The Graduate Program in Social Work and Social Policy at the State University of Londrina has offered the master’s degree since 2001 and the PhD 2011 and it is the first public program in Social Work in Paraná.

Throughout the years, it has welcomed students from all over the country, establishing itself and playing an important role in training professionals and in preparing future higher education professors and researchers in the area of Social Work and related fields. The two Research Themes offered – (1) Social Policy and Management and (2) Social Work and Labour Studies – foster the development of numerous studies that have contributed in different ways to the investigation of regional and national particularities. With strong connections with the undergraduate course, the Graduate Program in Social Work and Social Policy promotes integrated activities of teaching, research, and extension, which involve the academic community, professionals, and society through research and extension groups led by the faculty.

The program has spared no efforts in order to foster collaboration with other national and international researchers, establishing research networks and collaborative agreements that promote the development of partnerships and joint projects. Additionally, the program is responsible for the biennial edition of the ‘International Conference on Social Work and Social Policy’ in partnership with the Department of Geography and the Graduate Program in Law. It is also responsible for editing the journal ‘Serviço Social em Revista’. Recently, the program has established the Affirmative Action Policy for Graduate Studies, contributing to the efforts of several Brazilian Universities for the democratization of and equity in higher education.