Programme description for Child Welfare, 5 year Master's Programme (2024–2029)

Knowledge

After completing the education, the candidate will:

• Have advanced knowledge of child welfare responsibilities and foundational principles, key governmental guidelines, the organization of child welfare services, national and international conventions, child welfare values, multicultural challenges, and specialized insight into children's living conditions
• Have advanced knowledge of the legal frameworks governing child welfare work in municipal, state, and private services, human rights, and children's right to participation
• Have in-depth knowledge of legal methodology, and advanced understanding of legal safeguards and the responsible application of law
• Have advanced knowledge of professions and professional practice, and advanced insight into child development, relational work, communication, child participation, the best interests of the child, and professional development
• Have in-depth knowledge of psychological and social science contributions to understanding child development, upbringing, family dynamics, and risk factors, and be able to apply this knowledge for the benefit of the child
• Have in-depth knowledge of the impact of societal and cultural conditions on children's care environments and living standards
• Have in-depth knowledge of scientific-theoretical perspectives relevant to child welfare and of social science research methods
• Have advanced knowledge of the normative and ethical challenges in child welfare

Skills

• After completing the education, the candidate will be able to
• Analyze child welfare issues based on the field’s history, traditions, distinctiveness, and role in society
• Apply relational skills to establish secure relationships with children, youth, and families
• Analyze and assess the legal basis for child welfare work
• Critically reflect on their own role as a child welfare worker and on the profession’s value foundation, and independently and responsibly analyze, assess, and carry out key work and decision-making processes in child welfare services
• Apply an interdisciplinary and advanced knowledge base to deliver high-quality child welfare in the best interests of the child, and use this knowledge in independent analyses and reflections on complex child welfare issues and possible courses of action
• Apply legal reasoning, principles, and regulations in meetings and in the development of measures with children, youth, and families
• Use relevant knowledge to analyze and assess the life situations of children, youth, and families; evaluate caregiving competence and needs; justify and implement measures in the child’s best interest; and document the work
• Communicate with children, youth, families, and partners in a child welfare context, and communicate child welfare issues both to specialists and the general public
• Identify and independently reflect on scientific-theoretical and ethical challenges in child welfare
• Apply social science methods and carry out an independent research or development project under supervision, in accordance with current research ethics standards
• Present substantial independent work using the field’s forms of expression and communicate issues and analyses to child welfare professionals and to the public

General Competence

• After completing the education, the candidate will:
• Be able to critically reflect on the field’s language, forms of communication, and power dynamics
• Be able to reflect on the scope of child welfare and critically analyze challenges related to structural frameworks and interdisciplinary collaboration
• Be able to analyze and critically address complex ethical challenges in child welfare practice related to their own professional conduct
• Have insight into various sources of knowledge and be able to reflect on the use of knowledge when implementing measures, as well as have advanced knowledge of the effects of such measures
• Have insight into complex ethical and methodological challenges, and be able to systematize experiences with a view to knowledge development, innovation, and shaping of practice

The main objective of the programme is to educate reflexive, critical thinking, and ethically conscious child welfare workers. The students achieve a solid academic anchoring and skills necessary to provide appropriate, beneficial and effective assistance to children, adolescents, and their families.

Students will be prepared for professional careers in which they facilitate and contribute to children living under harmful conditions getting the necessary aid, care and protection in a timely manner. Furthermore, ensure that children and adolescents in need of assistance are approached with compassion, love and understanding.

Practice-studies and obtained experience in the field of child welfare work are central components of the programme. Practice studies are implemented during four of the five years of study. The students will receive guidance from experienced and skilled child welfare workers.

The programme has an interdisciplinary profile; child welfare is nonetheless the thematic focal point. The programme incorporates and focuses on five areas of knowledge throughout the entire program, including professional formation as a shared element.

The students face five components of knowledge each academic year. The five elements are:

• Knowledge on child welfare
• Judicial knowledge
• Professional formation
• Knowledge on psychology and welfare
• Ethics, theory of science, and methodology

In addition to the five central components of knowledge, the programme has five topics guiding the various academic years. These are indicated in the model's top line. The child protection worker is at the forefront during the first year. The students' perspective is expanded to relationships and participation in their second year. Language and writing are the core subjects of the third year. Throughout the fourth year, cooperation and collaboration are emphasized. In the final year, the focus is directed toward reflection and research.

A professional child welfare worker applies knowledge from a variety of professional disciplines, aiming to ensure the child’s best interest in any given situation. The orientation of the programme focuses on assessments of the child's best interests. The child’s best interest is a normative concept and will as such be susceptible to different norms in diverse societies. The child’s best interest will serve as the guiding, decisive element in deliberations with colliding interests. Such circumstances require interdisciplinary analyzes, deliberation and development of the content of the concept. This dynamic process is significant for the duration of the programme.

This academic education promotes students’ evolving professional formation, and professional knowledge alongside a broad set of skills. Students aspire to master the ability to interact with children, adolescents, and their families in a respectful manner, the ability to convey concerned engagement with every individual, as well as the ability to make qualified professional assessments ensuring the best interest of the child.

In the programme, lectures, seminars, group work/discussions, systematic reflections are applied, guidance, as well as training on written communication and management, skill training both in role-play and by executive work in child protection services. Teaching methods include digital platforms and handouts. The students are expected to take considerable responsibility for their gain of knowledge and for their personal and professional formation. The students will participate in seminars aiming to promote, integrate and understand the curriculum as well as the academic education and of themselves as upcoming professional practitioners. Throughout the programme, the students are obligated to participate in a mentor group consisting of an employee at the university, a practitioner and an adolescent who has experienced receiving support from child protection services. The students will be guided in their practice placements by experienced child protection workers.

Teaching will alternate between practice and the university, acknowledging the two as complementary learning arenas.

The teaching language is Norwegian, except for some courses which will be taught in English.

Although the programme is aimed at the Norwegian child welfare services, the programme's ambition is to accommodate international perspectives.

In the programme, emphasis is placed on developing knowledge on cultural sensitivity, diversity, comparative perspectives on the welfare society, consequences of globalization and migration on growing up in Norway and the multicultural society. Some topics will be taught in English, supporting the ambition to attract international students, and a great deal of the curriculum/research literature will be international.

We encourage all our students to take the opportunity to go on an exchange. An exchange with one of our partners will provide a unique experience and the opportunity to gain international perspectives that are valuable for your studies and future professional practice.

The programme offers opportunities for exchange periods abroad three times during the course of the study programme. In the 3rd semester and the 9th semester, it's possible to take courses at a university abroad. The courses must be replaced with courses that offer learning outcomes that match those offered in the study programme.

In addition, it is possible to take BV-203 Work placement in Environmental therapeutic work in Tanga, Tanzania (at TICC). There are a limited number of spots available, and this can vary from year to year. The number is usually between 2-4 child welfare students. It is also possible to go to Thailand, in collaboration with NMS.

The study programme coordinator must approve the courses at the relevant institution before the exchange takes place.