Institution: NUI Maynooth.
Course duration: one year full-time.
How long has the course been running? Since 1989
Why was it introduced?
To give people working in or studying social policy a knowledge of the social policies of the EU and other countries, and to enable them to understand policy-making, explains Professor Seamus O Cinneide, NUI Maynooth's Jean Monnet Professor of European Social Policy. The course was developed by a group of universities in eight European countries, including Denmark, Slovenia and this State.
Who is the course aimed at?
People wishing to make a career here in Ireland or with a European agency, as administrators, researchers or policy analysts. It would also be of interest to middle-ranking staff working on social policy in the public or voluntary sectors, O Cinneide says.
Number admitted to the course: 12
Entry requirements:
Second-class honours in a degree that includes one of the social sciences or other relevant subjects - law or history for example. "Some prior knowledge of social policy, the EU and basic research is desirable," the Maynooth professor advises.
Course content:
Comparative social policy, EU studies, policy analysis and evaluation, comparative research methods and statistics. Group project work is a central feature of the course. The dissertation accounts for 40 per cent of the final mark.
All classes contain students from participating universities. Maynooth students spend their second semester abroad and can avail of ERASMUS grants.
Cost: £1,802 (last year)
Contact:
Professor O Cinneide, NUI Maynooth; Tel (01) 7083657/ 083743; e-mail: cappss@may.ie