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, Arbeiterwohlfahrt) as well as local clubs, initiatives, and projects.
Content 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.
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.
