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Why are some societies more unequal than others? How can we explain high levels of unemployment and soaring budget deficits? Why do women participate in the labour market in some countries, but largely stay at home in others? Why do health care and other public services differ in their quality across developed societies? The answers to these questions are all related to the welfare state.
The development of the modern welfare state has profoundly transformed societies in the 20th century. In the Western World, it has laid the foundation for peace and stability and helped to establish fundamental principles such as gender equality and social mobility. More recently, Asian and Latin American countries have embraced the concept and developed ambitious welfare state programmes.
Hence, all over the world welfare states fundamentally shape the functioning of societies. At the same time, they are subject to intense political conflict and exposed to multiple pressures for change. Understanding the roots of the modern welfare state as well as its effects and main challenges therefore is essential in learning about the future of societies. This is the knowledge we provide our students with.
Career Opportunities
The MSc in Social Sciences in Comparative Public Policy and Welfare Studies provides the skills and knowledge to pursue various careers in the area of public policy analysis, advice and development.
These include job in:
* International organizations, such as the United Nations, the World Bank, the European Union, the International Labour Organisation, the OECD and the Nordic Council of Ministers.
* INGOs and NGOs that are active in the social policy area, such as the fight against poverty, active inclusion and anti-discrimination.
* International and national interest organisations, including trade unions and business organizations.
* International and national consultancy companies and statistical agencies.
* National, regional and local ministries, departments and institutions dealing with labour market and social policy.
The two-year MSc in Social Sciences in Comparative Public Policy and Welfare Studies is linked directly with current global and national challenges, such as ageing populations, changing family models, and economic crises. It provides you with a high level of skills and competences that will enable you to contribute to the development of sustainable and democratically legitimate solutions to such challenges. You will be an attractive candidate to multiple international and national agencies as well as to governments. You will be involved in developing policy analysis and in devising policy solutions to attempt to achieve economic equity together with social justice.
Structure of the MSc in Social Sciences in Comparative Public Policy and Welfare Studies
The Master programme is made up of four semesters over a two-year period. The mandatory first semester courses provides you with an overview of the development, challenges and possible solutions for public policy and welfare studies. The second semester goes more in-depth with the three basic pillars of the education, namely public administration, the welfare state and the labour markets, as well as comparative methodology and data. During the third semester you will receive more specialised training in methods, as well as in analysis of policies and politics. Furthermore, you may be able to participate in an on-going research project or have a semester abroad. During the fourth and final semester, you will write your independent Master thesis, where you can choose to focus analytically on a topic of your interest.
Track-wise Progression of Masters
The track-wise progression of the Masters is illustrated in the figure above. The programme is organized in three tracks, which are crafting analysis, comparative policy and comparative politics. The first track, crafting analysis, focuses on research design, as well as a critical analysis of the advantages and disadvantages of different types of methodological choices. It also enables you to apply different methods and to use different sources and types of data.
The second track, comparative policy, focuses on public policy and public administration, providing an overview of the state-of-the-art in the first semester and a more focused analytical focus during the second semester. The third track, comparative politics, deals with the politics of public policy and welfare, providing a broad overview of the topic in the first semester and a more in-depth analysis of selected political issues of public policy and welfare studies in the second semester. During the third semester, you will specialise further in various topics through applied research.
International students have the following scholarships options:
Please also check the information at the two official Danish educational websites:
Please notice that we unfortunately do not offer scholarships for undergraduate students.
Options for full-degree graduate students:
Danish Government Scholarship Ministry of Science, Innovation and Higher EducationThe Danish Ministry of Science, Innovation and Higher Education has launched a scholarship programme for students from non-EU/EEA countries studying a full degree at graduate level. Scholarships and tuition fee waivers are available for highly talented students who have been admitted to a range of programmes.
The Danish Ministry of Science, Innovation and Higher Education has launched a scholarship programme for students from non-EU/EEA countries studying a full degree at graduate level. Scholarships and tuition fee waivers are available for highly talented students who have been admitted to a range of programmes.
The board of the University of Southern Denmark decides from year to year which study programmes will benefit from the scholarships and the University will recommend the most qualified applicants in these programmes for a scholarship. Therefore it is not possible to apply for this scholarship. If you are a non-EU student and applying for a programme which offers this scholarship you will automatically be considered for it.
BHJ Scholarship
Only available for students applying for a master programme at our Sønderborg Campus
Six one-year scholarships are issued pr. year: three for studies within the technical field i.e. Mechatronics and Innovation & Business respectively, and three are for studies within the field of business administration i.e. Business Relationship Management.
A scholarship of DKK 40.000 may be granted if and when the requirements are met. It is paid in two instalments of DKK 20.000 per semester. The scholarship grant depends on acceptance and enrolment as a full-time student in one of the above mentioned programmes.
For more information please visit BHJ Foundation Page
20 scholarships for MSc in Engineering
Options for Exchange and Guest Students:
Danish Government Scholarship for Foreign Nationals (the Cultural Agreements) Danish Government Scholarships for Foreign Nationals
The scholarship helps cover living expenses.
Iki Wakabayashi Foundation (A scholarship which can be applied by all SDU students who are leaving for a period of exchange or internship in Japan - or similar for a Japanese student being enrolled at SDU)
Accreditation
This programme is accredited by ACE Denmark
The quality and relevance of the programme are accredited by the Danish Accreditation Institution
