The course provides a framework for understanding, reviewing and critical analysis of  the practice of social policy. After attending this course, students will be able to:

• outline and apply the conceptual foundations of social policy,
• understand fundamental design principles of social security systems,
• identify alternative welfare state models,
• characterise social policies in selected countries,
• analyse and discuss social policy approaches against the background of major economic and social policy objectives,
• understand and discuss academic social policy papers. 

In addition, students will:

• gain practice and improve their skills in writing, presenting and discussing their ideas.

This being a course with continuous assessment (PI)’ students need to attend at least 80% of the time of the scheduled course units for completing the course successfully. Ideally you attend all units fully. If you are unable to fully attend a unit, please let the lecturer(s) know in advance. In case online units are scheduled, the same attendance requirements apply. 

Please note: 

• The mid-term quiz will be held on 28 April
• Group work will have to be delivered on May 5, 12 and 19.  Your active participation is requested and assessed on these occassions!

Assessment (relative weights in the final grade): 

• active participation 5% 
  
• written test (single-choice test): 20%
• group project: 35%
• written deliverable(s): 40% 

Grade Key (point ranges)

• 1: Excellent (90-100 points)
• 2: Good (80-89 points)
• 3: Satisfactory (65-79 points)
• 4: Sufficient (50-64 points)
• 5: Fail (0-49 points)

Please note:

Your presence for the presentation of the group projects is indispensable (May 5, 12, 19).

The use of AI for your written work is very limited (for details see task description for individual assignments), and has to be documented. 

• Key authoring tasks should not be transferred to AI. However, AI can be used to assist with these tasks, for example to support the initial screening of existing research.  Still, any kind of supporting input from AI must be critically reviewed, reflected upon and deepened by the authors, who bear full responsibility for the content of their manuscript.   

• You should neither copy & paste nor paraphrase text generated by a large-language model (such as ChatGPT). WU uses AI-dection tools to screen student submissions.

•  Like other aids, the use of AI should be explicitly included in the list of aids and attached to the work. The documentation of the interaction with the AI (especially prompts) must be available upon request.  WU’s policy on listing any aids used in a paper (which includes the use of AI tools) came into effect on 3 December 2024. WU provides templates for the required list of aids used.