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In partnership with the Universities of Applied Sciences and Arts (HES) this programme: 

• Contributes to the interdisciplinary study of social problems, their developments and dynamics. 
• Focuses on affected individuals, families, groups and communities and provides knowledge about their experiences, their constructions of meaning and their ways of dealing with disadvantage and exclusion. 
• Engages in analysis and reflection on social action and creates - through evaluation and systematic intervention research - a scientific basis for evidence-based professional intervention and the development and innovation of social work offerings. 
• Produces knowledge about social work organisations and contextualises them within the landscape of available services and in relation to the social security system. 

1. The doctoral candidate contacts ITTS management (Prof. Barbara Waldis) and sends his/her master's transcripts, his/her experience (courses, teaching, research projects, etc.) to be used for possible equivalences for 30 ECTS, a description of the thesis topic (one page maximum) as well as a potential indication of the choice of two thesis co-directors (UniNE + HES).
2. He/she obtains a letter from the thesis co-directors confirming that they agree to supervise the thesis.
3. The doctoral candidate sends to the Registration Office (Bureau des immatriculations) his/her registration file with the requested documents as mentioned on the page Registration and Conditions → Doctorate.
4. The doctoral candidate commits to signing the doctoral charter with both thesis co-directors. A copy is sent to ITTS management.
5. A pedagogical contract is established after discussion with ITTS management. The parties signing the contract are: the dean of the FSE, ITTS management and both thesis co-directors. This pedagogical contract is signed no later than September 1st.

Doctoral programme

• 2023-2024
• 2022-2023

Course descriptions 2023-2024

• Starting a PhD thesis, entering the PhD process, scientific writing
• Social work research methods: developping a PhD project
• Social work theories: epistemologies, classics and current issues
• Social work theories: decolonizing social work
• Research design in social sciences: a question of coherence
• Qualitative and mixed methods in social work & social sciences
• Quantitative research methodologies in social work & social sciences

Course descriptions 2022-2023

• Starting a PhD, entering the PhD process, scientific writing
• Social work research methods: developing a PhD project
• Social work theories: epistemologies, classics and current issues
• Research design for social work research
• Social work theories: decolonizing social work
• Qualitative and mixed methods in social work & social sciences
• Quantitative Methods Research for Social Work and Social Sciences (Block 1)
• Quantitative Methods Research for Social Work and Social Sciences (Block 2)