Frequently Asked Questions

Do you have a question for us? You can find your answer among the most frequently asked questions!

General information about the faculty and its study programmes (whether public, accredited, difference between Psychosocial Support, Psychosocial Counselling and Psychotherapeutic Propaedeutics, etc.)

SASS is a private faculty and does not belong to any university. It is an independent higher education institution with a concession for the study programs Social Management (BA), Intercultural Management (MA), and Media and Journalism (BA and MA).

After successfully completing the Bachelor’s degree in Psychosocial Support, you obtain the professional title of Graduate in Psychosocial Support. After successfully completing the Psychosocial Counselling study program, you obtain the professional title of Master of Psychosocial Counselling.

With these professional titles, you can practice the profession of psychosocial counsellor, which is registered in the Standard Classification of Occupations under the serial number 2635. After obtaining one of the above-described titles, you can also take the professional exam for social care professionals, which will enable you to practice this profession in the public sector.

You cannot pursue the profession of psychotherapist with the professional titles of Graduate of Psychosocial Assistance and Master of Psychosocial Counselling. At the moment, this type of profession is not even included in the Standard Classification of Occupations.

Psychotherapy and psychosocial counselling are conversational forms of providing help to fellow human beings in various areas of life.

The European Association for Counselling (EAC) describes it as a process of addressing and solving specific problems, making decisions, coping with crises, improving relationships, developmental problems, promoting and developing self-awareness, working with emotions, thoughts and perceptions, internal and external conflicts.

The overall goal of counselling is to offer the client the opportunity to strive in their own way to live more imaginatively and satisfactorily as an individual and a member of wider society (EAC, 2013).

The European Association for Psychotherapy (EAP) describes psychotherapy as helping a fellow human being with psychological and psychosomatic disorders. This narrow definition also derives from the so-called second wave of development of psychotherapy, which brought human suffering and pathology to the fore.

Today, the scientific, professional and lay public is recognizing more and more similarities between one discipline and another. In both cases, there is a growing emphasis on helping to find internal resources, with the help of which he or she can live a better and more satisfied life.

The differences between the two disciplines are therefore mostly created artificially and, in most cases, it is difficult to withstand professional critical judgment. In most cases, the depth of treatment is at the forefront of the comparison, with psychotherapeutic treatment being deeper. However, so-called rapid approaches have also been present in psychotherapy for a long time, addressing only symptoms, obvious behaviours and cognitions rather than deeper dimensions.

Within the master’s program Psychosocial Counselling, we are being trained to perform this profession according to the cognitive-behavioural approach. The cognitive-behavioural approach, rooted in Buddhist psychology and Stoic philosophy, combines classical second wave approaches (cognitive-behavioural approach, rational emotional behavioural approach) and newer third wave approaches (acceptance and commitment approach, dialectical behavioural approach, recovery-based, mindfulness-based cognitive approach etc.), humanistic approach and positive psychology.

All programs at SASS are accredited and after completing their studies, the candidate obtains a publicly valid document and thus proof of the level of education achieved in Slovenia and the EU.

The list of accredited study programs can be checked on the website of the Slovenian Quality Assurance Agency for Higher Education (SQAAHE).

The policies are published in Moodle and on the website.

Forms are published in Moodle under “Study Forms”.

Enrolment and student status

Differential exams are assigned to candidates from an unrelated field of the program in which they want to enroll. All information about differential exams can be found here.

Differential exams must be taken before enrolling in the master’s program.

For enrollment in undergraduate studies, differential exams can be taken until enrollment in a higher year.

The candidate fills in the form “Citizen’s application” and sends it to the faculty’s Student Office, together with the relevant evidence of completed previous education. You can read more about this at the link.

Enrollment as a citizen is possible at any time during the year.

Full-time and part-time students have exactly the same rights deriving from the student status.

If the candidate does not meet the conditions for promotion to a higher year, he becomes a pauser and loses the status of a student. As a pauser, he can perform all obligations, but they are payable.

Yes. You are a student of the faculty until you graduate or withdraw from the study. If a student wants to leave the faculty, he/she must fill in the statement and send it to the faculty’s Student Office. The “withdrawal” form is available in Moodle, but it can also be requested at referat@fuds.si.

When the status is about to expire, it can be extended. Student status is extended only in the case of justified reasons, such as motherhood, prolonged illness, exceptional family and social circumstances, participation in top professional, cultural and sports events, active participation in university bodies. The competent commission decides on the extension of the status. The status can be extended for a maximum of one year.

The student can repeat a study year only once during the study.

Yes, you can. Employment does not affect the possibility of enrolment in full-time studies. Schedules at our faculty are also tailored to those who are employed.

No, enrolment is not possible during the academic year. However, it is possible to be involved in the study process as a citizen.

Enrollment in the next study year takes place every academic year from August to 30th September. Detailed information and instructions are published on the website and in online classrooms (Moodle) since July.

The Commission for Study and Student Affairs decides on the acquisition of the student’s status with special status in accordance with the Rules on Students with a special status. An “application for student status with special status” is submitted to Moodle.

A student may repeat a year only once during his/her studies, and the senior year cannot be repeated, as an absolvent stage is planned after the last year. The student sends the request for repetition to referat@fuds.si. The Students Office then checks if the student has already used the possibilities: once during the study, he repeated the year or changed the study program or course due to non-fulfilment of obligations in the previous course or study program.

The year can be repeated if the student has not achieved enough credit points to advance to a higher year (even if he has not passed a single exam).

A part-time student may switch to full-time study during his / her studies, usually after the 1st year of study.

The Dean decides on the application for transfer on the proposal of the Commission for Study and Student Affairs on the basis of the average grade of the candidate and the number of vacancies for each year of full-time study. If there are more applications than the available enrolment places, the commission makes a selection based on the average grade of the study and the completed study obligations of the students.

A student who has already exercised the right to full-time enrollment or regular and re-enrollment twice no longer has the right to enroll in the regular mode of study.

A full-time student may decide to transfer to part-time study at any time during his /her studies. The student enrols in the year for which he meets the conditions for enrollment.

The subject holder decides on the recognition of compulsory subjects based on the original certificate of passed exams and the confirmed curriculum of the subject, which must be submitted to the Faculty’s Student Office or directly to the subject holder together with the Request for Recognition form.

The Commission for Study and Student Affairs decides on the recognition of elective subjects.

After the end of the senior year, the student can enrol in the absolvent stage if he/she did not repeat the year during the study or previously transferred from another faculty.

The absolvent stage can be used once at the undergraduate level and once at the postgraduate level.

The condition for advancing to the 2nd year of the undergraduate study programs is 45 ECTS. The condition for advancing in the 3rd year is the fulfilment of all obligations from the 1st year and 45 ECTS from the 2nd year. Advancement to a higher year without fulfilling the conditions is possible upon reaching at least 30 ECTS and submitting the student’s application (valid reasons, attach evidence), which is considered by the Commission for Student and Academic Affairs and decides on the conditional advancement. To advance to a higher year, candidates must also have passed all differential exams.

The condition for advancement to the 2nd year in Master’s study programs is 45 ECTS. Advancement to the 2nd year without fulfilling the conditions is possible upon reaching at least 30 ECTS and submitting the student’s application (valid reasons, attach evidence), which is considered by the Commission for Student and Academic Affairs and decides on the conditional advancement.

Progress to 2nd year

To be able to advance from the first to the second year of the postgraduate study program Sociology, a student must obtain at least 30 ECTS from the first year, submit the dissertation topic application, that is approved by the Commission for Scientific Research Work and submit the disposition of the doctoral dissertation, which is proven with the signature of the supervisor.

Progress to 3rd year

Conditions to progress from the second to the third year are to complete all obligations of the first year in the range of 60 ECTS and complete individual work of the second year in the range of 60 ECTS. Completed obligations of the second year are determined on the basis of the filled-out form EVALUATION OF THE INDIVIDUAL WORK OF THE PHD STUDENT (OBR- 020 Ocena individualnega dela doktoranda), prepared for an individual student by his mentor (we ask you to remind the mentor YOURSELF to send the filled-out form, no later than September 30th of the current academic year) and on the basis of the confirmed disposition by the Senate of SASS!!! Advancement to the third year of Sociology is not possible without passing all the exams from the 1st year.

a) conditional advancement:
Students who do not meet the conditions for enrollment in a higher year may submit an application for enrollment in a higher year with missing credit points, if they have achieved at least 30 ECTS and have valid reasons for which they can attach evidence – the application for a conditional advancement into a higher year has to be submitted (the form can be found in Moodle / Study Forms).

b) status extension:
For justified reasons, such as prolonged illness, exceptional family and social circumstances, a special student status, maternity or paternity, etc., the student status may also be extended, which means that a student can re-enroll in the same year (the absolvent stage can also be extended), where only the registration fee is being paid. The status can be extended for a maximum of one year – application for status extension (form can be found in Moodle / Study Forms).

c) year repetition:
Students who will not achieve enough credits points may repeat the year, paying only the enrollment fee. During the study, the student can repeat only once. A student does not have the right to repeat if he/she was previously enrolled at the same level at another faculty and has therefore transferred to SASS. If a student uses the possibility of repetition during his/her studies, he/she does not have the absolvent stage after the end of the final year – the student informs referat@fuds.si during the enrollment deadlines that he/she wishes to repeat the year.

WARNING: Applications for conditional advancement and extension of the student status are accepted after the end of the autumn examination period of the current academic year.

The student can find the enrollment certificate in the web office under MY DATA – CERTIFICATE OF ENROLLMENT.
Only a student who has settled all financial obligations to the faculty has access to the certificate of enrollment. The enrollment certificate cannot be accessed by phone, but only by computer.

When enrolling at the faculty, a student can order a student ID card that proves his/her student status. In addition, it can be used to claim discounts and similar benefits for students.

Possession of a student IDcard is not mandatory.

Applications/requests/proposals/complaints

Most applications and requests are submitted to the Study and Student Affairs Commission section of Moodle. As a rule, the commission meets once a month, on the 3rd Monday of the month.

Applications and applications that are NOT SUBMITTED to Moodle, but by e-mail to referat@fuds.si are:

– request for recognition of a compulsory subjects (report forwarded to the subject holder)

– request for continuation of studies after a break that lasted more than 2 years (the report is forwarded to the heads of departments)

– request to the Claims Commission (applications of students for deferment of payment, etc.)

You can. A “Request for continuation of studies after a break for students without students status” must be submitted. The form is available in Moodle, but you can also request it via e-mail referat@fuds.si

You can. The student submits a “request to change the elective subject” in Moodle, which is considered by the Commission for Study and Student Affairs. The beforementioned application is payable according to the valid pricelist of the faculty, namely 92 euros.

The student can submit the application after the end of the last examination period in the academic year (usually after September 10th).

The student can submit a proposal/complaint/commendation to the Student Council of the faculty, which will deal with the matter accordingly. You can also contact the Faculty’s Student Office or the Vice-Dean for Study and Student Affairs. An anonymous application can be sent on behalf of an individual student, but in the case of a group of students, the application must include signatories with first and last names.

At the faculty headquarters in Nova Gorica (on the wall in the lobby on the ground floor) and at the dislocated unit in Ljubljana (in front of the entrance to the Student Office), the “Student Mailbox” is also intended for this purpose.

Schedules and exams

Elective subjects are chosen by students upon their enrollment in the next year (when filling in the enrollment form). You can check the elective subjects in your index in the web office.

You must send a doctor’s note (or a similar documentation) to the Student Office as soon as possible and on this basis we will withdraw you from the exam, and you will be considered not to have registered for the exam.

You must send a doctor’s note (or a similar document) to the Student Office as soon as possible and on this basis, you will be registered or withdrawn from the exam, and you will be considered as not having registered for the exam.

Even in the case of paid exams, you must register for them electronically via the web office. 1-2 days before the exam you will receive an e-mail invoice for the exam.

Library

Upon enrolment, the student can also enrol in the faculty’s library. Enrolment is not automatic enrolment, but it is free. To register, write to knjiznica@fuds.si

The Faculty’s Library has 2 departments, in Nova Gorica and in Ljubljana. Both are located on the faculty’s premises. Students can borrow books from both.

Of course. All instructions regarding access and lists of databases are given to the student by e-mail immediately upon enrolment in the library.

The course of study (study locations, online classrooms, materials,…)

The study at SASS takes place classically in the lecture room. The faculty offers additional services, the above-standard STUDY + package, which offers students benefits (year-round viewing of recordings of most lectures/exercises, the possibility of monitoring through ICT resources …)

At the faculty, we use 2 online classrooms, namely the web office and Moodle.

In the web office, students have an electronic index, see their financial situation, schedules, bulletin board, obtain a certificate of enrolment, etc.

In Moodle, students have online classrooms of their subjects, course instructions and materials, professor contacts, seminar assignments, and more.

Lectures and exercises for undergraduate and master study programs are carried out in Nova Gorica (faculty headquarters at Gregorčičeva 19) and Ljubljana (dislocated unit at Leskoškova 9e). The doctoral study program is carried out only in Ljubljana.

In most cases, participation in our faculty is not mandatory. However, it is recommended (mandatory) to participate in certain exercises or seminars, which are decided by the subject holders.

Yes. Faculty rules allow students to decide in what form they will attend lectures – regardless of whether they are enrolled as full-time or part-time students.

Report the problem by entering the web office to referat@fuds.si, where your password will be “refreshed”.

Practice

Practice in the programs Social Management, Psychosocial Assistance and Psychosocial Counseling is already included in the tuition fee.

The student applies at the web office/practice – no later than 30 working days before the intended start of the practice. You can read more about this in Moodle / Study Practice or at the link.

A student who already has work experience may apply for recognition of a practice. The Rules on the Procedure and Criteria for the Recognition of Informally Acquired Knowledge and Skills at the School of Advanced Social Studies in Nova Gorica apply to the recognition of work practice. Before submitting the request, the student must consult with the practice holder on the recognition of the traineeship.

The basis for the recognition of informally acquired knowledge and skills are: Certificate of the organization or institute on practical training and work in the occupied position together with a description of the tasks of the candidate’s position. The certificate should also be accompanied by the time and scope of practical training and work, the time of occupation of this position and a statement of the candidate stating the subject for which he wants to receive the recognition of practical training or for his work to be recognized as a completed study obligation.

The request is submitted (there is no standardized form) in the online classroom Moodle / Submission of application for KŠŠZ. Attach the required evidence and the opinion of the practitioner to the application.

At the School of Advanced Social Studies, we are aware that the practical training of students is of key importance in preparing students for the labour market. That is why we are also working to expand the learning base – a list of organizations where students can do their practice. The list of learning bases and their detailed descriptions is published every year in Moodle / Study Practice and on the website at the link.

Organizations that accept students for practice are also presented every year at the Study Practice event organized by the Career Center.

Student finances

Invoices are published in the web office under MY DATA – MY FINANCIAL OBLIGATIONS.

You can request a delay in payment. The request is sent to referat@fuds.si

Differential exams are payable on all non-concessioned programs according to the valid pricelist of the faculty. An individual exam is paid before the student takes it (receives an invoice by e-mail).

Differential exams are free of charge in the concessioned programs Social Management (BA) and Intercultural Management (MA).

Three approaches to the exam are free. The fourth and each subsequent approach is paid. This applies to full-time and part-time students.

Exams are also paid for by students who have lost their student status (so-called gappers).

The costs of the fourth and further exams amount to € 46.00 €.

Taking the exam – for students without status – is charged according to the number of credit points. The value of a credit point in an individual study program is defined in the valid price list.

The recognition process is payable on non-concessional programs, namely for students without status, citizens, and candidates for enrollment.

The value of a credit point for an individual study program is calculated by dividing the amount of tuition fee for one year by the number of credit points for one year,

example:

the tuition fee for the study program Social Management (BSc) is 2,799 euros

a year of the study program Social Management (BSc) has 60 credits

1 credit point on this program is worth: 46.65 euros

Yes. The amounts of the defence of the closing assignment are stated in the valid pricelist of the faculty.

Completion of studies

The closing assignment is already included in the tuition fee. The closing assignment is paid only in the case when the student no longer has the status of a student.

The procedure from the application of the topic of the bachelor’s/master’s thesis to the defence of the thesis is determined by the Rules on the bachelor’sand master’s thesis. The procedure for submitting the final thesis is published at the link.

The procedure from the application of the topic of the doctoral dissertation to the defence is determined by the Rules on doctoral studies. The procedure for completing the doctoral study is also published at the link.

Yes, the final work must be linguistically appropriate at the time of final submission, i.e. proofread. When submitting the work for technical review, the candidate must also attach a copy of the proofreader’s diploma and a certificate of completed proofreading of the assignment. Only the certificates of a lecturer with a degree in Slovene studies or a professor of the Slovene language are considered relevant or  the certificates of the language that the students are writing in. So if the student is writing their final work in English, we need a certificate of a lecturer with an English degree, and so on with any other language. 

Yes. If for justified reasons, you do not submit the closing assignment during the period of validity, you can request an extension of the topic before the deadline for the preparation and submission of the closing assignment. Valid reasons for extending the topic are examined by the Commission for Study and Student Affairs. A “request to extend the topic” is submitted via Moodle.

Graduates can stay connected to the faculty through the SASS Alumni Club, which is an association of bachelor, master and doctoral students and higher education teachers and SASS associates who want to continue to maintain connections and communication between members of all generations of SASS.

It enables its members to develop in the personal, social and professional fields even after graduation.

Learn more at the link.

Emergency assistance:

E-mail: referat@fuds.si

  • blocking the password for the web office
  • loss of student card
  • certificate of enrolment – printed automatically in the web office
  • certificate of passed exams – order in the web office (under Documents – Ordering)

E-mail: moodle@fuds.si

  • enrollment in subjects

In Moodle, you can find the contacts of professors and assistants under the tab “Obvestila o programu” (Program Notices”) or on the the website

  • ZOOM connections

Available in the afternoon from 14:00 to 19:00.

In Moodle, you can find the contacts of professors and assistants under the tab “Obvestila o programu” (Program Notices”) or on the the website

There is a tutoring system at the faculty and the student can primarily turn for help on the student or professor tutor. All information about the tutoring system and tutor contacts are available at the link.