There are no specific prerequisites required to enroll in the course.

The course aims to develop the following qualities, skills, and competencies: 1)¿Information management skills. 2)¿Critical thinking. 3)¿Ethical commitment. 4)¿Organizational and planning abilities. 5)¿Teamwork within an interdisciplinary context. 6)¿Skills useful for identifying and measuring factors of social vulnerability and conflictive processes. 7)¿Ability to contribute to the design of public policies aimed at addressing social problems.

TOPIC 1: INTRODUCTION: CONCEPTUALIZING SOCIAL POLICY AND WELL-BEING What is social policy?: objectives, criteria, scope, and limitations. Discussion of key concepts related to social policy and well-being. TOPIC 2: BACKGROUND AND HISTORICAL DEVELOPMENT OF THE WELFARE STATE Origins and historical development of the Welfare State: concepts, approaches, phases, and models. Changes in the social structure: threats and challenges to the Welfare State. TOPIC 3: SOCIAL POLICIES IN SPAIN Evolution and development of social policies and the Welfare State in Spain. Old and new policies. Sectoral and cross-cutting policies: scope and limitations. Social policies in recent decades. Territorial decentralization of social policies. The actors involved in the development of public policies. TOPIC 4: EMPLOYMENT POLICIES AND INCOME MAINTENANCE Social policy, labor market and employment, the public pension and benefit system, and income guarantee policies. TOPIC 5: HEALTHCARE AND SOCIAL SERVICES POLICIES The national health system in Spain and its development. Social and welfare services in the Spanish system. The Dependency Law. TOPIC 6: EDUCATION AND HOUSING POLICIES The educational system in Spain: development and legislative changes. The system for providing and accessing housing in Spain. TOPIC 7: OTHER POLICIES FOR SOCIAL INCLUSION AND RIGHTS EXPANSION New approaches based on cross-cutting principles: equal opportunity, work-life balance, anti-discrimination, immigration¿ Governance and networking in the field of social policy and the fight against poverty and exclusion. Territorial and participatory policies: levels and actors. Participatory budgeting and community planning. Work-life balance and family policies. Basic Income Guarantee. TOPIC 8: SOCIAL POLICY IN THE EUROPEAN UNION The Europeanization process and the multilevel system of social protection in Europe: supranational, national, and subnational levels. European guidelines and recommendations in social policy. The Lisbon Strategy and the Europe 2020 Strategy.

The course is structured in two distinct modules of three ECTS credits each. One module is devoted to theoretical content, while the other is centered on a series of applied practical exercises. The theoretical component will be delivered through in-person, participatory lectures, supported by didactic resources that enhance comprehension and engagement. The practical component will be conducted in classroom settings following the completion of each thematic unit. These sessions will involve the use of diverse materials, including selected core readings from the course bibliography, press articles, legal documents, documentaries, and relevant audiovisual media.