Master's Programme N0314A250016: Public and Social Policy Studies

Academic year 2021/2022

Public and Social Policy (PSP) is a two-year English-language Master’s degree programme fully accredited by the Czech Ministry of Education, which aims to provide students with current relevant knowledge of policy-making process and cultivate their analytical skills. It is taught at Charles University in Prague, Faculty of Social Sciences by members of the Institute of Sociological Studies (ISS).

The programme is developed in accordance with almost twenty years’ experience with the Czech program on Public and Social Policy. It will, however, be supplemented by experience with already existing English courses and realized international research programs. Similarly, the comparative dimension will be enhanced. The theoretical grounds of the discipline will be covered especially in courses Public Policy a Social Policy. The knowledge about concrete policy domains will be provided in courses Educational Policy, Health Policy a Civil Society in Central Europe. Methodological knowledge and skills will be developed in courses Policy Analysis, Introduction to Social Research Methodology, Statistics in SPSS, Text, Narrative & Discourse Analysis a Diploma Seminar I a II. During the program, both individual and collective students work on concrete social and policy problems will be sustained.

The graduates of the programme will have current knowledge about policy-making process and they will be able to analyse these processes creatively and independently, using both quantitative and qualitative research methodology. Graduates of this program will attain the knowledge and skills required to gain employment as professionals not only in the public sector, but also in non-profit organizations and private companies.

To complete the programme the students must collect 120 ECTS credits, defend their Master’s Thesis and pass the final state examination.

Study prerequisites. The PSP programme is open only to students who have already completed a Bachelors degree (or equivalent) in a related programme of study.

Academic supervisor: doc. PhDr. Pavol Frič, Ph.D.  

Academic coordinator: Mgr. Mirna Jusic, Ph.D.  

Language of Instruction: English

Course Structure and Study Requirements

Master State Examination

(JDIP01) Diploma thesis defence

(JSZ615) Social Policy

(JSZ616) Public Policy

* WS = Winter Semester (Oct. - Feb.) SS = Summer Semester (Feb. - June)

Compulsory Courses (J#0940)

Compulsory Courses Total ECTS: 71

Elective Courses (J#0941)

Elective Courses Minimum ECTS: 37