Objectives and competences

The master's degree in Social and Educational Action is intended for students with interests that reach between the social and educational settings, providing them with the means to innovate and broaden their knowledge through the practical application of research. Students will acquire a general competence in planning, research, assessment and advisory work in contexts of socioeducational vulnerability. Since this degree has a specific focus on research, it provides students with the training to access the corresponding doctoral programme.

The master's degree examines current social and educational context and seeks to respond innovatively, fairly and equitably to the various problems it presents. Therefore, one of the main objectives is for students to develop competences to address new and emerging problems and situations in at-risk populations and groups, through research, action, innovation and change.

The master's degree prepares students to work in a broad range of professional areas (including social work, education and community health) and provides in-depth training for tasks in research, management, planning, assessment, consultancy and supervision.

The master's degree is aimed at university graduates in the field of education (social education, pedagogy, early childhood education, primary education, educational psychology and equivalent degrees) or in the social sciences (social work, nursing, social psychology, sociology, anthropology and equivalent degrees), as well as other graduates with proven professional experience in the education or social sector.

Basic information

TypeMaster's degree
Faculty or schoolFaculty of Education
Branch of knowledge
  • Education sciences
  • Social sciences, social work, industrial relations and human resources, sociology, political science and international relations
  • Gender studies and feminist studies
Mode of delivery
  • Face-to-face
Credits60
Number of places available25
Length of course1 academic year
Language(s) of instructionCatalan and Spanish
Approximate price per credit27.67 euros per credit (82 euros for students who are not EU nationals and do not currently reside in Spain). Fees for the academic year 2023-2024
CoordinationESTHER LUNA GONZALEZ
Course detailsIndicators
Open pre-enrolmentYes
Open enrolmentNo
Lead to doctoral studiesYes
Admission for applicants not holding a degree qualificationNo
Bridging coursesNo

Objectives and competences

Objectives

Students of the master's degree in Social and Educational Action will pursue the following learning objectives:

  • To acquire in-depth knowledge and develop a critical perspective regarding the nature of contemporary society, with special emphasis on processes of globalization and change and the impact they have on the configuration and development of social and educational policies, interventions and actions. Part of the aim is to build a framework of thought that serves as a reference for making decisions related to research, innovation and social and educational intervention.

  • To develop the capacity to design and implement social and educational research plans in order to design and develop interventions for innovation and change. This component of the programme places a particular emphasis on participatory research.

  • To develop the capacity to take on roles in institutional management with a high degree of responsibility: planning, management and evaluation of services, plans and programmes in the social and educational fields.

  • To acquire a broad understanding of consultancy, supervision and training in the social and educational fields to be able to design and develop professional actions in these areas.

  • To acquire in-depth knowledge relating to community action as a perspective or frame of reference and as a context for research, innovation and social and educational intervention, with special emphasis on the design and implementation of policies and participatory strategies.

  • To investigate different areas of intervention in depth, thus contextualizing the general and cross-disciplinary training provided by the master's degree, in accordance with individual interests.

Competences

General competences

Upon completion of the course, successful students will be able to:
  • diagnose, plan, formulate and evaluate actions within the framework of institutions active in the social and educational fields, both to facilitate processes of social and educational inclusion and to enable increased social cohesion in a context of greater social justice;
  • apply relational skills and attitudes to identify, assess, plan and analyse the elements to be taken into account when working in and managing multidisciplinary teams in social and educational environments;
  • analyse social and educational dynamics using comprehensive theoretical models related to human development and social inclusion in social and educational policies and interventions.



Specific competences

With regard to the specific aspects of the curriculum, students will also be able to:
  • design institutional programmes and guidelines for intervention aimed at promoting and supporting vulnerable groups and at developing social networks that provide mutual support and foster social participation;
  • formulate and plan objectives and criteria that serve to guide the implementation of programmes, actions and cooperative processes aimed at improving community action and education, in response to identified needs;
  • analyse and evaluate quality indicators and best practices in social and educational programmes and projects, and formulate proposals and criteria for improving quality and innovation in social and educational action;
  • formulate criteria and proposals for the transfer of knowledge and skills in order to both enable professional teams and encourage, motivate and evaluate multidisciplinary teams involved in social and educational action;
  • analyse and interpret changes introduced by the knowledge society relating to work, education, culture and civic participation from a critical perspective;
  • identify and apply methodological strategies for the collection and analysis of information to ensure the rigor in the research processes aimed at knowledge transfer, and also to structure corresponding reports coherently and systematically;
  • identify and apply methodological strategies that could guide participatory research processes and implement a process of participatory research related to improving social and educational intervention.

Access and admission

Applicant profile and access requirements

Recommended applicant profile

The master's degree in Social and Educational Action is addressed to graduates with advanced university training in education (social education, pedagogy, early childhood education, elementary education, educational psychology or equivalent studies) or social work and intervention (social work, social aid, social psychology, sociology, anthropology or equivalent studies), as well as other graduates who can demonstrate a solid professional background in education or social fields.

There are two main applicant profiles. First, practising professionals with a university degree and experience in social or educational fields who are interested in studying or researching the processes involved in understanding and addressing social transformation. Students in this category will also be entitled to apply to the doctoral programme upon successful completion of the master's degree.

Second, holders of a university degree or diploma in the social or educational fields who wish to acquire thorough knowledge of policy and professional practice in the areas covered by the course curriculum, by means of thoughtful analysis of the different approaches based on evaluation and research, which would allow them to develop the capacities to lead processes of innovation and improvement, develop tasks with a high degree of responsibility, and to advise and monitor processes in the social and educational fields.

Access requirements and conditions

General requirements
In accordance with Article 16 of Royal Decree 1393/2007, of 29 October, students wishing to be admitted to a university master's degree must hold one of the following qualifications:

  • Official Spanish university degree.

  • A degree issued by a higher education institution within the European Higher Education Area framework that authorizes the holder to access university master's degree courses in the country of issue.

  • A qualification issued by an institution outside the framework of the European Higher Education Area. In this case, applicants must request homologation of the degree to its equivalent official Spanish university qualification or obtain express approval from the University of Barcelona, which will conduct a study of equivalence to ensure that the degree is of a comparable level to an official Spanish university qualification and that it grants access to university master's degree study in the country of issue. Admission shall not, in any case, imply that prior qualifications have been recognized as equivalent to a Spanish master's degree and does not confer recognition for any purposes other than that of admission to the master's degree course.

Specific requirements
Access to the master's degree in Social and Educational Action is open to graduates with advanced university training in education (social education, pedagogy, early childhood education, elementary education, educational psychology or equivalent studies) or social work and intervention (social work, social aid, social psychology, sociology, anthropology or equivalent studies), as well as other graduates who can demonstrate a solid professional background in education or social fields.

Pre-enrolment

Calendar

First period: from 1 February to 30 June 2024.
Notifications: partial resolutions in the first half of each month.

Second period: from 1 July to 4 September 2024.
Notifications: September 9.

Notes:

  • Pre-enrolment fee: A pre-enrolment fee of 30,21 euros is charged. Students who apply to more than one master's degree must pay the fee for each pre-enrolment request. Pre-enrolment requests cannot be processed until this fee has been paid.Fees will only be refunded if the master's degree in question is suspended.
  • Reserved places: A maximum of 5% of the new places of the master's degree are reserved for students who meet the general and specific access requirements and accredit the recognition of a degree of disability equal to or greater than 33%.

Required documentation

Selection criteria

Selection criteria:

Candidates are assessed on the basis of the following criteria, in order of priority:
1. Professional experience. Priority is given to continuous professional experience, while sporadic work experience, participation in volunteer work and non-curricular placements are also taken into consideration (40%).
2. Educational background. Priority is given to the degree studies listed as granting access to the course, and consideration is given to other training (master's and postgraduate degrees and other studies related to the subject area) (30%).
3. Academic record. Assessment takes into account the grade-point average obtained in the degree or equivalent studies used for the purpose of application (20%).
4. Motivation. Consideration is given to personal reasons for studying the master's degree and specifically those that justify the choice of this master's programme (10%).

Notification

Only applications that include the required documentation and include the payment of the pre-registration fee will be assessed.

By the deadline established in the pre-enrolment calendar, the resolution of admission is notified by email or published on the website.

Enrolment

As a general rule, at the UB you will be required to enrol online. Remember that you can lose your place if you do not enrol on the day you have been assigned

Course curriculum

Subjects and course plans

Distribution of credits

Type ECTS
Compulsory 24
Optional 24
Compulsory placements 0
Compulsory final project 12
TOTAL 60

List of subjects

Subject Type Language Credits
Specialization: Social and Educational Action
Acció Socioeducativa en la Justícia: Les Mesures Penals a la Comunitat Optional 2nd semester 3
Analysis of Social and Educational Research and Intervention Networks Optional 1st semester 3
Childhood and Adolescence: Engagement and Protection Optional 1st semester 3
Community Action and Organization for Innovation in Social and Educational Intervention Compulsory 1st semester 3
Conflict and Mediation: Analysis from a Systemic Approach Optional 2nd semester 3
Consultancy and Supervision for Social and Educational Policies and Institutions Compulsory 2nd semester 3
Dependency, Functional Diversity and Political Participation Processes Optional 2nd semester 3
Descriptive, Explanatory and Evaluative Research Optional 2nd semester 3
Educational Intervention in Criminal Enforcement in the Community Optional 2nd semester 3
Final Project Compulsory 2nd semester 12
Gender Violence in Couples Optional 1st semester 3
Historical, Philosophical and Comparative Research Optional 1st semester 3
Innovació Social i Societat Digital Optional 2nd semester 3
Participatory Research in Socio-Educational Practice Compulsory 2nd semester 6
Planning, Management and Evaluation of Social and Educational Policies and Institutions Compulsory 1st semester 3
Planning, Management and Evaluation of Social Services Optional 2nd semester 3
Promoció de la Salut i Prevenció en Contextos Socioeducatius Optional 2nd semester 3
Quantitative Analysis in Educational Research Optional 2nd semester 3
Quantitative Analysis of Socioeducational Research Optional 2nd semester 3
Research Focused on Comprehension and Transformation Optional 2nd semester 3
Scientific and Academic Writing Optional 1st semester 3
Social and Educational Action for Older Adults Optional 2nd semester 3
Social and Educational Interventions in Context Compulsory 2nd semester 6
Social and Labour Inclusion and Vulnerable Social Groups Optional 1st semester 3
Social Coexistence and the Culture of Peace Optional 2nd semester 3
Social Participation and Innovation in Social and Educational Care Optional 1st semester 3
Social Policies, Human Development and Social Inclusion Compulsory 1st semester 3
Socioeducational Context of Immigration Optional 2nd semester 3
Strategies for Obtaining Information in Educational and Social Research Optional 1st semester 3
Violència Masclista Optional 2nd semester 3
Writing Research Projects on Educational and Social Research Optional 1st semester 3

Previous years

Placements

Placements in a company or another type of organization are an integral part of university studies, providing first-hand experience of working methodologies in students' chosen professional fields. They offer invaluable practical experience for the transition into work after graduation.



Placements are supervised by tutors and subject to assessment. They are therefore included in the academic record.  There is also an option to complete non-curricular placements of up to 750 hours, which can be extended to 900 hours. For both curricular and non-curricular placements, an educational cooperation agreement is signed between the UB and the company, institution or other organization at which the placement will be carried out.



Institutional information


Career opportunities

What can you work on ?

The master's degree provides in-depth training for the tasks of research, management, planning, assessment, consultancy and supervision. It prepares students to work in a broad professional field:

  • social work
  • education
  • community health  
  • and other related areas.
     

Access to the labour market

Data from the university system in Catalonia

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