The Master of Arts in Social Service Management Programme is a one-year full time or two-year part time programme that enhances the managerial competence of social service personnel through quality postgraduate education. The Programme provides a broad-based theoretical foundation on which students can develop the relevant skills and capabilities for the effective management of social service organisations in a rapidly changing and increasingly challenging social environment.

The curriculum covers an extensive array of social service management topics, including contemporary organisational theories, strategic planning, human resources management, financial management and programme evaluation. Students can also canvass solutions for addressing critical management issues through a research-based social service management project.

The Programme is designed for those who are interested in social service management, or are preparing for greater management responsibilities in the social service sector. Those having an undergraduate degree in social science and experience in the social service sector will however have an apparent advantage in admission. I look forward to welcoming you as a valued member of the MASSM Programme.

Introduction

With the recent calls for greater accountability in the delivery of social services, and the increasing demands for higher service quality, agency administrators and professional practitioners are increasingly demanded to enhance their competence in managing their agencies efficiently and effectively. This need is particularly evident with the implementation of the Enhanced Productivity Programme and the Lump Sum Grant in the local social welfare sector and the rapid growth of the social work/social welfare sector in Mainland China. As a result, organizational management has become an important part of the core competences of social work administrators. They have to keep abreast of new knowledge and skills in organisational management to enable them provide better services to the public.

In view of these circumstances, the Department offers both one-year full-time and two-year part-time Master of Arts in Social Service Management (MASSM) Programmes to cater for the needs of the social service sector. The Programme intends to help students acquire a good knowledge base on social service management to supplement or complement their job competency.

Learning Outcomes

Upon completion of the Programme, students are expected to demonstrate a thorough understanding of:

1) The theoretical foundations and conceptual frameworks of social service management;

2) Professional knowledge and skills used in social welfare administration, for example, management theories, strategic planning, resource allocation, financial control, staffing, programme evaluation, and the use of information technology in social service management; and

3) The use of research and other scientific methods in addressing critical social service management issues.

Programme of Study

The Programme consists of 7 required courses and 1 elective course to be completed in either one (Full-time mode) or two academic years (Part-time mode) of study beginning in September. The courses are usually taught in the evenings.