Master programmes

Five Master study programmes are available in the academic year 2011-12:

• Social Work

• Community Mental Health

• Social Work with Families

• Social Work with Older People

• Diversity Studies: Social Inclusion and Justice in the Areas of Disability, Ethnicity, and Gender

All the programmes take place on the premises of the Faculty of Social Work, Topniška ulica 31, Ljubljana.

Each programme lasts one year and awards 60 credit points, in compliance with the European Credit Transfer and Accumulation System (ECTS).

The title awarded upon conclusion is Master of Social Work (MSW).

The programmes are currently organised as part-time studies only.

Part-time study carries one-third of full-time load.

A programme will start if at least 15 students are enrolled. The maximum number of students admitted to a programme annually is 50. In case of excess five places are reserved for Slovenian students without Slovenian citizenship and foreign students.

Eligibility

The candidate must be in posession of a relevant Bachelor’s degree or equivalent. It is also imperative that the candidate sufficiently masters spoken and written English, if not Slovenian.

Immediately eligible are graduates from four-year Bachelor programmes in social work, sociology, social pedagogy, pedagogy, psychology, or law.

Graduates from four-year Bachelor programmes in other fields must first (prior to enrolment in a Master programme) pass bridging exams in Introduction to Social Work, Theories of Social Work, Research Seminar (each worth 4 CP), and Practical Work (worth 8 CP).

Graduates from three-year Bachelor programmes must first (prior to enrolment in a Master programme) complete the one-year Supplementary Programme offered by the Faculty.

The Postgraduate Studies Officer may be consulted to ascertain one’s eligibility.

Recognition of foreign education

Certificates, diplomas and other qualifications issued outside Slovenia (except those issued in former Yugoslavia and the IB Diploma) have to undergo recognition. For the procedure please see this website of the University or contact the Postgraduate Studies Officer.

Application

The application form (available from the Postgraduate Studies Officer) must be submitted to the address below not later than 10 September. However, please take into account that the procedure of recognition of foreign education, which must be completed before enrolment, takes time.

Postgraduate Studies Officer
Faculty of Social Work
Topniška ulica 31
1000 Ljubljana

Enrolment takes place in the beginning of October.

Selection criteria

If there are more candidates than available places, the candidates’ undergraduate study achievement will be considered (the average grade excluding the grade of the graduation thesis).

Eligibility and selection criteria apply equally to the graduates of reformed (first-cycle) and to those of pre-reformed Bachelor programmes.

Tuition

Tuition fees for each academic year are adopted and published by the Administrative Board of the University.

Grading

Students' products (oral and written exams, essays and other writings, colloquiums, practical tasks, project development, practice, field work, etc.) are graded on this scale:

10 Excellent (outstanding achievement, with negligible mistakes)
9–8 Very good (above-average achievement, but with mistakes)
7 Good (solid achievement)
6 Sufficient (achievement meets minimal criteria)
5–1 Insufficient (achievement fails to meet minimal criteria)

Recognition of other achievements

Knowledge and skills acquired through formal, informal or experiential learning may be recognised as fulfilling certain requirements in the educational process. For their recognition the student can submit:

• Certificates of concluded courses, summer schools, or other forms of education
• Published articles or other authored works
• Evidences of awards or prizes or nominations thereof
• Work certificates or evidences of practical experiences

Requests of recognition will be considered and assessed in credit points by programme co-ordinators.

Transition between programmes

Transition from one Master programme to another during the year of study is not allowed.

Terminology

Since English terminology varies from region to region, here are short definitions of our use of terms:

A programme is the organisational unit in which the student enrols, as well as a field of study. Every programme (except the supplementary one) is completed with a Master’s thesis.

A module is a narrower field of study within a programme. If a programme has modules, the student selects one. The modules of a programme usually intersect at the level of compulsory programme courses and/or optional courses.

A course is a teaching unit of programmes and modules. It consists of a number of contact hours, is typically passed with an essay or exam (or both), and awards a number of credit points. It may be compulsory for all students on the programme or only for students on a particular module. Technically, practice, field work, and writing Master's thesis count as such (compulsory) units. The optional course is chosen from the list(s) offered by the enrolled programme or the selected module. The elective course is chosen (on the basis of availability) from any other Master programme offered by the Faculty or, with the consent of the co-ordinator, by another faculty of the University of Ljubljana or another university in Slovenia or abroad.

The numbering of modules and courses serves presentation purposes and does not indicate any kind of precedence (except for Writing Master's Thesis which always comes last).

SUPPLEMENTARY PROGRAMME

Co-ordinated by the Vice-Dean for Postgraduate Studies

Graduates from three-year Bachelor programmes must first enrol in a supplementary one-year programme to gain 60 credit points. After its completion they are eligible to enrol in a Master programme.

The student must complete the compulsory courses, one optional course*, one elective course, and ten weeks of practice and project development.

Each curriculum unit weighs 5 credit points (CP) unless otherwise indicated.

Curriculum

1st SEMESTER
1) Compulsory course: Organisation and Management in Social Work
2) Compulsory course: Research in Social Work
3) Compulsory course: Social and Legal Frameworks of Social Work
4) Practice and Project Development (10 CP)
5) Elective course

2nd SEMESTER
6) Compulsory course: Theories and Methods in Social Work (10 CP)
7) Compulsory course: Theories of Society and Individual
8) Project Development (10 CP)
9) Optional course*

Note:
* The optional course may be chosen from the optional courses of the Master programme in Social Work, i.e. from the lists of its Module 1: Social Work in Education (except Theories of Society and Individual which is a compulsory course on the Supplementary Programme) and Module 3: Supervision.

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SOCIAL WORK

The student selects one of three modules:

(1) Social Work in Education, co-ordinated by Lea Šugman Bohinc

The module trains for counselling in educational institutions at preschool and higher levels, providing competences both for direct work with children and students with learning difficulties or in psychosocial or social distress and for work in counselling teams and at case conferences.

The student must complete the compulsory programme courses, practice, the compulsory module courses, two optional module courses, one elective course, and the Master’s thesis.

(2) Development of Social Work Theories and Methods, co-ordinated by Vito Flaker

The module offers in-depth knowledge of theory and research in social work.

The student must complete the compulsory programme courses, practice, the compulsory module courses, one elective course, and the Master’s thesis.

(3) Supervision, co-ordinated by Liljana Rihter

The module offers knowledge and skills that direct supervision in social work. The student learns about the contemporary methods of supervision, about the social and legal aspects of social work, and about the significance of ethics in supervision.

The student must complete the compulsory programme courses, practice, the compulsory module courses, one optional module course, one elective course, and the Master’s thesis.

Each curriculum unit weighs 5 credit points (CP) unless otherwise indicated.

Curriculum

1st SEMESTER
1) Compulsory programme course: Pedagogy and Andragogy (6 CP)
2) Compulsory programme course: Research in Social Work (6 CP)

Module 1: Social Work in Education
3) Compulsory module course: Counselling in Education
4) Practice (8 CP)
5) Elective course

Module 2: Development of Social Work Theories and Methods
3) Compulsory module course: Organisation and Management in Social Work
4) Practice (7 CP)
5) Elective course (6 CP)

Module 3: Supervision
3) Compulsory module course: Social and Legal Frameworks of Social Work
4) Compulsory module course: Theories and Models of Supervision in Social Work
5) Practice (8 CP)

2nd SEMESTER

Module 1: Social Work in Education
6) Optional module course
7) Optional module course

Optional module courses:
• Co-creation of Help with Learning Difficulties at School
• Selected Topics from Developmental and Educational Psychology
• Theories of Society and Individual
• Youth and Leisure

Module 2: Development of Social Work Theories and Methods
6) Compulsory module course: Theories and Methods of Social Work (10 CP)

Module 3: Supervision
6) Practice (4 CP)
7) Optional module course
8) Elective course (3 CP)

Optional module courses:
• Co-creation of Dialogue in Supervision (3 CP)
• Family Work Supervision (3 CP)
• Monitoring and Evaluation of the Supervision Process (3 CP)
• Quality of Working Life (3 CP)

*) All modules: Writing Master’s Thesis (20 CP)

Note:
* Item 8 in Module 1, item 7 in Module 2, item 9 in Module 3.

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COMMUNITY MENTAL HEALTH

Co-ordinated by Vito Flaker and Mojca Urek

The programme examines various aspects of mental health and its treatment. Theories and concepts that shape the ideas and practices of mental health are discussed. Research methodologies and training for multifarious work with people in mental distress are offered, based on the social model and emphasising experiential learning.

The student must complete the compulsory course, field work, two optional courses from list A, one optional course from list B*, two elective courses, and the Master’s thesis.

Each curriculum unit weighs 5 credit points (CP) unless otherwise indicated.

Curriculum

1st SEMESTER
1) Compulsory course: Everyday Life Perspective on Mental Health
2) Optional course from list A
3) Optional course from list A
4) Optional course from list B*
5) Elective course

2nd SEMESTER
6) Field work (10 CP)
7) Elective course
8) Writing Master’s Thesis (20 CP)

Optional courses, list A:
• Innovations in Community Mental Health
• Phenomenology of Mental Health
• Selected Methods of Qualitative Research

Optional courses, list B:
• Advocacy
• Group Analysis
• Individualisation of Social Care Services
• Narrating and Recording Stories
• Psychoanalytical Theory
• Risk Analysis

Note:
* Instead, the third optional course from list A may be chosen.

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SOCIAL WORK WITH FAMILIES

Co-ordinated by Gabi Čačinovič Vogrinčič

The programme provides knowledge for efficient social work with families, based on projects of support and care. It offers experiences of working relationships in which unique projects of help are jointly created, and of participation in the research of changes a family needs to achieve the sought outcomes. The students are trained for social work with families in various fields (such as separation or foster care) and in various institutional contexts (such as centres of social work or non-governmental organisations).

The student must complete the compulsory courses, field work, two optional courses, two elective courses, and the Master’s thesis.

Each curriculum unit weighs 5 credit points (CP) unless otherwise indicated.

Curriculum

1st SEMESTER
1) Compulsory course: Concepts, Contents, Methods, and Skills in Social Work with Families
2) Compulsory course: Theories of Families
3) Field work
4) Elective course

2nd SEMESTER
5) Field work
6) Optional course
7) Optional course
8) Elective course
9) Writing Master’s thesis (20 CP)

Optional courses:
• Co-creation of Dialogue in Social Work with Families
• Foster Care and Adoption: Concepts of Work, Children’s Rights, and Individual Project Group
• Procesess of Change after Divorce or Separation and Contemporary Families Practices
• Short Solution-Oriented Family Therapy in Social Work II
• Social Security of Families and Family Care
• Trauma and Recovery

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SOCIAL WORK WITH OLDER PEOPLE

Co-ordinated by

The programme qualifies for social work with older people in the community and in residential care, and for counselling in preparation for old age. It provides knowledge and understanding of contemporary concepts and practices of social work with older people.

The student must complete the compulsory courses, field work, two optional courses, two elective courses, and the Master’s thesis.

Each curriculum unit weighs 5 credit points (CP) unless otherwise indicated.

Curriculum

1st SEMESTER
1) Compulsory course: Contemporary Demographic Changes and Social Work
2) Compulsory course: Social Work and Older People
3) Field work
4) Elective course

2nd SEMESTER
5) Field work
6) Optional course
7) Optional course
8) Elective course
9) Writing Master’s thesis (20 CP)

Optional courses:
• Innovation and Research in Social Work with Older People
• Integrated Care for People with Dementia
• Older Persons in Families
• Residential Care and Social Networks
• Social Security and Labour in Old Age
• Social Work and Dying

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DIVERSITY STUDIES: SOCIAL INCLUSION AND JUSTICE IN THE AREAS OF DISABILITY, ETHNICITY, AND GENDER

Co-ordinated by Darja Zaviršek

The student selects one of four modules:

(1) Disability Studies in Social Work

The module introduces interdisciplinary understanding of impairment as a socially conditioned fact and at the same time a specific personal experience which crucially influences people’s everyday life. It includes an in-depth study of the development of social work with people with physical, sensory, and intellectual impairments. The focus is on work with children and adults with impairments, and their relatives.

(2) Ethnicity and Migrations in Social Work

The module focuses on the development of ethnic sensibility, anti-racist practice and migration in a multicultural society. It includes the important aspect of the development of social workers' ethnic sensibility in international adoptions.

(3) Gender Studies in Social Work

The module teaches gender sensitive social work theories and methods. An important part of the study consists of social work with violence against women and children in private and public spheres (both in families and institutions). Another important part is the development of advocacy practices, with the emphasis on the advocacy of children and women who experience difficulties in mental health or are impaired in other ways. The module also examines the interconnectedness of health, mental health, and social vulnerability in relation to gender.

(4) History of Ideas and Development of Professional Social Work

The module covers the history of the profession, the development of ideas in social work in various regions, the pioneers of social work in different countries, and the basic texts of social work in the 20th century.

At each module, the student must complete the compulsory programme course, field work, the compulsory module courses, one optional or elective course*, and the Master’s thesis.

Each curriculum unit weighs 5 credit points (CP) unless otherwise indicated.

CURRICULUM

1) Compulsory programme course: Methodology of Critical Research in Social Work (10 CP)
2) Field work (10 CP)

Module 1: Disability Studies in Social Work
3) Compulsory module course: Culture and Disability
4) Compulsory module course: Help with Art for Disabled Children and Adults
5) Compulsory module course: Theories, Methods, and Innovations in Disability
6) Optional or elective course*

Module 2: Ethnicity and Migrations in Social Work
3) Compulsory module course: Antiracist Social Work
4) Compulsory module course: Migrations and Ethnic Minorities
5) Compulsory module course: Trauma, Recovery, and Advocacy
6) Optional or elective course*

Module 3: Gender Studies in Social Work
3) Compulsory module course: Social Policies and Gender
4) Compulsory module course: Violence against Women and Children in Private and Public Spheres
5) Compulsory module course: Women, Mental Health, and Advocacy
6) Optional or elective course*

Module 4: History of Ideas and Development of Professional Social Work
3) Compulsory module course: Gender, Labour, and Reproduction in Intercultural Perspective
4) Compulsory module course: History of Ideas and Development of Professional Social Work: International Perspective
5) Compulsory module course: Social Policies and Gender
6) Optional or elective course*

7) All modules: Writing Master’s thesis (20 CP)

Optional courses:
• Empowerment and Community Social Work
• Impact of the Women’s Movement on the Development of Social Services in Slovenia
• Legal Protection of Disabled People
• Trauma, Recovery, and Advocacy (except for Module 2)

Note:
* The student may choose one of the listed optional courses or an elective one.

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