What is it about?
Social work helps people to shape their lives and overcome particular challenges. The focus is often on the social disadvantage of individuals or groups. What caused an emergency situation? How can it be overcome or prevented from the outset? Social work looks equally at personal and social circumstances, causes and effects. Dealing with social diversity is also part of social work.
You will learn to analyze individual and societal problems and apply solution strategies in a variety of areas of work. You will acquire scientific and methodological skills.
Profile of the study program
Social work deals with questions such as
- Activating resources and creating support opportunities for people in psychosocial and economic distress.
- solving problems of social disadvantage.
- social and societal conditions that cause hardship.
- dealing with diversity and variety in a society.
Helping people to use their own resources
An important goal of social work is "helping people to help themselves". The aim is to support people and groups in recognizing and activating their own resources. The methods of social work include, for example, individual case help, group work, advice and information as well as negotiation, mediation and support.
What do you learn?
During your studies in social work, you will learn to analyze social problems and develop and practically implement solution strategies. During your studies, you will develop your communication, perception, professional and decision-making skills.
Three study sections with a practical semester and opportunities to develop a profile
The six-semester course includes modules from the disciplines of law, psychology, sociology and educational science. It is divided into three study sections. In the first study section, you will acquire initial academic skills and the basic knowledge you will need for your future career. The focus of the second stage is the practical semester, which you complete in the fourth semester. This includes an internship of one hundred days and a preparatory or accompanying seminar. In the third stage of your studies, you can focus on specific subjects and develop your personal profile.
Bachelor of Arts, which qualifies you to help, plan and represent interests, among other things
After successfully completing the program, you will receive a Bachelor of Arts
(B.A.).
Students report on the study program
Specializations in the study program
Social work offers specializations in the following areas:
- Theater pedagogy as a method in social work
- Help for children, young people and their families
- School social work
- Gerontology
Course of study
This is a thematic overview of the course content. Detailed information on the exact names of the courses, information on ECTS or semester hours per week can be found in the annex to the Bachelor's examination regulations and in the module handbook.
| 1st semester | Social Science and Politics | Professional action in social work | Psychology and medicine | Social work as a science | Society and politics | ||
| 2nd semester | Social science and politics | Psychology and medicine | Law and administration | Social work as a science | Educational science and ethical education | Cultural studies and aesthetic communication | Society and politics |
| 3rd semester | Professional action in social work | Law and administration | Educational science and ethical education | Cultural studies and aesthetic communication | |||
| 4th semester | Practical semester | ||||||
| 5th semester | Consolidation and extension | Professional action in social work | Professional action in the project | ||||
| 6th semester | Consolidation and extension | Professional action in social work | Professional action in the project | Thesis & colloquium |
Why study at Fachhochschule Dortmund?
What makes Fachhochschule Dortmund special? What should you know about the city and the region? How is Fachhochschule Dortmund positioned in terms of internationality and what advice and support do we offer you? Find out more about Fachhochschule Dortmund.
Who is it for?
Desirable subject-specific and interdisciplinary knowledge
Social work may be of interest to you if you enjoy communicating, are mentally resilient and empathetic. You should also be able and willing to reflect - including on yourself. If you enjoy working in teams and networks with many different people, this study program could be a good fit for you. Enjoying systemic thinking and interdisciplinary work are also good prerequisites. During your studies, you will be confronted with different points of view and controversial statements. You will also work through these with the help of academic and formal texts. If you are ready for this, you can prepare yourself for exciting professional fields here.
Prospects after graduation
Career prospects
- Graduates work, for example, in
- children's work and elementary education
- youth education/out-of-school youth work/youth association work
- adult education/further education
- care for the elderly/elderly education
- vocational/company and non-company education/further training
- Family counseling/family education
- Recreational counseling/support and education
- Community work/district work
- Curative and special educational counseling/assistance and rehabilitation
- the area of educational assistance (home education, outpatient educational assistance)
- Communication, cultural, art and music education
- Resocialization (probation assistance, juvenile court assistance)
- school education
- Self-help group work/work with citizens' initiatives/alternative project work
- Social counseling/support for minority groups or socially marginalized groups
marginalized groups - Social services of municipal offices and authorities, associations,
- Coordination and planning institutions and courts
- Social therapeutic counseling for addicts
- Social therapeutic care for patients in hospitals
- working with people living in poverty and after flight
- helping offenders
Master programs
Information and advice on the transition from university to work
Stay abroad possible during your studies
What do I need?
1. qualification / certificates and degrees
The qualification for studying at universities of applied sciences is proven by the certificate of the university of applied sciences entrance qualification or a previous education recognized as equivalent.
Here you will find a detailed description of the various recognized qualifications.
2. relevant practical activity/pre-internship
Proof of 400 hours of practical work is required. This practical activity must be relevant, i.e. take place under the supervision of social work professionals. State-approved educators, state-approved curative education nurses, social workers/social pedagogues (Bachelor's, Master's or Diplom), pedagogues (Bachelor's, Master's or Diplom) or childhood educators (Bachelor's, Master's or Diplom) are considered professionals.
The internship in a social work field must generally be completed before the start of the course. At least 200 hours of work experience must be proven before the start of the course. Alternatively, proof must be provided at the time of enrolment that half of the pre-study work placement will have been completed by the start of the course. The missing hours of the pre-study internship should be completed as soon as possible; the corresponding proof should be provided by the end of the second semester of the degree course.
Proof of the entire internship (400 hours) is a prerequisite for admission to the module examinations, modules W05-W13, which are provided for in the Social Work study program from the third semester onwards in accordance with the annex (see Section 18 (1) sentence 1 number 2 BPO).
Relevant practical activities or vocational training already completed can be examined and, if necessary, credited against written proof. For this purpose, the activities should not have been completed more than 3 years ago. Nursing activities and vocational training are not accepted.
You can find a form for the certificate for the recognition of the internship here PDF-File 111,78 kB .
Further information on pre-study internships can be found here .
Required contents of the internship:
- Insight into the areas of responsibility of social work; in-depth familiarization with at least one field of work
- Getting to know the organization and function of the workplace
- Familiarization with the means and methods of work by taking on smaller subtasks from the respective field of practice; this should also include administrative tasks
- Participation in service and work meetings
3. registration via Hochschulstart...
and the BID and BAN you receive there are required for the application on the Fachhochschule Dortmund website.
4. apply now!
The study program starts annually in both the summer and winter semesters and admission is restricted, so there is a numerus clausus (NC).
Who can help me?
We will be happy to answer any questions you may have about the study program and Fachhochschule Dortmund.
Central Student Advisory Services (ZSB)
Student advisory service
Contact with students
Admissions Office for Student Affairs
Registration office team
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