MASTER IN INNOVATION AND RESEARCH FOR SOCIAL WORK AND SOCIAL EDUCATION (DM 270/2004) COURSE DEscriptION
The Faculty of Education of the Free University of Bozen/Bolzano, located in Brixen/Bressanone, is offering a Master in Innovation and Research for Social Work and Social Education (master classes LM-87 or LM-50) representing 120 credit points.
This course has been activated according to the guidelines set down by the Bologna process. The ECTS (European Credit Transfer System) has therefore been adopted. The profound social changes that are increasingly characterising modern life make it more and more difficult for people to integrate in society, which puts greater pressure on the social services. Therefore, highly qualified professionals are in great need to be able to work in a dedicated manner to help people who find themselves in challenging social situations. This new Master’s degree in Master in Innovation and Research for Social Work and Social Education provides students with those skills needed by society today.
The main focus of the course is the development of innovative methods to improve social services through applied research. Graduates will leave a clear mark on the professional profile of this position thanks to the knowledge they have acquired concerning modern socio-political issues and the reasons why social inequality and distress exist. Issues concerning social justice and intercultural topics are central themes in this two-year course, which offers graduates of the BA in Social Work or for Community Educators the opportunity to develop their knowledge and skills to a greater degree.
The Master’s degree has also been designed for professionals who have already acquired experience working in the social services, as real experience in the field allows for a more valuable critical assessment of the theories of social work and the methods of empirical research, which are always linked to the real requirements of the social professions.
The course also makes sure that there is always space for comparison with international situations in multilingual and inter-professional contexts. This Master’s degree is a course that allows students to gain a postgraduate degree in either the Social Work and Social Policy degree class (Servizio sociale e politiche sociali, LM-87) or Planning and Management of Social Education degree class (Programmazione e gestione dei servizi educative, LM-50).
CAREER OPPORTUNITIES
Graduates of this master course will be able to find work in public, private, social and pedagogical services that require the skills needed to manage and coordinate innovative projects and new forms of services for the ever-changing requirements of social work and its users. As a graduate, you will be particularly qualified to take on responsibility for research developments in professional environments. Graduates of the LM-50 course will have the specific skills for the fields of social education and the education of children, teenagers and adults. They will also have the sensitivity and the skills to deal appropriately with people with disabilities or with special needs, as well as to plan educational policies. Graduates of the LM-87 will have the specific skills for working in the social sector, as well as the sensitivity and skills that are needed to work with children and families. Graduates of the LM-87 will also be able to sit the State Exam that would then allow them to work as a specialised social worker in Italy.
LANGUAGES USED IN TEACHING
The languages used in teaching are Italian, German and English. The individual lessons take place in one of these official languages, although it is the lecturer’s right to use the other two languages for various sections of the lessons, if deemed necessary. Nevertheless, the final exam will always take place in the official language of each course. The student can sit exams in the language he/she has not certified yet. The teaching language of each subject will be announced at the beginning of the academic year.
Further details available in German or Italian Language only.