Programme objectives
Our goal is to turn our students into qualified analyst in comparative Social Policy.
After completing IMPALLA, you will
- master the best approaches and research methodologies
- be sensitive to the determinants and disfunctional effects of social action and public policies
- be able to apply your skills in evaluating social schemes and programmes
- have learned to present and communicate the results of your personal research
What IMPALLA does to get you there
During the programme, you will be provided with
- solid theoretical foundation in comparative socio-economic policies, at the European level and beyond
- thorough training in advanced research methodology
- well-grounded expertise in policy evaluation, while developing the corresponding technical skills
The IMPALLA academic approach
You will be introduced to contemporary social and welfare state theories which aim at explaining societal change. By stimulating an interactive learning process - emphasizing an applied approach - you will learn to define and formulate research questions, social problems and policy issues. You also will acquire a thorough understanding of the rationale and range of various research methods, as well as solid knowledge on the handling of empirical data. Consequently, you will be able to make your own choices in dealing with social policy issues and you will be able to present your choices in a critical and reflexive way.
The dissertation and the seminar are at the core of the IMPALLA educational project. The dissertation is an opportunity for students to apply what they learnt in the courses and the seminars into their own research project on a social policy related issue with the use of real data.
The programme offers its participants many opportunities to get or to stay in touch with the «outside» world through conferences, social activities, academic and cultural events, as well as visits to European institutions and centres.