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Studies & Degrees in Social Administration

Social administration is the study of how a society organises and delivers welfare. It looks at social policy, meaning the decisions governments take on health, housing, income support, education and care, and at the management of the public bodies, charities and community organisations that turn those decisions into services.

The name is older than most of the courses that teach it today. Many universities now use social policy, social work, public policy or social services management instead. The London School of Economics, for example, has a Department of Social Policy that dates from 1912, and one international subject ranking still uses the category Social Policy and Administration. A student looking for this subject should therefore search under several names.

What students learn

  • how social policies are designed, funded and evaluated
  • the welfare state and the roles of the public, private and voluntary sectors
  • management of social service organisations: budgets, staff, programmes and fundraising
  • community action, mediation and local development
  • research methods and the use of data to check whether a programme works
  • social work practice, in programmes that also qualify for that profession

Teaching usually mixes theory with case work. The Máster en Políticas Sociales y Acción Comunitaria of the Escola de l'IGOP in Barcelona, for example, covers social action, social policies, mediation, community development and urban planning, and is built around visits to real projects that students analyse as case studies.

Qualifications and levels

  • Associate degree. In the United States, two-year colleges offer the first two years of a bachelor's degree. Richard Bland College in Virginia is one example in the list.
  • Bachelor's degree. The subject is often a concentration inside a broader degree. Tennessee Tech University offers a BS in Sociology with a concentration in Social Work. In Europe a bachelor's degree has 180 or 240 ECTS credits, according to the European Commission.
  • Master's degree. This is the usual level for policy and management roles. A European master's degree normally has 90 or 120 ECTS credits. The master's at the Escola de l'IGOP is an official degree awarded by the Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona (UAB), run jointly with the universities of Girona, Lleida and Vic.
  • Doctorate. A PhD in social policy or social work leads to research and university teaching.
  • Short and online courses. Training providers offer continuing education for people already working in administration. These courses lead to a provider's certificate; ask the school what recognition the qualification has.

Where the degree also qualifies for social work, professional rules apply. In the United States, social work programmes are accredited by the Council on Social Work Education (CSWE), and social workers may need a state licence; the requirements vary by state, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS).

Where to study

SpainExchange lists 6 active schools for social administration: three in the United States, two in Spain and one in Greece.

  • The University of Chicago, a research university in the Hyde Park neighbourhood of Chicago.
  • Tennessee Tech University, a public university whose Department of Sociology and Political Science also prepares graduates for careers in social work and in state and local government.
  • Richard Bland College, a two-year college in Virginia.
  • The Escola de l'IGOP, the training school of the Institut de Govern i Polítiques Públiques of the UAB, which teaches its master's in Barcelona. Past students quoted by the school come from Colombia, Mexico, Chile, Ecuador, Uruguay, Brazil and Argentina as well as Catalonia.
  • AFIGE, an online business training institute in Spain with courses in tax, law, accounting, finance and employment administration.
  • Democritus University of Thrace in Greece, which has a Department of Social Policy and a Department of Social Work. A 2008 programme page of the university refers to a Department of Social Administration.

Programmes are taught in the language of the country. The IGOP school publishes its information in Spanish and Catalan, so applicants should ask in which language each module is taught.

Careers

Graduates work in local and national government, health and care services, charities, housing associations, international organisations and research institutes. Typical jobs are programme manager, policy analyst, community development worker and, with the right professional qualification, social worker.

The BLS describes social and community service managers as people who coordinate and supervise programmes and organisations that support public well-being. They typically need at least a bachelor's degree and work experience, and some positions require a master's degree. There were about 231,000 such jobs in the United States in 2025, and employment is projected to grow 7 percent from 2025 to 2035. Employment of social workers is projected to grow 6 percent over the same period.

Frequently asked questions

Is social administration the same as social work?

No. Social work is a profession that works directly with individuals and families. Social administration deals with the policies and organisations behind the services. Many programmes combine the two.

Which degree do I need to manage social services?

In the United States, social and community service managers typically need at least a bachelor's degree in social work or a related field, plus work experience; some positions require a master's degree, according to the BLS.

Why can I not find many courses called social administration?

Because most universities have renamed the subject. Search also for social policy, public policy, social work, community development and non-profit or social services management.

Can I study this subject in Spanish?

Yes. The Escola de l'IGOP in Barcelona offers an official master's degree in social policies and community action and presents it in Spanish and Catalan.