Study Programme Social
Policy in Public Administration
Social Policy in Public
Administration, master's degree program
The study
programme "Social Policy in Public Administration" is one of two
study programmes currently offered by the Institute of Public Administration
and Social Policy, both in full-time and combined form of study. During this
programme, students of the follow-up master's degree programme acquire the
knowledge and skills specified by the Minimum Standard of Education in Social
Work, which are necessary for the qualified performance of social work and
further development of professional competences, according to Act No. 108/2006
Coll., on Social Services, as amended. This standard entitles them to exercise
the regulated profession of a social worker.
Within the
framework of lifelong learning, the Institute currently also provides teaching
of the follow-up master's course "Social Policy in Public
Administration" in the consultation centres in Tábor and Trutnov.
Area of Education
The study
programme is 80 % in the field of social work education and 20 % in the field
of law.
Objectives of the study
programme
The
follow-up master’s degree programme is a professionally orientated study
programme designed according to the needs of the labour market. The study
programme focusses on the implementation of social policy in public
administration, both at central, local, and regional levels, in terms of the
organisation, financing and management of social services, the social and legal
protection of children and young people and the closely related issues of
poverty, social exclusion, and social security in particular social situations.
The aim of the study is to equip students with the necessary output competencies
so that they are professionally prepared to work responsibly in the social
field at all levels of public administration. The overall concept of the study
and its relatively broad social science basis promote a comprehensive and
interdisciplinary approach to solving individual social problems, the ability
to critically analyse them, and the ability to seek independent solutions. The
study programme has a multidisciplinary character, which allows one to acquire
theoretical, practical, and methodological competences in the field of social
policy at all levels of public administration. An integral part of the study is
the improvement of professional language competences, which is primarily orientated
towards acquaintance with current foreign knowledge in the field of social
policy at the central, regional, and local level. The aim of the study is to
prepare students for management, methodological, conceptual, and analytical
work in the field of social policy at all levels of public administration.
Teaching is accompanied by supervised professional practice, in which students
could establish direct contact with practitioners and get acquainted with the
procedures applied in individual social areas at different levels of public
administration. The follow-up master's study deepens the competencies of a
social worker that students have acquired during their bachelor's study, and
its content fulfils the updated Minimum Standard of Education in Social Work of
the Association of Social Work Educators.
The graduate profile of
the study programme
After
successful completion of the study, the graduate can:
Links to other study
programmes
The
proposed study programme is mainly related to the bachelor’s degree programme
Social Work in Public Administration, which is accredited at the Faculty of
Public Policy of the Silesian University in Opava. On the basis of the
experience gained, it can be expected that students of other bachelor
programmes accredited at the Faculty of Public Policy of the Silesian
University in Opava, as well as students of other faculties of this university
and graduates of study programmes focused on related programmes, such as
sociology, social work, social policy, and public administration from other
universities, will be interested in studying this programme.
1. use in practice the acquired knowledge of work
activities in organisations implementing social policy and institutions
providing social services.
2. use in practice the knowledge of contemporary
theories related to social policy and social work recognised in the
international context.
3. use the procedures learnt in the field of
social security to assess the claims of citizens and deal with individual
social situations.
4. link the theoretical knowledge acquired in
individual areas and apply it in practice at all levels of public administration.
5. develop their own opinions on individual
problems in accordance with the applicable legal regulations, to reflect their
ethical dimension, and to communicate with clients accordingly.
6. use the acquired competencies for teamwork, to
assert their own opinions and at the same time respect the opinions of other
team members.
7. use foreign language sources in acquiring
up-to-date knowledge to perform their profession, the graduate understands
lifelong learning as an essential part of their profession.
8. apply the acquired knowledge about the
organisation and structure of public administration and administrative
activities in practice.
9. make use of the acquired professional knowledge
related to the procedure of administrative bodies in dealing with social
affairs of citizens.
10. link the acquired theoretical knowledge and apply it in practice in the application of modern management methods
11. have
the prerequisites for managerial, methodological, conceptual, and analytical
work in the social field at all levels of public administration.
