Bachelor’s in Social Work

Modules and credits

Credits are assigned to the individual modules according to the students' workload. Each module concludes with a module-specific assessment such as a project, written exam, oral exam, term paper or presentation. With 138 theory credits, 36 practical credits and 6 credits for the acquisition of cross-curricular competences, plus your Bachelor's thesis, you will graduate with a Bachelor of Arts degree and as a state-certified Social Worker/Social Pedagogue. 

At the end of your degree program, you choose a specialization from the following areas:

• Childhood and Youth
• Marginalization and Deviation
• Health and Sickness

Knowledge and skills for aspiring social workers

Prospective social workers need a broad range of knowledge and skills, which they will acquire during the six semesters of the degree program in Social Work. The degree course is divided into six module areas, each consisting of several modules. These modules deal with the foundations of human and behavioural sciences (e.g. social and developmental psychology, theories of upbringing and education), contextual factors such as law and organizational management, academic principles and professional doctrine, methodologies for conducting dialogues, group leadership, etc., as well as supervised periods of practical training.

Program Structure of the Bachelor’s in Social Work

The degree program in Social Work begins every winter semester. It consists of six standard semesters and leads to the qualification B.A. Social Work and state certification as a Social Worker/Social Pedagogue.

A pre-study placement of at least eight weeks is required for the degree program.

In the second and fourth semesters, you will gain more practical experience.

From the fifth semester onwards, you choose a specialization, and you complete your degree course by writing your Bachelor's thesis.

Practical Components

Orientation placement in the 2nd semester

• 240-hour full-time work placement during the lecture-free period
• Prerequisites: none

Case work and preparation for the work placement in the 3rd semester

•     Seminar “Case Work in Social Work”
•     Preparation for the work placement with the Faculty Placement Office
•     Prerequisites: orientation placement with appraisal

Integral work placement in the 4th semester

•     560-hour block full-time work placement
•     Accompanying courses on the work placement (5 teaching hours per week)
•     Graded placement report that meets specific content and formal requirements
•     Graded colloquium on the work placement as a prerequisite for state certification and admission to the Bachelor’s examination.
•     Prerequisite: successful completion of the 1st and 2nd semesters and module BA2M5.2

Work placements can only be undertaken in host organizations that have been approved by the Work Placement Committee.
Professional supervision is provided during the work placement by a qualified social worker/social pedagogue (Dipl., BA, MA) with state certification.

It is also possible to do the work placement abroad.

Further details are regulated by the Work Placement Regulationsra (PraO) BA Social Work (Appendix 3 of the Program Regulations).

Assessments

In the module catalogue, there is a module description for every module. All the information on course contents, learning objectives and assessments is published here. In addition, you will find information on the time allocated for classroom teaching, self-study and exam preparation.

For each module, the assessment is specified in the respective module description; the Academic Regulations and Procedures for Bachelor's and Master's Degrees at the University of Applied Sciences Erfurt and the program regulations (study regulations) provide the binding framework in this regard.

Cross-curricular competences

During your Bachelor's degree, you have to take elective modules worth at least 6 ECTS credits.
These can be modules from your own department or courses offered by other departments, the Language Centre, PACKS or the Start-Up Service.  
Courses at other universities or external providers that have a cooperation agreement with the university (e.g. Netzwerk Courage) can also be accessed.

Bachelor’s in Social Work: Your Background

To study Social Work, you need the following:

• a general or specific qualification for university entrance (allgemeine Hochschulreife or fachgebundene Hochschulreife) or a specific qualification for admission to universities of applied sciences (Fachhochschulreife)
• an 8-week full-time pre-study placement (320 hours) before the degree program begins

Please note: This degree program is taught in German and therefore requires all students to have at least C1 level German skills. More information on applying to FH Erfurt as an international student can be found here.

Starting your career with a Bachelor’s in Social Work

The Bachelor's in of Social Work qualifies you to work in all areas of social work, for example:

• children and young people: children's and youth homes, socio-educational family support centres, community work, school social work, intensive one-to-one socio-educational support...
• health care: socio-psychiatric care, social services in hospitals, addiction counselling, rehabilitation, disability support services
• working in the public sector: health authorities, youth welfare departments, social welfare departments, urban development authorities or cultural authorities
• culture and education: extracurricular education for young people, adult education, education for senior citizens, support for people returning to work, activities for girls and women
• counselling centres: marriage, education, family and life counselling, pregnancy crisis counselling, debt counselling
• people in difficult circumstances: help for the homeless, victim support, support for offenders

You also have the opportunity to follow this up with a Master's degree and thereby qualify to study for a doctorate.