As we understand it, social policy is an interdisciplinary discipline whose primary aim is to analyze social responses to social needs. As a problem-oriented discipline and activity, social policy combines knowledge from sociology, economics, law, and social work.
Our MA programme aims to train social policy practitioners who, based on their theoretical and methodological knowledge, can participate in policymaking in the field of social policy, manage and contribute to the operation of the social welfare system, represent social interests, and theorize, research, and teach social work and social policy. The programme has a special focus on the European Union and the European social model, embedding it in a global context.

Specializations

There are no specializations; however, students can tailor their learning path to their interests as they have a choice to take seven out of the eleven courses of the electives: Health Policy, Pension Policy, Employment Policy, Family Policy, Social Assistance, Welfare Services and Administrative Systems, Education Policy, Child Protection and Child Well-being, Social Gerontology, Disability Policy, Housing Policy.

Strength of programme

The programme has been running successfully in the Hungarian language for over thirty years and has always been among the most popular at the Faculty of Social Sciences. Its founder was Zsuzsa Ferge, Professor Emerita and a full Member of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences, as well as former President of the Social Professionals’ Association.
The programme’s popularity is due to the curriculum’s continuous development, including the incorporation of student feedback into the education. In our view, the ideal social policy expert has multidisciplinary knowledge and skills. He/she should be familiar with many policy fields in and outside social policy itself; he/she should understand human nature and behaviour as well as the rules and constraints of the surrounding economic and political environment. Practising the profession requires thematic and analytical knowledge as well as presentation skills. Social policy analysis and planning are value-driven activities centred on a commitment to the values of equality and solidarity between people and unconditional respect for human dignity.

Career opportunities

Graduates can find employment in central and local government agencies, their associated research institutions, independent research centres, international organizations, service providers in the public, private, and non-profit sectors, as well as in human resource management. Many of our former students work in higher education and research institutes.

Job examples:

• Research fellow in public and private social research institutes
• Manager/head of department in a regional/municipal office for social welfare
• Head of various social care institutions
• Project manager in social development agencies
• Policy advisor for MPs, MEPs