“We are here to make social impact!” is your reason to choose HKU Master of Social Sciences (Social Service Management). Our program inspires you to create community-led innovation, rethink service users’ needs with client-centered approach and brainstorm any new development directions local social services could have.

 Getting yourself ready for tackling today’s and tomorrow’s social needs and challenges, let’s apply our program now!

Introduction: Why Choose This Programme?

This course is ideal for those looking to advance their careers in the social services sector. The rapidly changing socioeconomic environment calls for the development and application of new solutions and technologies. According to the Social Welfare Department, HKSAR, there are close to 170 local NGOs currently receiving a regular funding subvention from the government as of 2020, totalling in excess of HK$18.4 billion [1] annually. This is a growing sector. The MSocSc (SSM) Programme has close ties to Hong Kong’s social services and will prepare graduates for fast-track development towards meeting the demand for middle to senior-level managers, as well as fostering the skills for social innovation needed to combat social challenges of the 21st century.

[1] Retrieved from “NGOs’ Annual Financial Reports and Review Reports on Remuneration Packages for Staff in the Top Three Tiers”, 2020 Social Welfare Department , HKSAR https://www.swd.gov.hk/en/index/site_ngo/page_AFRandRR/

  • SSM 2023
Frances Law

Director's Message

In the social service sector, good management is crucial to ensuring the quality and efficiency of service delivery to the public. The multifaceted aspects of management include corporate governance, strategic planning, human and financial resources, leadership, the use of information technology, risk and change management, and, more recently, sustainability and impact assessment. Social service management differs from business management in having a social dimension that emphasises social values rather than profit-making. Yet, performance-driven management and demand-led marketisation are of increasing concern in the social service sector, which make the management process in this sector increasingly complex and challenging.

In the Hong Kong context, the lump sum grant subvention system, service contract system, competitive funding environment, recent expansions in children, youth and elderly services, cross-sectoral partnership and collaboration, high turnover of middle- to top-level management, and the recent social distancing of COVID-19, all pose both challenges and opportunities for social service leaders, with multiple directions being explored in addition to finding ways to improve existing service delivery systems.

The programme of MSocSc in SSM (MSSM) looks for students with strong potential and ambition for career advancement in the social service field. It provides them with a collaborative learning environment that exposes them to a variety of managerial issues and challenges and empowers them with knowledge and executive leadership training to drive impactful social change and development.

Prof. Frances Law
PhD, MSW, BSocSc, RSW
Associate Professor

Opportunities and challenges

  • Expansion in social service sector, e.g. school, early childhood education, parenting, online youth services, and elderly services; innovative projects funded by private donors, etc.
  • Emerging new solutions and social innovations which might help resolve old social problems;
  • Rapid changing socio-economic environment and application of new technologies.

Significance to MSocSc(SSM) Programme

  • We anticipate increasing demand for familiarity with the organisations working in the sector and greater availability of good sources of quality and relevant experience .
  • There is substantial demand for training offered on a part-time basis to local middle- to senior-level managers.

Objectives

The social service sector demands managerial staff who embody management knowledge in a host of areas, including human resources, finance, fundraising, marketing, organisational management, strategic management, social policy and administration, research and evaluation, and the use of information technology in service delivery, to name just a few. The MSSM programme prepares social service managers to meet the challenges that human service organisations face today and will face in the future.

Course Content

The social service sector demands managerial staff who embody management knowledge in a host of areas, including human resources, finance, fundraising, marketing, organisational management, strategic management, social policy and administration, research and evaluation, and the use of information technology. The MSSM programme prepares social service managers to meet the challenges that human service organisations face today and face in the future. In addition to the following highlighted compulsory courses, students are offered elective courses from a range of related disciplines.

Complulsory Courses

  1. Theoretical foundation of human service practice
    The knowledge base of human service practice comes from a wide spectrum of social science disciplines, including psychology, sociology, and political science. This course provides a philosophical and conceptual basis for analysing social problems and issues and translating theoretical constructs into human service practice.

  2. Organisational analysis and strategic organisational management
    The aim of this course is to equip the managers of human service organisations with the strategic management knowledge they need to deal with the challenges arising from today’s rapidly changing public and social service scene. The course topics may include strategic planning, quality management, risk management, change management, and business process re-engineering, amongst others.

  3. Current social welfare policy issues
    This course provides a framework of analysing and formulating social policy in the current social, political and economic environment. Current social welfare policy issues including social welfare planning mechanisms, welfare blue print, strategic framework for social welfare, district planning, and other relevant issues will be examined.

Elective Courses

  1. Fundraising and resource development: Effective strategies and practice
    Securing funds for social services has become increasingly competitive, with NGOs seeking to diversify their sources of funding to reduce their reliance on any single income source. Raising funds and writing proposals have become regular activities for NGOs. This course covers such topics as concepts of philanthropy, understanding giving behaviour (including annual giving and capital giving), the cost-effectiveness of various fundraising activities, the use of volunteers, building prospect relationships, stewardship (accountability and reporting), the ethical issues of fundraising, making a business case for new initiatives, obtaining grants, and project support.

  2. Marketing strategies and applications for social service organisations
    As social welfare organisations increasingly adopt the business model of practice, it is becoming increasingly important that they promote their relationship and communication with ‘customers’ or service users effectively by marketing their ‘products’ and improving community relations. This course provides students with basic marketing and community relations techniques, with special emphasis on the social service sector.

  3. Information and communication technology for human service organisations
    Information and communication technology is now indispensable machinery for any organisation. This course examines the utilisation of information technology and computers in social service agencies. The major areas of study include (1) a review of the trends in computerised information use in human service agencies; (2) an exploration of frequently used software in human services; and (3) the ethics of using information technology and computers in human services.

  4. Corporate governance and leadership for future leaders in social servic
    This course introduces concepts, system and practice of corporate governance for better understanding of social service organisation receiving public funding. It emphasises, under this system, particularly on the leadership of the board and senior management/social work professionals for effective service and achievement of the mission of the organisation. It takes reference to real-life cases and issues. It stimulates the development of a framework to understand the perspectives of different stakeholders and for ongoing application and developing effective interventions.

Course Outcomes

After completion of this two-year part-time intensive programme, students are expected to exhibit the following highly-regarded skills and competencies:

  • Critical inquiry capabilities and the up-to-date knowledge and research skills needed in the management of social service organisations
  • Competency to apply social service management knowledge and research skills to practice or theoretical exploration, demonstrating originality and creativity
  • Ability to tackle novel situations and ill-defined problems that may arise in the provision of social services.
  • Collaboration and communication skills needed to convey social service management knowledge to social service specialists and the general public
  • Awareness of and adherence to personal and social service professional ethics
  • Enhanced leadership and advocacy skills for use in social services and social policy