Reflections of Changes in Higher Education in Israel: The Case of Social Work Departments

Abstract

This study focuses on the profiles of students of social work and examines whether different profiles of students can be identified in various social work programs in Israel's institutions of higher education (Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Haifa University, Tel Aviv University and the College of Judea and Samaria). The article discusses the students' profiles in view of the unique practical nature of social work programs and their place in the higher education system. The study also examines whether students' profiles point to a system of higher education of a binary nature in which distinct programs and curricula cater to distinct target groups, or whether student profiles reflect a monistic system in which all social work programs are similar.