Dr Sean Healy, Director of Social Justice Ireland, has launched a new MA in Social Justice and Public Policy at Waterford Institute of Technology.
In partnership with Social Justice Ireland, the School of Humanities at WIT is offering a new MA in Social Justice and Public Policy from September 2018.
Dr Healy, comments that "In a time of great social, cultural, and political flux in Irish life, this MA offers a well-recognised qualification which facilitates graduate’s personal and career development in Social Justice and Public Policy."
The programme participants, he says, will "develop a variety of practical skills from communications to strategic management to critical analysis, which can be applied in both work and voluntary settings. Students will learn with a range of lecturers, both academics and practitioners, using case studies from Irish and International contexts."
Paul Clogher, course leader and lecturer with WIT’s School of Humanities says the MA is particularly suitable for students seeking to promote a fairer society, including people from business, community, voluntary, social inclusion, environmental organisations, trade unions, public service and religious sectors.
"Drawing on research and teaching expertise in both the School of Humanities and Social Justice Ireland, the programme explores diverse areas such as social analysis and policy, human rights and theories of justice, and traditions of social justice," he says.
A two-year part-time programme, the MA seeks to engage meaningfully in social change towards a more just and inclusive society, focusing on influencing public policy. At the heart of the programme is a view of the profound and inalienable dignity of the human person, which is enhanced through meaningful participation in relationships and community, protected through recognition of human rights, and realised through opportunities to develop inclusive relationships. The programme seeks to form graduates with a belief that this vision of a more inclusive world and just society is possible.
The MA is delivered part-time over two years, normally over seventeen evening and all-day sessions and two block weeks over two years in a Dublin city centre location. "The programme runs in a convenient Dublin city centre location and allows participants to study and network with other students and professionals from a wide range of experiences and disciplines. It equally caters for a balance with work or other commitments. The MA is embedded in flexible self-directed learning with a contact time of approximately two days per month over 2 years," adds Dr Healy.
