Social work PO

prof. PaedDr. Vladimír Labáth, PhD.

prof. PhDr. Ladislav Vaska, PhD. 

doc. PhDr. Peter Brnula, PhD., univ. prof.

doc. Mgr. Zuzana Fábry Lucká, PhD.

doc. PhDr. Martina Hrozenská, PhD.

doc. PhDr. Pavol Kopinec, PhD.

doc. Mgr. Martin Kuruc, PhD.

doc. PaedDr. Jana Lopúchová, PhD.

doc. PhDr. Branislav Malík, CSc.

doc. PhDr. Michaela Šavrnochová, PhD.

doc. Mgr. Zlatica Zacharová, PhD.

PhDr. Jana Budoš Vrťová, PhD.

Mgr. Katarína Čavojská, PhD.

PhDr. Martina Čierna, PhD.

JUDr. PhDr. Barbara Faktor Pavlíková, PhD.,

PhD. PaedDr. Eva Vancu, PhD.

Experts and practitioners in social work:

pplk. PhDr. Pavel Czirák, PhD.

PhDr. Ing. Helena Hrabková

PhDr. Lenka Kleskeň, PhD.

Mgr. Sabína Lužica Brédová PhD.

Mgr. Pavol Sabela

Study advisors:

Mgr. Katarína Čavojská, PhD., cavojskafedu.uniba.sk

Coordinator for foreign mobility and Erasmus+:     

Mgr. Katarína Čavojská, PhD. – for I. and II. degree, cavojskafedu.uniba.sk

Special educational needs coordinator for the study programme:  

doc. PhDr. Martina Hrozenská, PhD., martina.hrozenskauniba.sk

Social work is a scientific discipline characterised by its strong linkage to the practical application of knowledge and skills in helping professions. Theoretically, it is defined as an interdisciplinary system composed of authentic concepts of social work grounded in its more than century‑long tradition. Its knowledge base is co‑created by related disciplines, primarily sociology and psychology. Chapters from philosophy, pedagogy, and economics form the broader context necessary for understanding social phenomena and helping processes.

The bachelor’s level of education is complemented by foundations of statistics, demography, and research methodology. Legal disciplines, fundamentals of social policy, and the ethics of helping professions form an essential part of the preparation of qualified social workers and simultaneously establish the basic framework for the professional practice of social work. The core themes of the first cycle of higher education are primarily linked to social work as both an academic and a practice‑oriented discipline. The study plan is designed to enable students to demonstrate knowledge of the foundations of social work theory and practice within organizations of the public and non‑public sectors, and to show preparedness for performing social‑legal protection, counselling, assessment, prognostic activities, and other forms of social assistance. A bachelor’s graduate is able to analyse problems and propose forms and methods of social work aimed at eliminating or addressing a client’s situation, thereby contributing to an improved quality of life. The student possesses essential relevant knowledge from law, economics, psychology, sociology, philosophy, and related fields.

The graduate has knowledge of state social policy and its developmental trends, is capable of coordinating work with other professionals, and can effectively create networks of assistance for individual and group clients. The graduate possesses knowledge of social issues and is able to work creatively within the field, applying not only skills in gathering, interpreting, and processing professional literature, but also the ability to transfer theoretical knowledge into practice for the benefit of clients of various ages and social statuses.

To obtain the academic degree “Bc.”, students must earn at least 180 credits, of which at least 144 credits must be obtained from compulsory courses and a minimum of 36 credits from compulsory‑elective courses. During their studies, students complete mandatory practical training in social‑work institutions in the extent of 540 hours, distributed across three blocks over the three years of study.

The admission requirement for applicants to the bachelor’s study programme is the completion of full secondary education with a school‑leaving examination (maturita) and the fulfilment of the admission conditions set by the Faculty to ensure that applicants admitted to higher education possess the necessary knowledge, abilities, and prerequisites for successful completion of the programme.

Applicants for the bachelor’s study programme in the field of Social Work must:

1. have completed secondary education with a school‑leaving examination;

2. meet the formal admission requirements established by the Faculty for prospective students.

The selection of applicants is carried out on the basis of an oral entrance examination, with partial consideration also given to the results achieved during secondary education. In such cases, the entrance examination constitutes three‑quarters (¾) of the total admission score.

During the oral entrance examination, applicants are expected to demonstrate a general level of societal awareness and understanding of social developments and historical contexts relevant to the population. They should be able to identify basic social phenomena and processes and formulate their own perspective on them, as well as propose potential solutions suitable for a secondary‑school graduate.

Applicants should possess at least a conversational command of English (given the prevalence of English‑language academic literature), be motivated to engage in the various forms and methods of social work, and demonstrate interest and general awareness in the field of helping professions. They should also show potential for processing and evaluating information within the field of study and possess an adequate level of social competencies necessary both for university studies and for the potential performance of the social worker profession.

The expected number of admitted applicants is 40. In the event that the number of applicants exceeds the planned number of admissions for the given programme, the Faculty reserves the right to select applicants based on the average grades obtained in the school‑leaving examination (maturita). Applicants are admitted up to the predetermined number of available places.

Graduates of the professionally oriented bachelor’s study programme in Social Work will possess:

- theoretical knowledge in the theories, methods, and forms of social work; social policy; related legal disciplines; demography and statistics; and the fundamentals of philosophy, psychology, sociology, economics, social entrepreneurship, the methodology of social work, selected areas of pedagogy, and related fields — all of which they will be able to apply in social‑work practice;

- practical skills for working with individuals, groups, families, and communities through the use of relevant methods and techniques of social work (social prevention, social counselling, social rehabilitation, assessment of life situations, planning);

- the ability to plan, select, and use appropriate methodological procedures for professional intervention, to evaluate the effectiveness of support provided, and to design a simple research project aimed at identifying a specific problem in social work;

- practical skills for providing information and performing professional tasks related to sickness and pension benefits, state social support allowances, social services, child protection and social guardianship, assistance in material need, financial contributions for compensating severe disability, and employment services;

- soft skills essential for working with people, including empathy, active listening, effective professional communication, conflict resolution, trust‑building, teamwork, reinforcement of interdisciplinary and interprofessional cooperation, and flexibility in adapting to diverse life situations;

- digital and media literacy applicable in innovative forms of work with clients;

- project skills for the design and implementation of programmes and projects in the social sphere.

Throughout the programme, emphasis is placed on sensitivity and acceptance of diversity, cultural specificities and traditions, equal treatment, and the principles of non‑discrimination.

Thanks to their completed professional practice, graduates can find employment in the following areas:

- state administration and local government (departments of social affairs within regional and municipal authorities, child protection and social guardianship bodies, etc.);

- centres for children and families;

- social‑service facilities (homes for persons with disabilities, senior care facilities, safe houses for women, low‑threshold day centres, etc.);

- healthcare institutions, hospitals/clinics, hospices;

- non‑governmental and non‑profit organisations operating in the social field;

- community centres and charitable institutions; counselling and preventive services (e.g., addiction prevention, crime prevention, etc.);

- projects focused on social inclusion, employment development, and work with marginalised population groups.

List of practice facilities: 

• OZ Odyseus, Tomášikova 26, 821 01 Bratislava
• CDR ROAD, n.o., Tomky 664 ,908 79 Borský Svätý Jur
• Centrum sociálnych služieb prof. K. Matulaya pre deti a dospelých, Lipského 13, 841 01 Bratislava
• Centrum rodiny, n.o., Bazovského 6, 841 01 Bratislava
• Centrum sociálnych služieb Javorinská, Javorinská 7a, 811 03 Bratislava
• Centrum sociálnych služieb, Sibírka Sibírska 69, 831 02 Bratislava
• Centrum MEMORY, n.o. Mlynarovičova 2571/21, 851 03 Bratislava
• OZ Marginal, Mlynské luhy 3, 821 05 Bratislava
• OZ ICHTYS, Štefana Králika 1, 841 08 Bratislava
• KASPIAN, o.z., Furdekova 6/A, 851 03 Bratislava
• Detský fond SR, Stavbárska 38, 821 07 Bratislava
• Vstúpte, n.o. 1. mája 15, 901 01 Malacky
• Centrum pre deti a rodiny REPULS/Hlavné mesto SR BA Primaciálne nám.č.1, 814 99 Bratislava
• Depaul Slovensko, n.o. Kapitulská 308/18, 814 14 Bratislava
• RATA, o.z. Sadová 206, 900 41 Rovinka
• OZ Vagus, Račianska 78, 831 02 Bratislava
• DSS pre deti a dospelých INTEGRA, Tylova 21, 831 04 Bratislava
• Ulita, o.z., Kopčianska 76, 851 01 Bratislava
• Belasý motýľ, o.z. Mesačná 12, 821 02 Bratislava
• OZ STOPA, Slovensko Pražská 33, 811 04 Bratislava
• OHEL DAVID, Svoradova 11, 811 03 Bratislava
• Centrum pre deti a rodiny Pezinok, Nová ul. Č. 9, 902 03 Pezinok
• OZ Čisté srdce, Komenského 839, 908 73 Veľké Leváre
• Mládež ulice, o.z., Cyprichova 22, 831 54 Bratislava
• OZ Prima, Hviezdoslavovo nám. 17, 811 01 Bratislava
• Mosty integrácie, Petöfiho 8 , 821 06 Bratislava
• Slovenská komora sociálnych pracovníkov a asistentov sociálnej práce, Furdekova 16, 851 04 Bratislava
• DSS Prima, n.o., Panšelova 4, 821 04 Bratislava
• Stredisko evanjelickej diakonie, Partizánska 2, 811 03 Bratislava
• OZ Krídla, Mýtna 5, 811 07 Bratislava
• Ministerstvo obrany SR, Námestie Generála Viesta 2, 832 47 Bratislava
• Domov seniorov ARCHA, Rozvodná 25, 831 01 Bratislava
• TENENET, o.z., Oravská 4, 903 01 Senec
• OZ Brána do života, Medveďovej 2, 851 04 Bratislava
• PNPP Pezinok, Malacká cesta 63, 902 01 Pezinok
• CDR RETEST, Ľadová 11, 811 05 Bratislava
• DSS ANDREAS, n.o. Galandova 7, 811 06 Bratislava
• CASA Slovensko, n.o., Heydukova 14, 811 08 Bratislava
• Človek v ohrození, n.o. Baštova 5, 811 03 Bratislava
• Diagnostické centrum, Slovinská 1, 821 04 Bratislava
• DSS Rozsutec, Furmanská 4, 841 03 Bratislava
• VUDPaP, Cyprichova 42, 831 05 Bratislava
• ZSS Pod hradom č.19, 906 36 Plavecké Podhradie
• ZSS ROSA, Dúbravská cesta 1, 841 04 Bratislava
• ZpS Domov pri kríži, Pri kríži 26, 841 02 Bratislava
• NÁVRAT, o.z., Pluhova 1, 831 03 Bratislava
• Senior centrum Staré mesto, Palárikova 24, 811 04 Bratislava
• Iniciatíva Inakosť, o.z. , Zahradnícka 1, 811 07 Bratislava
• Diagostické centrum Záhorská Bystrica, Trstínska 2, 841 06 Bratislava
• Reedukačné centrum, Školská 3, 906 37 Sološnica
• PRIMULA- stredisko sociálnych služieb, Nákovná 44, 821 06 Bratislava
• Mestský úrad Pezinok, OSV, Radničné nám. 7, 902 14 Pezinok
• Diaconia, n.o., Svätý Jur, Felcánova 25, 900 21 Svätý Jur

The Department of Social Work has also concluded bilateral agreements with partner foreign universities, mainly within Erasmus+:  

• College of Polytechnics Jihlava, CZ JIHLAVA02, Czechia
• University of Hradec Králové, CZ HRADEC0,1 Czechia
• University of J. E. Purkyně in Ústí nad Labem, CZ USTINAD01, Czechia
• University of Ostrava, CZ OSTRAVA02, Czechia
• University of South Bohemia in České Budějovice, CZ CESKE01, Czechia
• Diaconia University of Applied Sciences, SF HELSINK19, Finland
• Vytautas Magnus University, LT KAUNAS01 Lithuania
• Mykolas Romeris University, LT VILNIUS06, Lithuania
• Miguel Torga Institute, P COIMBRA05, Portugal
• University of Gothenburg, S GOTEBOR01, Sweden
• Pedagogical University of Cracow, PL KRAKOW05, Poland

Negotiations are currently underway on concluding an agreement with the Department of Social Work at the Faculty of Arts of Charles University in Prague.

• Vaska_VTC_EN.pdf
• Vaska_VUPCH_EN.pdf
• Kopinec_VTC_SK.pdf
• Kopinec_VUPCH_SK.pdf
• Savrnochova_VTC_EN.pdf
• Savrnochova_VUPCH_EN.pdf
• vskDokument-Hrozenska_VTC_EN.pdf
• vskDokument-Hrozenska_VUPCH_EN.pdf
• Brnula_VTC_SK.pdf
• Brnula_VUPCH_SK.pdf