This unique programme is aimed at international and UK students with an interest in international social work, community development, and comparative social policy. The programme examines advanced knowledge about the theory and practice of social work and community development in an international context. You will be encouraged to develop a critical understanding of global social issues (such as social exclusion, poverty, environmental degradation, and disasters) and relate this knowledge to developments in their own country. You will be equipped with the skills to engage in research and to apply research findings effectively in practice. The programme includes a two-week field-based learning opportunity in a social work or community work agency. The dissertation provides space for you to carry out research on an aspect of social or community work in the UK. Core teaching on the programme falls primarily within the first two 10 week terms. The programme is taught according to a variety of approaches, including lectures, seminars, Field-based Learning, independent learning and empirical research/ dissertation. Lectures enable staff to present research-led, scholarly material, both generic and subject-specific, to introduce the main debates within each topic and to situate arguments within the wider literature. They introduce the subject at both a conceptual and a practical level. Seminars furnish opportunities for both staff and students to explore issues arising from lectures and from independent learning and to pursue them in more depth and in greater detail. Independent learning allows students to acquire subject-specific and generic knowledge by reading contemporary and historical debates in the topic; and by developing a critical awareness appropriate to advanced study. The dissertation provides students with the opportunity to plan, design, carry out and present a piece of research.