New Department PPS

On 1 January 2026, the Department of Education, Psychology and Social Work (PPS) will be formed through a co-organization of the Department of Education (UTV) and the Department of Psychology and Social Work (PSO). Here you will find information about the decision and the process ahead.

This page is updated regularly.

Background

The background to the organisational change is a desire to strengthen professional education through closer cooperation between teachers, psychologists and social workers.

The new department will be a stronger professional education environment where we can create new opportunities for research and education in the welfare sector, and meet the skills needs of the future. We also create a more integrated and attractive educational environment for students and staff. Existing students will not be negatively affected by the reorganization.

The merger is also in line with the faculty's goal of creating larger and more sustainable departments, a work that began already in 2018/2019. The aim has been to shape more cohesive and strategically sustainable environments for both education and research. The effect of this merger will be a department of comparable size to the others within the faculty and the university.

Advantages of a unified institution

Bringing together several of the faculty's professional education programmes within a common department is expected to provide several advantages:

Improved collaboration between disciplines
More efficient use of resources
Strengthened research environment
Attractive education and research environment

Challenges with organizational change

Prior to the decision, a risk analysis has been carried out and an action plan has been drawn up (see "Documents" below). To facilitate the merger of the subjects of education, psychology and social work, the faculty is allocating SEK 1 million in integration funds and appointing a special management resource to provide support and guidance to department and subject managements during the merger process.

New head of department

HUV's Dean Pär Olausson has, after collaboration with the employees at the PSO and UTV departments, decided that Ulrika Danielsson will be appointed Head of Department at the new Department of Education, Psychology and Social Work (PPS). Ulrika is currently head of the PSO and has previously worked at UTV. The new assignment extends from 1 January 2026 until her current head of department mandate expires on 30 April 2028.

Facts about the department

3 Subjects
11 First Cycle Programmes
Master's Programmes
93 Freestanding Courses
146 Employees
1 Psychology Laboratory
1 Psychology Clinic (staffed by students under the supervision of psychologists)
Lots of exciting research areas

Timetable

14–15 May 2025: Presentation of the proposal to the management team and LSG for PSO and UTV and FSG for HUV.
May 21, 2025: Presentation at APT for PSO and UTV.
May–June 2025: Implementation of risk analyses within the framework of the respective LSG.
October 14, 2025: The decision to merge is made by the Vice-Chancellor.
November 2025: Decisions on the appointment of the head of department are made by the Dean.
January 1, 2026: Implementation of the merge.