Social Work and Personal Social Services

The first year of the course is mainly dedicated, on the one hand, to the deepening and broadening of specialist preparation regarding the theories of Social Work and Social Policy and their connections with the main social sciences (sociology, economics, moral philosophy, law) and on the other hand to the development of research methodology skills. As a whole, the course is aimed at providing PhD students with the necessary foundations to focus their research interests and define their project.

In the following two years, the training activity continues with an in-depth study of specific aspects of the research methodology, including complementary skills useful for fundraising and dissemination of results. At the same time, the doctoral students carry out the research project that leads to the discussion and achievement of the doctoral thesis.

The training activities include a range of learning opportunities, divided into:

• Teaching activity specifically dedicated to doctoral students, mainly organized in seminar form, with a request to doctoral students to actively contribute to the presentation and discussion of the contents;
• Participation in the activities of the Relational Social Work Research Centre (Department of Sociology, UCSC of Milan), also with roles of collaboration in specific research activities;
• Participation in national and international scientific conferences, in particular those dedicated to Social Work research (e.g. ECSWR - European Conference of Social Work Research, CIRSS - Italian Conference on Social Work Research; international conferences promoted by IFSW - International Federation of Social Workers, IASSW - International Association of Schools of Social Work, EASSW – European Association of Schools of Social Work);
• Participation in international training initiatives aimed at PhD students in Social Work (e.g. those proposed by The international 'Social Work & Society' Academy - TiSSA) and in dedicated interest groups (such as the Special Interest Group for Doctoral and Early Career Researchers promoted by the European Social Work Research Association);
• Observational support of the teacher and possible collaboration, for training purposes only, in a course of Social Work Methodology given as part of the L-39 courses in UCSC, with the aim of broadening one's reflection on the central themes of Social Work and introducing oneself to any future teaching assignments.
• Training activities of transversal skills (linguistic, communicative, managerial), prepared by the University for all students of doctoral courses.