Master’s (Doctoral) Program in Social Services
The Master’s (Doctoral) Program in Social Services aims to go beyond conventional social welfare in the narrow sense and to cultivate people who can contribute to constructing a new welfare society in a wide range of fields. To this end, we will promote advanced education and research in social welfare required in the coming age through new methods. The Master’s (Doctoral) Program in Social Services at Sophia University offers integrates theory and practice by organizing a novel curriculum.
The program will establish welfare policy and administration courses, and welfare clinical courses. The former will focus on designing welfare policies and the operation and management of welfare services in government at the national and local levels, as well as in the non-profit sector and the private sector, and cultivate people who will be responsible for these policies and services. In line with this goal, we will develop researchers, administrators, and social entrepreneurs who will pioneer tomorrow’s welfare society. In the clinical course, we will reexamine the theoretical foundations of the field of social work assistive technology, and pursue advanced expertise that can handle the diversifying welfare needs of modern society.
Curriculum
The curriculum from basic exercises in research methods required in the fields of welfare policy and administration and welfare clinical care, and two credits each from advanced courses in research methods in the respective fields of welfare policy and administration and welfare clinical care. Thus, students will not only learn existing advanced knowledge but will also be able to learn specific research methods for creating their own knowledge.
In addition, we have established the Researcher Training Program and the Advanced Welfare Professional Training Program. This is to achieve our, aim of becoming a research and education center that trains researchers and advanced professionals who will lead research and practice in social welfare, in accordance with the career paths of graduate students after completion of their studies. The Master’s Program offers a long-term enrollment system, enabling students who are working to study for a longer period of time (three years) without increasing the burden of tuition fees.
Granted Degree
- Master’s Program: MASTER OF ARTS IN SOCIAL SERVICES
- Doctoral Program: DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY IN SOCIAL SERVICES
Available Teaching Licenses and Subjects
- High School Specialized Teacher (Welfare)
*Only available in Master’s degree programs. Also, it is only available in subjects in which a Type 1 license has been obtained or the requirements for Type 1 have been fulfilled. Not all subjects are available.
Program Features
Two Training Programs: “Researcher Training” and Advanced Welfare Professionals Training
In addition to enhancing and strengthening the Researcher Training Program, we have established the Advanced Welfare Professional Training Program. Both of these are backed by academic theory and methods to broaden the range of career paths available to students after graduation. The latter program is a pioneering one designed with the establishment of future professional graduate schools in mind.
Novel Systematic Curriculum: Two Systems and Core Curriculum
The curriculum is systematic and structured, consisting of a well-balanced group of courses on welfare policy and administration and clinical welfare, as well as exercises in various social welfare research methods as the core curriculum.
Training for Integration of Theory and Practice
The program aims to integrate theory and practice/clinical work by teaching scientific knowledge, clinical knowledge, and policy/administrative knowledge. It provides training to enhance the students’ ability to link scientific theory and methods to practice through exercises, case analysis, fieldwork, etc.
Developing Social Entrepreneurs
The program trains students to acquire the latest knowledge and skills in clinical welfare, to practice them in society as advanced professionals, to design and create a new welfare society, and to be researchers who conceive and design the shape of a new welfare society.
For Career Advancement to Certified Social Worker
The courses offered by the Department of Social Welfare, namely Basic Social Welfare Research Methods, Basic Welfare Policy Administration and Management Research Methods, Basic Welfare Clinical Research Methods, and Medical Social Work Research, are accredited as training for certified social workers. We support those who aim to advance their careers from social workers to certified social workers.
Long-term Enrollment System that Allows Students to Study while Working
To enable master’s students who are employed to balance their work and research, we offer a long-term enrollment system. It enables employed students to enroll in the program for three years with a two-year tuition fee (tuition and educational enrichment fee).
Selected Thesis Topics
Titles of recent master’s and doctoral thesis are listed on the following website.
Educational Policies
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Master’s Program
With an aim to foster human resources who respect human dignity and can contribute to the realization of a welfare society and creative progress, the Master’s Program in Social Services sets standards for the skills and knowledge students should acquire before graduation as described below: Those who fulfill the graduation requirements and pass their thesis defense shall be deemed to have acquired these qualities and will be awarded a diploma.
- Knowledge of fundamental theories of welfare and high expertise, practical ability and research abilities
- The ability to acquire broad knowledge of both fields of welfare policy operation and management and clinical welfare fields and the practical ability to establish a welfare society
- Multidimensional analytical abilities to solve the issues of modern society by integrating theory, practice and clinical practice
- Researcher Development Program: the practical ability to design and create a welfare society and ability to communicate research outcomes in academic journals and at academic meetings, as well as to compile them into academic papers
- Advanced Welfare Professional Training Program: the practical ability to acquire clinical welfare knowledge and technology and play a leadership role in policy proposal and clinical practice, as well as the ability to compile them into academic papers
Doctoral Program
With an aim to foster human resources who respect human dignity and can contribute to the realization of a welfare society and creative progress as an independent researcher, the Doctoral Program in Social Services sets standards for the skills and knowledge students should acquire before graduation as described below: Those who fulfill the graduation requirements and pass their dissertation defense shall be deemed to have acquired these qualities and will be awarded a diploma.
- The ability to build on the fundamental theories of social welfare, sophisticated expertise and practical abilities and research abilities (acquired during the Master’s program) and generate unique findings
- Advanced analytic, demonstrative and research abilities that will be required in acquiring broader knowledge of both fields of welfare policy operation and management and clinical welfare fields to establish a welfare society
- The ability to communicate research outcomes and engage in debate through submissions to academic journals and presentations at international academic meetings, and to compile the results into a doctoral thesis
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Master’s Program
In accordance with the diploma policy, with an aim to develop human resources that will contribute to the achievement of a new welfare-oriented society surpassing social welfare in the narrow sense of the word, the Master’s Program in Social Services offers the Researcher Development Program and the High-Level Welfare Specialist Training Program and constructs its curriculum with courses aligned to the following purposes:
- Acquire the multidimensional research methods required in social welfare studies through the core curriculum, comprising Basic Social Welfare Research Methodology, Basic Welfare Policy Management Research Methodology, and Basic Clinical Welfare Research Methodology
- Gain knowledge of a wide a range of disciplines required in social welfare studies through Welfare Policy Management Courses and Clinical Welfare Subjects.
- Acquire analytical skills to analyze the current status and issues by integrating theory and practice through Social Welfare Fieldwork, Welfare Support Case Study Analysis, and Social Policy Management Case Study Analysis.
- The Researcher Development Program will have students further develop research methods through the Core Curriculum and acquire methodologies and skills to communicate their research in English through courses taught in English.
- The High-level Welfare Specialist Training Program will offer hands-on learning to have students acquire knowledge and skills in clinical welfare mainly through courses on clinical and welfare issues.
- Have students compile a thesis through the abovementioned curriculum and research guidance and prepare for the thesis defense and final exams.
Doctoral Program
In accordance with the diploma policy, with an aim to develop human resources that will internationally contribute to the achievement of a new welfare-oriented society, the Doctoral Program in Social Services constructs its curriculum with courses aligned to the following purposes:
- Under the research guidance of the research advisor, perform a literature review of domestic and international research and conduct surveys to identify research themes and methods and pursue research.
- Acquire the multidimensional perspectives and research methods required in pursuing research in social welfare studies through coursework in Welfare Policy Management and Clinical Welfare
- Acquire methods and skills to communicate research and engage in discussions in English through English-taught courses.
- Compile a dissertation through the abovementioned curriculum, research guidance and Special Lecture on Research Methods (coursework) and prepare for the dissertation defense and final exams.
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Master’s Program
The Master’s Program in Social Services welcomes students with the following qualities:
- Students with a strong academic interest in social welfare studies and the academic ability and logical thinking skills necessary to carry out research to realize a society where human dignity is respected.
- In the Researcher Training Program, students with specialist academic skills in social welfare studies and who aim to become researchers in the future.
- In the Advanced Social Work Specialist Training Program, students who aim to demonstrate a high level of expertise in the fields of welfare and healthcare and are seeking to become leaders.
Doctoral Program
The Doctoral Program in Social Services seeks students with the following qualities:
- Students who have a Master’s degree not only in Social Services but also other in fields, including healthcare, economics, law, sociology, and psychology
- Students who excelled in their studies in the Master’s Program in Social Services and are eager to take their research further and contribute to society
Faculty Members
Tomofumi OKA Professor
Kozue SHINDO Professor
Etsuko HISHIOKA Professor
Katsura MARUYAMA Professor
Natsuko KABURAKI Associate Professor