The commencement of the programme occurred in 2000, when a lifelong learning course (LLC) entitled Management and Supervision in social and health organisations was launched, at the time still within the Institute of Basis of Education. The founders of the course and its first teachers acted with the vision of establishing a new department within the just-founded faculty of the Charles University. The process of establishment of the department of Management and Supervision in Social and Health Organisations was thus connected with the foundation of the Faculty of Humanities in 2001 and with the accreditation of the programme of the same name as the LLC, being a part of the study programme Social work and social policy. Most of the LLC students (bachelors) passed entrance exams into the freshly accredited postgraduate master studies (3 years long studies) of the new programme and continued in their studies resulting in first graduates of the programme in 2004.
Among personalities, which participated in the establishment of the department, were mainly professor Jan Sokol, first dean of the Faculty of Humanities, professor Štěpán Svačina (1st Faculty of Medicine) and professor Vladimír Komárek (2nd Faculty of Medicine) as external guarantors, who closely monitored the process of preparatory works and support the idea of the founders. The initiator of the idea of founding the programme and at the same time a head of the programme for 12 years was associate professor Phdr. Zuzana Havrdová, CSc. MUDr. Zuzana Roithová, MBA, MUDr. David Marx, MBA and Mgr. Dana Hradcová significantly participated in preparing the curriculum and assembling the team of lecturers. It was thus possible to continue in latest experience and principles of practically oriented MBA programmes in the field of health care, which were carried out since the half of the nineties in the republic mainly within the HOPE programme, with the experience from dynamic-oriented and communication-focused training of social workers and supervisors. A programme integrated that way is still unique in the Czech Republic even after 15 years of its establishment. It is intended both for social workers and workers in assisting professions, as well as for medic staff members, and give space for their mutual enrichment and cooperation. From this living background arises the scientific and research work of teachers and students, several of whom continue in their PhD studies.
An advantageous moment for establishment of the programme was the initial finance provision and providing of suitable premises of the Educational Institute (EI) of the Caritas Czech Republic within the Deutsche Caritas Verband Freiburg project. Till nowadays, pleasant premises contribute to nice atmosphere of the schooling and also to relax time during breaks in demanding programme thanks to their unique aesthetic and functional qualities.
The postgraduate master programme Management and supervision in social and health organisations, formerly accredited as a 3-year-programme, was reaccredited in 2005 and shortened to 2 years in accordance with the Bologna declaration. The programme was reaccredited with minor adjustments for four more years in 2014.
The study is implemented as a full-time and part-time study, in two specialisations - management and supervision. A study group of the supervision consists always of 6-8 students; study group of management consists of 32-34 students. Currently, there are around 100 students in different years studying at the department and more than 330 graduates.