香港理工大学

Programme Aims & Learning Outcomes

This programme has two main aims. First, to educate students to become effective, efficient and caring social policy practitioners who are responsible for analysing, formulating and implementing social policies to increase social well-being. Second, the programme nurtures students who are dedicated to becoming competent, innovative and ethical social entrepreneurs capable of turning social problems into opportunities. Students are also expected to develop informational literacy, critical thinking and problem-solving skills, and to uphold core social values. The programme also enables students to acquire the knowledge and skills necessary for lifelong learning.

Students are expected to demonstrate knowledge and skills in social policy analysis and social enterprise operation. They are also expected to develop social empathy, a moral sensibility, critical capacities and a sustained interest in understanding the major issues and challenges faced by social policy practitioners and social entrepreneurs.

Programme Characteristics

This programme is designed to integrate theory and practice. The curriculum is heavily geared towards meeting the growing demand for trained professionals and practitioners in the fields of social policy and social enterprise. Students are equipped not only with the theoretical knowledge they require, but also with real-life exposure to work in a wide range of organisations that focus on labour and welfare issues, health care and housing needs, advocacy and cultural and environmental protection, through specially designed professional attachments. They learn to balance and resolve competing values, such as bureaucratic versus human concerns and private profit-making versus public good and well-being.

In addition, overseas placement opportunities, exchange experiences and study tours are available for high-achieving students.

Curriculum

The programme is divided into two streams:

• Social Policy, and
• Social Entrepreneurship and Administration.

Students can choose to specialise in either stream for intensive learning or to study subjects in both streams. The stream of social policy focuses on areas such as housing, welfare, civil society governance, labour, environment, social diversity and social research, to increase students' understanding of specific policy concerns and issues. The stream of social entrepreneurship and administration focuses on areas such as social entrepreneurship, creating innovative ideas, social capital development, corporate social responsibility, programme planning and evaluation, marketing and financial management, to enhance students’ skills and abilities in the field of social entrepreneurship.

The curriculum is further divided into the following five categories:

• Common Foundation (including University broad discipline and service-learning requirements)
• Common and Professional Cores
• Stream and Social Sciences Electives
• Integrative Subjects (including professional attachment and workshops as well as a Capstone Project)
• Chinese and English Language Requirements

Career Prospects

The demand for professional personnel with strong backgrounds in policy and social enterprise is increasing. Graduates can occupy mid-level administrative and managerial posts in various public, quasi-public and non-government organisations, including think-tanks, NGOs, government departments, social enterprises and other human service organisations. They are also well prepared for posts in human resources management, marketing and decision support.