Factsheet institute for social work

Bachelor degree programmes ¬ Community Work/Cultural Social Work ¬ Social Work and Services ¬ Social Educational Care Work ¬ Pedagogical Work ¬ General orientation year

Master degree programme ¬ Professional Master of Education

Cooperation ¬ Final projects ¬ Work-study programmes ¬ Events ¬ EU Projects (e.g. Grundtvig) ¬ Interdisciplinary activities (both within and outside the School) ¬ Tailored education ¬ Internships/placements ¬ Strategic cooperation agreements

This handout is meant to provide you with a brief overview of the different study programmes within the School of Social Work at Rotterdam University. Here is a short but comprehensive description of the characteristic features of the four different programmes in random order.

School of social work Community Work/Cultural Social Work (in Dutch: CMV, which is short for Culturele en Maatschappelijke Vorming) Stimulating and supporting people in their development and in finding their place in society with all its political, economic, cultural and social aspects: that is what the Community Work (or Cultural Social Work) study programme prepares students for.

In order to promote people’s personal and social development and give them a voice, influence and place in their communities and society as a whole, students learn to actively initiate strategic coalitions and partnerships and plan for the long-term sustainability of their initiatives.

Through informal educational, social, (multi)cultural, recreational or artistic activities, which combine enjoyment, challenge and learning, graduates are able to realise potential and improve life opportunities for individuals, groups and communities and promote social cohesion.

The knowledge and skills acquired in this study programme are transferable across many sectors such as the civil service, education, the arts, profit as well as non-profit. Graduates find work either in permanent employment or in short-term projects that cover a wide range of social needs and promote cultural and social change.

Social Work and Services (in Dutch: MWD, which is short for Maatschappelijk Werk en Dienstverlening) The Social Work and Services programmes educate their graduates to work methodically with their clients and those close to their clients to improve participation in social contexts. They work in a range of organisations offering help and support to people with physical, psychological, psychiatric and other problems. They may cooperate with others in the same profession or in multidisciplinary teams, or in organisations for physical or mental health care, education, offender rehabilitation, youth welfare, social services, social care, neighbourhood services and care centres for physical rehabilitation.

Social Educational Care Work (in Dutch: SPH, which is short for Sociaal Pedagogische Hulpverlening) Within the study programme Social Educational Care Work, students are taught how to help people of all ages to organise their lives in their own environments as independently as possible.

This can be temporary or long-term and either by ambulant assistance, semi-residential care or residential care. A social educational care worker is able to work in any one of these working situa-

tions and with various problems. Help can focus on relationship problems, child-rearing or personal development as well as coping with physical or mental illness or handicaps.

Graduates of the Social Educational Care programme are qualified to observe clients’ problems, analyse these problems and help in finding solutions, support and guide people, and give them professional advice and information so that they can manage their living situation once again.

Graduates are also qualified to contribute to innovation and practical research as well as to the development of methodologies and professional skills.

Pedagogical Work (in Dutch: Pedagogiek) This programme focuses on the upbringing of children and young people from 0-23 years of age, within the context of the family or other relatives and institutions. Applying their knowledge of pedagogy, educational theory, psychology and sociology, pedagogical workers create optimum opportunities for the development of children and young people (including the mentally or physically handicapped), paying specific attention to the relation between the child and his educator(s) as well as the interaction with the social environment.

Being able to translate relevant expertise into practical solutions and advice, the interventions of a Pedagogical Worker can be preventive, curative or corrective. This is done by way of supporting, counselling, advising or guarding on an individual, group or larger system level, or even on an organizational level in the capacity as a policy advisor. Most Pedagogical Workers find jobs in child care (organisations), education, youth welfare work in the context of Youth Care Offices, in so called community schools and as policy advisors in the field of child care and community policy.

Graduates are trained to operate in an urban context with all the social challenges of contemporary life, such as immigrant, broken or vulnerable families, family life in deprived areas often on top of economic and housing instability.

General orientation year Apart from these four study programmes there is also a general orientation year, which can be considered as a foundation course in the field of Behaviour and Society. This foundation year is ideal for students who first want to familiarise themselves with the four study programmes before taking a decision on which of the four. After successfully finishing this foundation year, they can continue their studies in year two of their choice (without any catching up work).

Contact Rotterdam University School of Social Work External Relations Office Museumpark 40 P.O. Box 25035 3001 HA Rotterdam The Netherlands bebiso@hr.nl

Professional Master of Education As a follow-up to the bachelor programme, the School of Social Work also includes training for a professional master degree in education. The purpose of this master programme is to prepare professionals with some years of working experience for a higher level of performance in organisations. The curriculum focuses on issues of growing up in an urban environment, and the transitions of young people from one institution to the next or from institutional settings to public spaces. The professional master prepares students to work in middle management positions in organisations such as local civil service and private enterprises in education, welfare, and health. The training for a master’s degree is part-time, comprises 77 ECTS and takes a little more than two years to complete.