Master Programme in Applied Social Sciences - Programme Option Child Welfare Work, part-time Programme description

is a master’s degree programme for social workers, social educators and child welfare officers that aims to produce candidates with in-depth knowledge of children, young people and families in vulnerable life situations and of the social conditions that have a particular impact on their welfare, everyday life and development opportunities. Students should also be able to analyse the individual child’s care situation and, in cooperation with children and families, initiate change work to improve the child’s care situation and development opportunities.

This programme option provides insight into the importance of social conditions to children’s welfare and living conditions, as well as conditions for parenthood. Connections between welfare schemes, social policy decisions and children’s concrete everyday lives are emphasised and discussed. The master’s programme understands child welfare as a broad field where the term is assigned meaning not only in the child welfare service context, but generally in welfare administration, social services, the health sector and children’s residential institutions. Emphasis is placed on interprofessional and inter-agency cooperation. The programme emphasises the child welfare service’s role in a society characterised by cultural complexity, social inequality and diversity, and therefore focuses on child welfare work in large cities.

Child welfare is a social field whose practice is based on implicit and explicit theories drawn from many different disciplines. It is a normative area of activity, and a critical basis for assessing what knowledge is valid and relevant to practice in the field is required. Ways of understanding children and their status in society form important premises for the child welfare service’s activities at all times. The programme combines practice-based and research-based teaching. 

The programme description and the content of the programme are based on the Regulations relating to national guidelines for master’s degree programmes in child welfare work. 

The Master’s Programme in Applied Social Sciences – Programme Option Child Welfare Work is intended for social workers, child welfare officers and social educators who want to deepen their knowledge of child welfare work and the field of child welfare. The programme is also relevant to work in other arenas targeting children, young people and families in vulnerable life situations. 

The programme qualifies students for:

• positions in municipal and state child welfare services 
• positions in other welfare services and public administrative bodies working with children and families in vulnerable life situations
• positions in specialist environments, research and educational institutions
• admission to PhD programmes

The admission requirement is a completed bachelor’s degree or three-year first degree programme in social work, child welfare or social education. 

After completing the programme, the candidate should have the following overall learning outcomes defined in terms of knowledge, skills and general competence:

Knowledge

The candidate has

• advanced knowledge and understanding of social science theories of relevance to the child welfare service’s sphere of activity
• in-depth knowledge of the child welfare service’s heterogeneous knowledge base and interdisciplinary perspectives 
• in-depth knowledge of different analytical perspectives on professional practice, institutions and social policy interventions
• specialised knowledge of the exercise of discretionary judgement involved in child welfare assessments and decisions

Skills

The candidate can

• analyse and take a critical approach to different sources of knowledge and use them when making decisions in the best interests of the child 
• carry out comprehensive care assessments by analysing and assessing the child’s best interests in light of context, relevant theories and methods
• analyse and reflect on the child welfare service’s complex remit and function in society
• carry out professional child welfare work in a metropolitan context
• analyse and assess methodological procedures for exploring the subject area

General competence

The candidate can

• apply research-based knowledge in areas relating to child welfare work
• critically assess social policy measures and the implementation of (new) work models and work methods that affect children and families
• critically assess the opportunities and limitations of research-based knowledge in the field of child welfare 
• analyse ethical issues related to research, innovation and development in the field of child welfare

The programme is offered as a full-time course of study over two years and a part-time course of study over three years. The full-time workload is 30 ECTS credits per semester. 

In addition to the master’s thesis, the programme option comprises eight compulsory courses and one elective course. The courses build on each other. It is therefore recommended that students take the courses in the order in which they are listed in the table. In the second semester, Philosophy of Social Science and one of the methodology courses will be taken. The remaining methodology course will be taken in the fourth semester. The student should therefore first choose the method he/she plans to use in his/her master's thesis. The master's thesis is an independent work of 30 ECTS credits. Ongoing research projects that the student can link up to will be presented in the second semester at the Mastertorg. In the second semester, the student will prepare a project outline for the master's thesis and then be assigned a supervisor. The part-time student completes the master's thesis in the sixth semester.

Progress requirements 

The student must have passed the course Child welfare and society and the course Knowledge perspectives in child welfare work in order to start the practical training in the course Supervised professional practice and critical reflection in the third semester. The student must have passed the course Application of law in child welfare work in order to register for the course Perspectives on legal rights, cooperation, prevention and application of law in the best interest of the child.

Students must have passed all the programme courses before they can submit their master’s thesis for assessment. 

Students will encounter a variety of work methods and coursework requirements. Teaching methods vary between lectures, seminars and other student-active learning methods.

In the fifth semester, students take four weeks of practical training at their own workplace. OsloMet is responsible for organising a placement for students who do not have a workplace, as well as for follow-up of the practical training scheme and approval of practical training establishments, which must be done before the students can begin their practical training. 

The programme should impart knowledge of international matters of relevance to children’s development and the legal status of children and parents. Several of the courses deal with international matters with a bearing on the development of social problems as well as possible solutions to these problems. The UN Convention on the Rights of the Child is a document that forms the basis for discussion. Different ways of understanding the concept of the child’s best interests are analysed in light of cultural diversity. Child welfare services are also considered in light of majority and minority perspectives relating to othering, among other things. These perspectives are represented both in the course literature and in the topics taught.

Pursuant to the Regulations relating to studies and examinations at OsloMet – Oslo Metropolitan University, compulsory requirements may be stipulated that must be met before students can take an exam. Any coursework requirements set (including compulsory attendance) are included in the course descriptions. Required coursework must be approved before the student can take the exam. If required coursework has not been submitted or has not been approved, the student will lose the right to take the exam in the course in question.

Exams are held in each course, and different forms of assessment are used. The form of assessment, assessment, examiner arrangements and aids permitted for each course are specified in each course description.