Comparative Social Work

1. Comparative Social Work BCBU Master’s Degree programme Contact – 8 (8182) 654470 swtutor@pomorsu.ru

2. BCBU in Brief • Barents Cross Border University (BCBU) is based on the cooperation between universities in Northern Finland and Northwest Russia. • Altogether there are two participating universities in Finland and 8 in Russia and in addition 4 from other countries. • Combination of partner universities in each program is based on former cooperation and expertise in special branches of the participating universities. • The four two-year study programmes are in the central fields of the EU Northern Dimension priorities. The programs follow the principles of the Bologna process. • BCBU offers graduates increased professional and international skills, which improve the personal lives and scale up professional possibilities of the graduates. The international need of labour market in the Barents region and globally are the basis for studies. • Implementation of the master’s programmes promotes internationalization of education and research; updating of the educational contents; bringing up international aspects in the educational processes. • The language of studies is English. • Further information • www.bcbu.oulu.fi

3. Comparative Social Work • 1. a programme for students with a prior academic degree in social work or related field and interested in acquiring • - advanced skills for different careers • right for PhD studies • 2. focuses on acquiring a better understanding of national and global social work, through a comparative approach • Programme web site • www.ulapland.fi/CSW • http://social.pomorsu.ru In the Barents region, social problems and welfare issues have and continue to change, which presents new challenges. Therefore, the need for comparative and international social work has increased in the region. The mobility of labour force presupposes understanding of cultural backgrounds and multicultural social work skills

4. Structure of the Master’s Programme in Comparative Social Work Structure of curriculum 2 years / 120 ECTS ( Possible alternative) Pomor State University Federal component 20 ECTS Other studies 20 ECTS University Of Lapland Studies 40 ECTS BCBU- studies Language and society of neighbouring country ( 3 ECTS) Theory of social work ( 6 ECTS ) Applied theory of social work; elective courses ( 9 ECTS ) Research methods in social work ( 15 ECTS ) International practice training ( 10 ECTS ) MASTER’S THESIS ( 37 ECTS )

5. International Master’s Programme in Comparative Social Work Requirements of the University of Lapland Master Programme Requirements of the Pomor State University Master Programme

6. Courses include for example • The studies include compulsory and elective studies, a course on language and culture of the neighbouring country, as well as a course on international legislation connected with social work and social policy, which will provide tools for broader than national views in social work. • In addition, there are courses on web environments, intensive courses by visiting lecturers, a summer and winter school, student visits, and a period of practice training abroad to acquire experience on multicultural social work in the neighbouring country. The programme courses and supervision are conducted in English, and Master’s thesis research projects will have jointly organised supervision.

7. Intensive course on Language and Society of Neighbouring Country timing: 28.9.-14.10.2009 (2,5 weeks) credits: 3 ECTS cr. aims of the course: A student will learn the basic characteristics of the neighbouring countries society and also some basis of the language. description: During two weeks there will be language laboratory studies in the morning and lectures about society in the afternoon in Murmansk State Technical University. The amount of language studies is 2 ECTS and the amount of lectures about society 1 ECTS. Studies are part of the compulsory studies in the master’s degree programme in Comparative Social Work. The programme is developed and will be implemented with the partner universities. It has been accepted to the Finish statute by the Finish Ministry of Education. tutors: Oksana Dmitrieva and other teachers in Murmansk State Technical University and Riitta Kontio at the University of Lapland students: The amount of students travelling from the University of Lapland to Murmansk will be 10 students. roles: The teaching will be provided by the receiving university in the frame of Barents Cross Border University. assessment methods:Active participation in class. Final exam

8. Intensive course: Social Policy and Human Rights timing:20.-27.1.2010 type:intensive winter school in Russia credits: 3 ECTS cr. morning lectures 4 hours / morning about During morning lectures students learn about social policy and its challenges in global context, as well as about Russian and Finnish social policy and so called Nordic model. teacher from Finland: Kyösti Urponen, University of Lapland teacher from Russia: Alexey Feldt Dean of the Faculty of History, PSU A student familiarises with important international agreements of human rights like declarations of human rights, women‘s rights and children‘s rights. Besides S/he learns on workers’ and employers’ rights by studying about the international organisation of labour ILO and its activities concerning labour. teacher from Finland: Leena Lehtinen, University of Lapland afternoon workshops students discuss what they have learnt during the lectures of that day assessment methods:learning journal cultural programme During the evening there will be cultural programme organised by Russian students.

9. Work prospects • in different positions in international projects and tasks, as well as social workers. • the need for experts who have skills to understand international contexts of social issues, as well as a perspective with a comparative approach to different cultural context has increased. Therefore, work prospects do not await graduates only within the region, but also in international tasks round the world. • Graduates will also have the possibility to continue studies for a PhD and to perform comparative research.In so doing, graduates will be in the front line of promoting scientific research. • Degrees awarded • One degree of the home university, a diploma supplement and a BCBU certificate. • The degree qualifications are • • a Master of Social Sciences from the University of Lapland • • a Master of Social Work from the Pomor State University.

10. Partner institutions and responsible units • • Faculty of Social Sciences, Department of Social Work at the University of Lapland, Rovaniemi, Finland • • Faculty of Social Work at the Pomor State University, Archangel, Russia • Other partners are the Karelian State Pedagogical University and Petrozavodsk State University in Petrosavodsk; Northern State Medical University in Archangel; Murmansk Humanities Institute, Murmansk State Pedagogical University, and Murmansk State Technical University in Murmansk in Russia, and the University of Oulu in Oulu Finland.