Bachelor of Arts in Social Work
Human beings depend on and support one another in many areas of life. However, the support of one's family, friends, club, or neighbors may not always be enough. One may require special assistance or more extensive resources to solve a problem, this is where social workers come into the equation. A bachelor's degree in social work allows graduates to give professional support to others, as they are professional problem solvers. They do not only work to solve individual or group problems, but also work to positively affect regional and societal change. Social workers help those in need, so that they may be able to better manage their lives, to become connected and integrated in their communities, and to have equal opportunities within society.
Social workers are not limited to assisting one group of people, rather do they help anyone regardless of age, gender, ethnicity, religion, or social standing. However, social workers do not only deal with people, they also interact with the underlying legal framework and the socio-political administration of a society. The field of social work requires one to have important abilities and skills in various areas. These areas include: education, instruction, counseling, leadership, administration, organization, mediation, and many more.
As social work is such a broad field, social scientist get into contact with many different organizations, such as public institutions (e.g. youth welfare offices, social welfare offices, schools), different welfare programs (e.g. Caritas, Diakonisches Werk, Arbeitswohlfahrt) as well as local clubs, initiatives, and projects.
Application period
Applicants who need visa:
December 1 to March 31
Applicants who do not need visa:
April 1 to August 31
Beginning of the program
Winter semester
Length of the program
3 years / 6 semesters
Study option
Full-time studies
Degree
Bachelor of Arts in Social Work
(180 credits)
Language
German
Foreign applicants who have little or no knowledge of German may take a one-year course in German as a Foreign Language at Friedensau Adventist University.
Tuition
Flyer Social Work
apply nowContent and Structure
Content
The content of the program covers the entire field of social work and is divided into the following areas:
- Theories and methods of social work
- Fundamental concerns of social sciences
- Specific fields of application of social work
- Legal basis of social work
- Health promotion and prevention
- Psychological and psychotherapeutic foundations
- Methods of empirical research and scientific work
- Two internships with a duration of four weeks each
At Friedensau Adventist University (FAU), special interest is paid to health sciences and the legal basis of social work.
Structure
The normal program length is 6 semesters.
The program has a modular structure. A module consists of several courses, which are grouped in a thematic block. The modules generally take one semester or one year of study.
Passing all individual courses of a module is the requirement for the completion of a module. The overall module grade is the arithmetic mean of the individual course grades. For each module completed, a set number of credits is given in accordance with the European Credit Transfer System (ECTS). The credits are recognized throughout Europe and therefore transferable. Thus, transferring to a study program abroad should be easy.
Academic Information
Module Handbook B.A. Social Work Effective for registrations since October 1, 2019
Module Handbuch B.A. Social Work Effective for registrations since October 1, 2023
Program-Specific Study Regulations B.A. Social Work Effective from July 1, 2018
Program-Specific Study Regulations B.A. Social Work Effective from October 1, 2023
General Study and Examination Regulations Effective from October 1, 2023
Professional Fields
With a bachelor's degree in social work, you can work in many different professional fields. The following list is just a selection of possible work fields:
- Child and youth services
- Support for alternatively enabled people
- General social services
- Social work in families
- Social work within the health care system
- Addiction and drug-counseling service
- Work with migrants
- Work with social citizens
- Work with societal hot spots
- Work within institutions of administration of social services
The fields of social work requires, in addition to specialist knowledge, the ability to act appropriately in conflict situations, to cooperate successfully in a team, to critically reflect on contexts, and to commit oneself to work for people in special situations. The B.A. in Social Work program at FAU supports the development of these social and personal skills.
Admission Requirements
For German applicants, the prerequisite for the program is the general higher education entrance qualification (Abitur). Particularly competent working applicants who do not have a higher education entrance qualification, but whose talents, personality, and educational background make them possible candidates, may demonstrate that they have the knowledge and skills required for the study of a particular subject by successfully passing a test to assess their suitability for study (assessment test).
Foreign applicants whose secondary school qualification is equivalent to the German Abitur can generally expect to be admitted to study at our university. Applicants from countries whose secondary school qualification is below the level of the German Abitur must either have studied successfully in their home country for one or two years (depending on the country), or must complete a preparatory course at a college of further education in Germany. Foreign applicants who have little or no knowledge of German may take a one-year course in German as a Foreign Language at Friedensau Adventist University. Foreign applicants must otherwise be able to demonstrate good knowledge of German, e.g. by successfully passing a test of German as a Foreign Language (TestDaF examination) with at least 2x TDN 4 and 2x TDN 3.
The Admissions Office may provide you with more detailed information.
Any questions?
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Telephone: +49 (0) 3921 916-189
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Admission process
- Submit the complete application file online within the application deadline.
- The application for admission will be examined by the Admissions Committee and the Finance Committee within 1 week to 1 month. The decision on admission will be made under consideration of the admission capacity and the clarified student financing.
- The applicant will be notified in writing by e-mail within one week after the meeting of the Admissions Committee and Finance Committee.
- Admitted applicants will be asked to transfer the down payment and the deposit to FAU within 2-3 weeks after being informed about the decision on admission, EU citizens by August 31 at the latest, non-EU citizens by May 31 at the latest.
- Upon the receipt of the down payment and deposit, the Admissions Office will send the letter of admission as well as information for the start of studies and the arrival to the prospective student. In case the student needs a visa, further documents relevant for the embassy will be sent within 1 month.
- Information on visa: Prospective students need a student visa. Please check in advance how much time you need in order to get an appointment at the respective embassy. The visa application normally takes 6-8 weeks.
The easiest way for applicants to FAU is the online application—simply create a user account and start the online application right away.