public and social policy and human resources development, as well as other social sciences that allow independent expert reflection and the solution of public and social problems. The resolution of these issues is envisaged to take place within organizations of various types, both in the provision of public and social policy programs and in the development of their own human resources.

The program generally focuses on the design, implementation and evaluation of public policies, but also reaching beyond social policy to other areas of public policy, social services and social work. It is understood that organizational development within public and social policy or social services institutions and the development of human resources within these organizations are the conditions and tools for shaping public and social policy. We consider the following two aspects as essential in the profiling of PPHR:

1. Focusing on a cross-section of theoretical, methodological and application aspects that are generally implemented in most areas of public and social policy policy or social services.

This means acquiring knowledge and skills related to the creation, designing, implementation (i.e. management and coordination) and, finally, evaluation of the public and social programs, policies and measures / activities of the institutions and organizations that carry them out. That is why, within the context of the teaching of PPHR, it is important to have analytical and methodological tools that help form the capability to perform public program and policy evaluations. This should be the case at both the level of assessment of their wider context and the needs of the programs and measures, as well as at the level of the evaluation of their impact and effect, using a wider register of research methods and techniques.

2. Linking public and social policy to human resources development, their management and organizational development.

This interconnection creates the basic prerequisites for the more effective fulfillment of the role of public policy. In particular, the interconnection of public policy and human resources development is seen in the following directions:

a) In addition to the traditional focus of public and social policy on areas that fulfill their regulatory and redistributive functions, we also focus on the orientation of highlighting the resulting functions of public policy in human resources development (the key positive externalities make it possible to effectively and mutually link various public and social policy, social services and social work areas in their relation to goal functions, such as a high level of social protection, economic performance and a high level of employment, social cohesion, sustainable development and quality of life), and the orientation of reflection and evaluation on the implications of public policy to support its conceptual decision-making;

b) We focus on the development of human resources within the organizations and institutions implementing public and social programs as a prerequisite for their human and organizational capacity to effectively manage the processes of the design, implementation and evaluation of public programs;

(c) We focus on the organizational forms of public and social policy, social services and on the coordination activities of the various actors (organizations) involved in the design and implementation of public and social programs/policies, and on the research and teaching of effective ways to coordinate these activities in order to meet current needs.

After successfully completing his/her studies the graduate is able to:

• To conduct analyses and prepare suggestions for various measures in different area of public and social policy, social services, employment policy and human resource management
• To prepare, implement and administer the programmes of public and social policy, social services, employment policy and human resource management
• To recognise and use the effects that emerge from the complementarity of solving the social problems with help of various interventions of public and social policy, services, employment policy, human resource management, personnel and social work
• To shape the professional activities with uderstanding to the broader societal, economic, political context of public and social problems and to the needs of human resources development
• To coordinate and manage the programmes and interventions in the area of public and social policy, social services, employment policy and human resource management, social work

Graduates will make best use of their skills in analytical, conceptual and executive (managerial) activities, as well as lower- and middle-management functions in public and social policy, employment policy and human resources development, social services and social work. This will be possible in various functions in public and social policy at local, regional and national levels in state administration, such as social and other departments of city administration, municipalities with extended jurisdiction, regional authorities, labour offices, various types of social services facilities (especially as project managers), research and advisory agencies, job placement agencies, educational agencies, public and private organizations dealing with public and social policy, social services areas, government ministries (e.g. labour and social affairs, regional development, education, health); at the trans-national level – bodies directly or indirectly providing for the agendas of the European Commission, trans-national non-profit organizations, trans-national organizations dealing with solutions for social problems or providing social assistance.

The compulsory optional part of the PSPHR study program is a supervised work-study practice in the field and to an extent of at least 150 hours (see the subjects VPLb1160 and VPLb1161).

The state exam in the bachelor's single-field study of PSPHR has two parts:

- defense of a bachelor's thesis in the range of 7,500 to 18,000 words

- a written exam in the form of a summary test on public and social policy (one subject) and a test on the basics of organization and management theory (the second subject).

The state exam in the bachelor's double major PSPHR has two parts:

- defense of a bachelor's thesis in the range of 7,500 to 18,000 words (applies only to the main study program)

- a written exam in the form of a summary test on public and social policy (one subject) and a test on the basics of organization and management theory (the second subject).

Both parts of the state exam take place in the same semester, each part takes place on a different day.

Theses are expected to focus on broadly understood research on public and social policy interventions and human resource development. Within this thematic field, students can present and defend theses, the findings of which are based on empirical research or theoretical reflection of the subject of research defined by the author. This subject is usually the characteristics of interventions (programs of public and social policy and human resources development) - including the characteristics of the way they are implemented and the effects of these interventions, the characteristics of the target populations and the institutions and organizations in which the interventions take place, the characteristics of the creators and implementers of these interventions (creators of public and social policy and human resources development), administrators or factors (contexts) that influence the properties or characteristics of the mentioned institutions and entities.

As part of the written exam from profiling subjects, it is expected to demonstrate the ability to connect knowledge from these subjects while reflecting on the connections between public/social problems, goals, tools, and effects of public/social policies and interventions in the field of human resources.

Instructions for preparing bachelor's diploma theses and for the final-state exam are published in the document server on the department's website.

A graduate of the bachelor's degree program may, after meeting the admission requirements, continue in the subsequent master’s studies in PPHR or in another field if it is an associated study program.