Social Policy and Practice (Online)

Overview

In the Social Policy and Practice program from Trinity College Dublin , students will consider the role of social policy in addressing some of the ‘wicked problems’ that contemporary societies face.  Wicked problems are complex interdependent problems such as crime and poverty, which are often resistant to the policy solutions put in place by governments. Students will be exposed to the arguments for developing policy interventions in areas such as social security, health and housing, and the challenges of implementing and changing policy in these areas at a national and global level.

The programme has particular appeal to graduates who wish to pursue a Masters programme in social work, social studies and social policy but who do not have an undergraduate qualification in these fields. This online Postgraduate Diploma can act as a conversion course for such graduates and enhance their application for specialised programme such as a Master in Social Work. The programme will also appeal to applicants from outside Ireland, in particular North America, who wish to study in Ireland’s leading university with expertise in Irish, EU and global social policy.

Career opportunities

The programme attracts individuals from the public, private and community and voluntary sectors who want a sound grasp of the principles that underpin social policy and social service provision. This includes those:

• delivering and managing social service provision e.g. housing, health, child and family and disability services

• designing, developing or funding social policy

• advocating for social policy change

• who require an understanding of social problems and social policy responses to fulfill their organisation’s corporate social responsibility commitments

• seeking career change – e.g. the programmes acts as a conversion course for those without a social science degree who want to be a social worker and must apply for a Master in Social Work

• seeking career development -  e.g. promotion in social services delivery or management

• interested in further study – graduates have progressed to the one year online M.Sc. in Social Policy and Practice, the Masters in Applied Social Research, Master in Social Work within Trinity and to other programmes in Ireland, UK and abroad.