Social Work (B.A.)
What makes this degree programme special?
- Wide range of specialisation options: choice between several areas of focus such as culture & media, refugees & migration, clinical social work, etc.
- Project-based study: theory, areas of personal interest and practical experience are combined in project work
- Holistic basic knowledge: teaching of sociology, psychology, law, education science, etc. in the first semesters
What is the structure of the programme?
The first three semesters of the degree programme serve to intensively deal with the subject-specific and related scientific basics. These include subjects such as sociology, social work theory, counselling and methodology, psychology, law, social policy and public health. The aim is to integrate social work theories into methodological practice and to utilise explanatory frameworks from the various foundational disciplines, enabling you to act professionally in your career.
The high level of practical experience is a distinctive feature of the Social Work programme at the University of Applied Sciences Jena. This ensures you become familiar with the requirements of the various fields of work at an early stage. Already in the first semesters you will complete an orientation internship of seven weeks. This generally makes it easier for you to specialise in a subject area during the course of your studies. You will go into practice during the entire fourth semester and deepen your understanding in the ‘Practical Project’ module. There, under academic supervision, you will design a project and put it into practice within a social work setting. During the practical semester, your development of competence in bridging theory and practice is supported through theoretical reflection, supervision or coaching.
The programme also gives you considerable freedom to shape it yourself. From the 5th to the 7th semester, the specialisation modules offer you a range of options that reflect the breadth and diversity of the fields of Social Work:
- Education in Social Work: Culture, Aesthetics, Media
- Psychology, Criminology and Health Sciences in Social Work
- Legal Perspectives on Social Work
- Shared Responsibility, Social Justice and Human Rights
- Transformation, Digitalisation and Diversity in Social Work
- Understanding and Shaping Society
You also have the option of choosing a specialisation, which can be recorded on your transcript if required. The specialisations currently on offer are Culture, Media and Education; Refugees, Asylum and Migration; Gender and Diversity (e.g. Ageing); Youth and Family; Clinical Social Work; Delinquency (Crime); Social Control; Resocialisation; and Rehabilitation and Participation.
Module overview
What are the entry requirements?
- General higher education entrance qualification, subject-specific higher education entrance qualification or technical college entrance qualification
- Did you complete your school or university education abroad? Please note the admission requirements for studying in Germany
- You don't have a higher education entrance qualification but you have work experience? Find out about studying without High School Diploma.
What career prospects do I have after completing my studies?
Once you have successfully completed your degree, a wide range of career paths will be open to you. These include, for example, child and youth welfare, adult education, or working with people with imentally disabled people. Social workers can work both operationally and conceptually. Possible institutions and companies you can join include public institutions and government departments, further education providers, social welfare organisations, medical facilities, psychiatric institutions and schools. For public-sector roles, you require state accreditation, which is awarded by the university provided you meet the requirements (successful completion of your degree and a certificate of good conduct). You will also increasingly be employed in the private sector. Here, you might work in areas such as human resources development and organisational counselling. It is also possible to become self-employed in fields such as psychosocial counselling, personal coaching or mediation.
Your typical areas of responsibility include child and youth welfare, educational support, social services (for example, in clinical and rehabilitative areas), social planning, social management, offender assistance, women's promotion, women’s education, women’s counselling, care for the elderly, social work with foreigners and refugees, support for people with disabilities, addiction counselling, as well as vocational preparation and support with integration into the labour market.
Who should I contact if I have any questions?
Where can I find further information?
Here you can find the website of the department to which the degree programme belongs.
