This course focuses on social issues with an international dimension such as humanitarian aid, forced migration, human rights, social justice and social enterprise. In addition to gaining theoretical knowledge, you develop practical skills – such as advocacy and intercultural competence – so you can work effectively with communities and individuals from diverse cultural and social backgrounds, in the UK and abroad. The course also exposes you to innovative approaches to enhancing and decolonising international social welfare and development, with case studies from across the globe.

What will you study?

Studying our International Social Welfare and Social Development MA course will introduce you to theoretical foundations, approaches and practice skills around social welfare and social development in a global context. You will develop your knowledge of the origins, development and future of International Social Welfare and Social Development to understand the landscape in which it operates. More specifically, you will learn the requirements for effective and ethical social welfare practice in diverse countries and cultures to ensure that you are culturally competent in our Comparative Social Welfare and Cultural Competence – Approaches, Policy and Practice unit. Here, you will compare different approaches to practice in various settings to consider how global social work values and ethics can be integrated into local practice.

Aside from this, our core unit in Humanitarian Aid, Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs) and Social Welfare in Disasters will allow you to develop a critical awareness of the role of social welfare and development in contexts of humanitarian aid and disasters. In particular, you will interrogate the relationship between humanitarian principles and human rights, question issues of power and exploitation, learn about humanitarian standards (such as the SPHERE project) and humanitarian communication. You will also familiarise yourself with approaches aimed to decolonialise the humanitarian sector through a stronger focus on participation and localisation.

This course also offers a range of optional units for you to specialise in. For instance, you may choose to develop your knowledge of international Human Rights frameworks and apply them to a variety of case studies. Alternatively, you may want to explore the theories and concepts of social entrepreneurship and learn how to design and implement a social enterprise project in our Social Enterprise unit. In our unit on the Complexities of Forced Migration, Displacement, Trafficking and Refuge, you will be able to explore the international system that protects refugees, the shrinking space for asylum in the UK, separated children and debates around human trafficking.

You will complete the course with a Dissertation in Applied Social Sciences where you will engage in an independent research project focused on a research question of your own interest that is relevant to your field of study. With the support and guidance of a supervisor, you will conduct an original piece of research.

Careers

Graduates typically go on to work in the humanitarian, human rights and international development sector with local, national and international non-governmental organisations (NGOs) or government institutions. Some students take up further study at Professional Doctorate or PhD level. Globally, there is a growing demand for social welfare and social development professionals with the academic and professional competences acquired on this MA.

Alumni of this course currently work with a range of NGOs and government institutions in the fields of migration, human trafficking, modern slavery and humanitarian aid. Some have gone on to pursue PhDs.