Course-specific learning objectives
The educational objectives of the degree course in Social Work at the University of Parma aim to provide its graduates with training in the knowledge of the basic disciplines of social service, since mastery of the methods and techniques of social service enables them to acquire specific, practical and operational skills necessary for the recognition and treatment of situations that are brought to the attention of the Social Services.
In a society continually transformed by demographic dynamics and the emergence of new needs related to different models of economic development, graduates of this degree course must therefore be able to detect and deal with various situations of social distress, be they of individuals, families, groups and communities. Moreover, the social change affecting the organisational forms of work, on the whole, as well as the repositioning of the social worker profession within the framework of the new welfare, make it necessary to provide graduates with knowledge and skills useful for 'social work' in a broad sense and consistent with the social change underway.
The specific objectives of the training pathway of the graduate in Social Work at the Parma hub are identified, composed and realised thanks to the results of the analysis of the demand for training, considering the teaching and scientific skills present at the hub, and therefore represent a specific declination of the general qualifying objectives inherent to the L39 class. Particular emphasis is therefore placed on legal knowledge, which is necessary to situate the profession within the organisational frameworks of organisations and structures that include the figure of the social worker in their roles.
The training course can be described both by chronological progression, over the three-year reference period, and by disciplinary and thematic training areas. Consistent with the specific training objectives, the table of learning activities includes courses that aim to provide students with tools for the acquisition of knowledge in the basic and characterising subject areas of the degree class, as well as for their understanding and application. A further objective of the course is the acquisition of critical capacity and independent judgement on the part of the student.
The acquisition of these skills and knowledge will enable the graduate to work in personal service structures, with autonomy and responsibility, using, among other things, the English language, at a B1 level, which is necessary both for the management of communication and for intervention in the specific field of competence, given the multicultural dimension assumed by our country.