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.

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

• deepened social science theory and knowledge relevant to social policy and social work
• reflecting autonomously complex processes of solving social problems or living situations
• self-reflecting ethical and methodological adequacy and effectiveness of one’s own expert activities
• using research methods of complex scientific reflection of social problems or client living situations as well as helping interventions
• designing and implementing proposals, programmes and analyses of helping interventions as well as complex contexts of their execution
• publishing one’s own research outputs in relevant manner

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.

• Social worker

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).

Dissertations are devoted to researching on helping interventions, i.e. social policy programmes or case social work interventions in DS SPSW. Namely, bringing knowledge on actors (designers, executors, target entities etc.) of helping interventions and on complex contexts and processes of their designing, executing or evaluating is matter of concern. Thinking over interrelations between research aims and applied goals is stressed in conceiving research aims of dissertation projects.

After passing final exam the DS SPSW is completed by defending dissertation which length is expected between 150 and 200 standard pages. In terms of quality, emphasis is placed on insight into and application of theoretical framework relevant to a topic under investigation, methodological validity, and eligibility for publication. Dissertation has to contain original and already published author's arguments presented in reviewed journals or (edited) monographs. It is expected the text of good quality in terms of grammar and style. Dissertation may be presented in the Czech or English language. The submitted work has to be formally modified in a way that is usual at the MU Faculty of Social Studies and in accordance with the ISO 690 citation standard.