Bachelor's Degree in Social Work

Is social commitment very important to you, and are you keen to work with widely diverse individuals? As a social worker/social education worker, this Bachelor's degree prepares you for supporting people with difficult life circumstances and promoting their development. During your study programme, you can specialise in certain age ranges or social groups, for example children, young people or senior citizens, but also addiction sufferers, refugees or families from socially deprived areas.

Quick facts about the course
• You will obtain the academic Bachelor of Arts degree (B.A.) and state recognition as a social worker/social education worker.
• The full-time study programme takes place in person and is a modular course.
• The standard course length is seven semesters.
• A total of 210 credit points are earned through the course.
• Credits obtained at another university shall be recognised as long as the scope and contents do not deviate significantly. Any equivalent skills and qualifications obtained shall be recognised as up to one quarter of the university course.
• We do not require you to pay tuition fees. As with any university, you only pay a semester fee for your semester ticket and other services. This fee currently stands at 320 euros. You may receive a refund for part of the fee under certain conditions.
• The course is offered annually, commencing in the winter semester.

What awaits you
During your study programme you will learn how to identify, analyse and ultimately solve social problems together with those affected. To this end, you will acquire methodological skills such as conducting conversation, managing conflicts, as well as planning and coordinating support services. You will also develop academic skills, including reading and analysing specialist texts, applying a range of research methods and dealing with current issues in social work. Furthermore, the course of studies also includes theories of social work and the basics of the important reference sciences comprising psychology, sociology, education and law. The degree is a generalistic programme by design - you will be qualified for a wide range of careers, enabling you to find a position in all fields of social work. An important element of the course is a practical period spent in a social institution or authority, which lasts seven months and is mutually prepared, guided and reviewed. You can also complete all or part of your internship abroad. A semester abroad can, for example, also be undertaken at one of our partner universities around the world.

Your option to specialise
At the beginning of your course, you can choose to focus on "Migration and Integration", to better familiarise yourself with the migration-specific elements of the fields of social work. This does not affect the generalist basic orientation of the study programme.Over the last two semesters, you will gain more in-depth knowledge in one of four subject areas: At this point, you can choose between interculturalism, media education, social medicine or theology.You will receive a separate detailed certificate for all specialist modules that you successfully complete, in addition to your course certification.

What you should bring with you
You should know beforehand: We are a cosmopolitan university and we welcome people of all religions as well as those of no religious denomination. Vital is that you share our humanistic values. This degree programme also requires that you demonstrate qualities such as highly developed social skills, empathy, tolerance and a sense of responsibility. It is also important that you possess strong communication skills and are able to deal constructively with conflicts.If you also satisfy the following requirements, you can submit a direct application to us for a place on our degree course:
• You either possess the general or subject-specific higher education entrance qualification, or the advanced technical college entrance qualification.
• Or you have completed vocational training with a grade of 2.5 or better. Alternatively, you are able to demonstrate further professional qualification in the form of a master craftsman's examination or a comparable examination.
• If you have no previous practical experience in the social sector, you also need to complete a three-month pre-study internship so that you can determine whether this career path is truly right for you.