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| Detailed information |
| Original study plan |
Master's programme Comparative Social Policy and Welfare 2025W |
| Learning Outcomes |
Competences |
- Students will be able to critically analyse and evaluate the political dynamics, institutions, and actors involved in the design and implementation of social policies across countries.
- They will develop the ability to assess the political feasibility, societal impacts, and challenges associated with various policy designs in a selected social policy field.
- Students will gain the capacity to identify best practices and propose innovative policy solutions.
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| Skills |
Knowledge |
- Analyse design alternatives in a specific social policy area and identify best practices (k4).
- Identify and explain the historical and political origins of institutions in the selected policy field (k2).
- Assess the impacts of policy designs on societal well-being, policy preferences, and political mobilisation (k5).
- Predict the political feasibility and consequences of proposed social policy innovations (k6).
- Use comparative data and secondary literature responsibly for evidence-based argumentation (k3).
- Evaluate the role of international organisations in shaping social policy outcomes (k5).
- Design research-based policy proposals and present them effectively in written and oral formats (k6).
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- Content, institutional framework, decision-making procedures, and historical development of the selected social policy field.
- Political and societal dynamics that influence policy innovation and reform in comparative perspective.
- Role of international organisations and their impact on domestic policy-making in the chosen field.
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| Criteria for evaluation |
Active participation during the Intensive Program and the interactive components of the long-distance phase of the class. Combination of individual assignments, exams, and tasks (such as research papers or presentations) to be accomplished in teams.
In the retake-option evaluation is based on a written or oral exam.
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| Methods |
Introductory classroom sessions during the Intensive Program at the beginning of the semester, after-ward a combination of individual studies of the relevant literature and interactive elements such as online meetings or teamwork.
The retake option consists of an independent study of a reading list provided by the instructor.
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| Language |
English |
| Study material |
Readings and assignments are provided by the instructor.
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| Changing subject? |
No |
| Further information |
Students who have received a failing grade, or who wish to retake the course to improve their grade, must declare their intention to retake the course before the next semester so that a retake opportunity can be offered. They will then repeat the course through independent study, studying the literature independently from a specially prepared reading list, and demonstrating their competence in a written or oral examination at the end of the semester. The retake option is not a substitute for the regular course. It is only offered to students who have received a grade in the regular course.
The specific policy field on which this class focuses is variable. This retake option will retain the policy-field specialization of the regular class offering within one cohort (i.e. two years). Once the regular class is offered again after two years, the substantive policy-field focus may change, and students will retake the class with the new content.
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