Bachelor of Science in Lavoro sociale

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Bachelor Lavoro sociale

The Bachelor's degree in Social Work trains social workers to promote the well-being of people through the development of individual and collective resources and potential, thereby promoting participation, social bonding and integration of the different individuals. The course allows a choice between two specialisation areas: social service and social education.

SUPSI Course Overview

Overview

  • Degree awarded

    Bachelor of Science SUPSI in Lavoro sociale

  • Credits

    180,0 ECTS

  • Study modes

    Full Time (TP), from 3 years
    Part-time (PT), from 4 years
    Extra-occupational studies (PAP), from 4 years

  • Applications

    November 20th, 2023 - April 15th, 2024
    November 20th, 2023 - April 15th, 2024
    November 20th, 2023 - April 15th, 2024

  • Start date

    September 2024

  • Language

    Italian

  • Semester fee

    From CHF 800.-

  • Location

    -

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The Bachelor's degree in Social Work aims to build a multi-skilled and flexible profile of asocial worker/receptionist, able to cope with rapid changes in society and new forms of vulnerability.
 
The training pathway enables the acquisition of knowledge and skills to recognise and analyse complex social situations; to develop methodological, analytical, planning and design skills for the implementation of interventions tailored to specific realities; to develop personal, social and linguistic skills necessary for building interpersonal relationships and institutional relations appropriate to the professional role.

The output profile is that of the UAS social worker with generalist skills. At the end of the training, the professional is able to promote the well-being of people through the development of individual and collective resources and potential, thus fostering participation, social bonding and integration of the various social partners.  
At the end of the training the student is able to deal with social problems and their consequences in terms of both prevention and intervention in a critical and reflective perspective with regard to his or her own personal and professional actions; to promote well-being and health, to develop participation and social bonding by fostering the integration of different social actors. It is also able to promote coexistence and self-determination through the development of individual and collective resources and potential. Its role is to support individuals or communities to express their needs and to identify strategies and means to address them. 

Finally, the social worker participates, together with other professionals, in the construction and implementation of intervention projects on individuals, groups and communities and is active at the various levels of social intervention - ethical, political, economic - in social services and public and private socio-educational institutions.

Occupational fields

Social work professionals are in demand in many areas, such as:
  • Social support
    Child and adult protection authorities
    Municipality advice centres
    Hospitals
    Businesses
    Employment and integration programmes
    Medical centres with children, young people and adults with special needs
    Proximity social work
    Juvenile courts
    Youth, recreational, neighbourhood, refugee and migrant centres

Two options, with relative professional perspectives

Social education

Allows you to work as a social educator/educator in institutions and organisations that have a socio-educational purpose, in contact with specific users (minors, disabilities, psychological distress, addictions, etc.).

Some examples of areas of employment as a social educator:
  • Therapeutic communities for drug addicts
  • Day care centres for the elderly
  • Day centres and workshops for people with psychological distress
  • Community work (neighbourhood houses, outreach, youth centres, prevention)
  • Work in schools
  • Educational centres for minors
  • Kindergartens
  • Medical centres and occupational workshops for people with disabilities
  • Treatment centres for alcoholism
  • Workshops for professional reintegration
  • Centres and foyers for asylum seekers and refugees

Social service

Allows you to work as a social worker in public or private services (municipalities, hospitals, counselling centres, etc.).

Some examples of areas of employment as a social worker:
  • Cantonal and municipal social services
  • Help and counselling services for the elderly, disabled, people with specific illnesses
  • Counselling centres and residential centres for addictions
  • Cantonal social counselling and support service for families and children
  • Social services of the EOC, OSC and private clinics
  • Assistance services for refugees and asylum seekers

The SUPSI Bachelor's degree in Social Work provides access to Master's programmes offered by universities in Switzerland and abroad. Among these is the Master of Arts Social Work offered by SUPSI in collaboration with HES-SO. Most of the courses take place in Lausanne, Vaud (some modules may take place in other HES-SO locations). SUPSI actively collaborates by offering two modules: a theoretical module in Lausanne and a research internship at the Manno campus.
 
With a Bachelor's degree in Social Work one can also gain access to continuing education programmes offered nationally and internationally such as:
  • Certificate of Advanced Studies (CAS)
  • Diploma of Advanced Studies (DAS)
  • Master of Advanced Studies (MAS)

  • Training structure / theory-practice alternation

    Teaching is structured in modules with an interdisciplinary character and emphasises the alternation between theoretical and methodological preparation and practical training. The training includes:  1. a first common core part, lasting three semesters, in whichthe fundamentals of social work are addressed and during which an initial 16-week internship iscarried out. 2. a second part, lasting three semesters, in whichstudents can choose between two specific directions (social education or social work); this is supplemented by a 20-week internship in the chosen study option and the Bachelor's thesis. The aim is to enable students to link methodological and operational practices with theoretical-conceptual reference frameworks.

  • Teaching methods

    The training alternates between various forms of teaching: lectures, seminar activities, workshops, individual supervision, group work, and is supported by distance learning modalities (e-learning). The analysis of specific cases and participation in projects stimulate active learning: the task of the social worker is, in fact, to participate together with other professionals in the construction and realisation of projects on individuals, groups and communities and to operate on the various levels of social intervention - ethical, political, economic - in social services and public and private socio-educational organisations.

  • Specialisation options

    Possibility to choose between two specialisation courses:
    - Social service: allows you to work as a social worker in public or private services (municipalities, hospitals, reception centres, etc.).
    - Social education: allows you to work as a social educator in institutions and organisations with educational purposes, in contact with specific users (minors, disabilities, psychological distress, addictions, etc.).

  • Mobility

    Possibility of carrying out professional practice (in the 3rd semester, 4 months) in social institutions in French-speaking or German-speaking Switzerland or in other European countries (SEMP placement), as well as in organisations, institutions, associations, active in the socio-educational field in certain southern and eastern countries. 
    - study semester abroad (4th semester), in Switzerland or at partner universities in Europe, thanks to the SEMP programme (Swiss-European Mobility Programme, formerly Erasmus).  For further information please consult the SUPSI International Office website.

  • Organisation of the modules

    The planning of the modules revolves around the understanding and analysis of the contexts of reference (knowledge of society, its transformations, sector policies, etc.); construction of the professional profile (fundamental competences of the profession); professional interventions with specific users (competences to work with users with specific discomforts); specific competences related to the profession of Social Educator/Social Worker; final Bachelor's thesis (combining and using skills and knowledge acquired during training, developing analytical and critical sense skills in relation to the chosen subject and the specialisation undertaken).

The Bachelor's degree includes three modes of study that allow for the acquisition of 180 ECTS, in accordance with the European Credit Transfer System (ECTS). One ECTS credit corresponds to about 30 hours of study (lectures, individual and group projects, assisted and individual study).
3 years of full-time education; in addition to the disciplinary and interdisciplinary theoretical courses there are 2 practice periods in the third (16 weeks, also abroad) and sixth semester (20 weeks in the social education and social service option). Students who do not have a baccalaureate in social work are required to complete a 9-month professional practice (pre-training internship) at 100% (at least 6 consecutive months) before the start of the three-year university course.

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4- or 5-year study pathway (attendance 2-3 days per week) for students with at least 50% employment and 25 years of age. The PAP mode makes it possible to combine study and work, thus being able to continue training in the socio-educational field. Students who do not have a socio-educational baccalaureate are required to complete a 12-month work experience (pre-training internship) at 100% to be completed before starting university.

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4-5 years of part-time Bachelor (attendance 2-3 days a week) for students aged 25 years or older who wish to maintain their family, artistic, sporting and work commitments (in other professional sectors) and at the same time follow their training, thanks to a customised timetable that alternates between classroom lessons and practice sessions. Students who do not have a socio-healthcare baccalaureate are required to complete a 3-month work experience (pre-training internship) at 100% (or equivalent) before starting university.

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Course FB Modules List

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SUPSI Course Responsibles

Paola Solcà

Responsabile BSc Lavoro sociale, Docente-ricercatrice senior FB DEASS - Dipartimento economia aziendale, sanità e sociale

Course FB Teachers

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In view of the limited number of places available (90), for the full-time, part-time and professionally parallel curricula, all candidates for the Bachelor's degree in Social Work must take a two-part (written and oral) examination.
For the purpose of federal and cantonal funding, a limited number of applicants who are not residents of Switzerland are admitted to each degree program with a DEASS ranking examination. For the Bachelor's degree in Social Work, in principle this quota amounts to 10 percent; exceptions are considered legitimate when compliance with the 10 percent of nonresidents would not allow the needs (in terms of graduates) of the Ticino labor market to be met, in view of the available places offered by the degree program.
The application for admission is submitted exclusively by following the online procedure available on the Student Portal.

The candidate receives a communication confirming receipt of the application. Then, once the documentation and qualifications have been verified, the candidate is called to the ranking examination (written examination). If the candidate does not have a diploma and is at least 25 years old, he/she may apply for admission on dossier and take a written examination on general culture for admission to the written examination of the ranking list. The position in the ranking list determines the invitation to the oral examination. Passing the oral examination grants definitive admission (90 places available).

Confirmation of enrolment, via the online procedure, must be completed by 30 June by sending all the required documents (qualification, enrolment confirmation with personal data, health form, criminal record).

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The ranking examination is divided into two parts:
  • Written part aimed at testing text comprehension, logic and data interpretation skills
  • Oral part aims to verify motivation, vision of future educational and professional activity. 
At the end of the oral examinations, a final ranking list is drawn up, taking into account 90 available places.

The entrance exams generally take place during the months of May and June.

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Candidates with one of the following qualifications are admitted to the Bachelor's degree programme in Social Work:
  • Vocational baccalaureate health and social work (MPSS)
  • Specialised baccalaureate in health or social work
  • Professional school-leaving certificate in the fields of economics and services (MPES); technology, architecture and life sciences (MPT); creation and art (MPA) or nature, landscape and food (MPN)
  • High school diploma or equivalent
  • Foreign diploma or equivalent 

Pre-training internship
  • Professional health and social baccalaureate and specialised baccalaureate in health or social work: students in possession of these two baccalaureates issued by the SSPSS gain direct access to the Bachelor's degree in the academic year in which they have passed the examination. 
  • Other baccalaureates: candidates with other baccalaureates start their training after completing a professional practice (pre-training internship), namely
    - Full-time: 9 months at 100%, of which at least 6 consecutive 
    - PAP: 12 months at 100% 
    - PT: 3 months at 100% (or equivalent)

Applications on dossier
Candidates over the age of 25 may be admitted to the Bachelor's degree programme if they do not have the required qualifications but are deemed by the management to have significant training and experience. In this case, there is a preliminary examination aimed at testing basic elements of general culture, as well as knowledge of the Italian language, argumentative and synthesis skills. Successful completion of the general culture exam will enable the ranking exam to be held.

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The application for admission must be submitted by the deadline (see overview).

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Fee
The fee is CHF 1600 per semester, respectively CHF 800 for students benefiting from the application of the Intercantonal Agreement on Universities of Applied Sciences and Arts (Swiss nationality or tax domicile in Switzerland or Liechtenstein). Specific agreements apply for students resident in Campione d’Italia.
Administrative and logistical costs

A flat fee of CHF 200 per semester is also required as a contribution to administrative and logistical costs.

Application fee
A fee of CHF 200 must be paid online when applying for admission. This fee is neither refundable nor deductible from the semester fee. 
Scolarships
​​​​​​​Various public and private institutions offer support to students in need. More information on scholarships available here.

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