Professional opportunities

Professional Functions
Graduates of the Master’s Degree in Design, Management and Evaluation of Social Services (ProSS) are equipped to design social work interventions—both generalist and specialized—in collaboration with networks that include public administrators, social workers, educators, justice system professionals, and other practitioners engaged in social reintegration, as well as with healthcare professionals and administrators involved in socio-health support services.
They are qualified to lead and coordinate social services aimed at both individual and group support, working alongside professional social workers, social service providers, educators, physicians, and psychologists.
ProSS graduates also carry out supervisory functions over practicing social workers and evaluate specialized social interventions in collaboration with public administrators and service operators, including social workers, educators, social professionals, doctors, and psychologists.
Key Competencies

  • Needs Analysis and Service Design: Ability to analyze local social demands in relation to user needs and to design corresponding services.
  • Organizational Planning and Management: Competence in managing complex organizational contexts and engaging team members to enhance their skills and aptitudes.
  • Change Management: Ability to develop and implement organizational change initiatives aimed at improving service adequacy and effectiveness.
  • Supervision and Evaluation: Capacity to lead supervision teams and to assess internal and external evaluation processes, focusing on the quality and effectiveness of social interventions.

Employment Opportunities
The primary professional role of ProSS graduates is that of Senior Social Worker (Register A), which requires passing the State Examination for enrollment in the corresponding national register.
Main employment sectors include:

  1. Public Administration – particularly in the Social Services departments of municipalities and regional authorities.
    These contexts often suffer from excessive bureaucratization, highlighting the need for a significant increase in specialized professional competencies.
  2. Third Sector and Social Enterprises –
    This domain is still marked by relatively informal organizational practices, which would greatly benefit from a structured professionalization process led by specialized social workers.
  3. Independent Practice (Freelance Social Work) –
    A newly emerging field in Italy, this area has potential for substantial growth. It is paving the way for a new professional figure: a social worker with high levels of autonomy and professional credibility, similar to the role already well-established in the United States.

Transition to the Workforce
Multiple studies—including research led by the University of Milano-Bicocca in collaboration with a national consortium of Italian universities—show that a significant proportion of ProSS students begin working even before completing their degree. Others deliberately delay enrollment in the Master’s program to gain practical experience in the field, enhancing their self-awareness and professional readiness.
As a result, many students enter the Master’s program with a solid foundation of technical skills and professional experience, which enriches both their academic path and their future career prospects.