Social Work
At a Glance
Faculty
Academic degree
Bachelor of Arts (B.A.)
Type of Study
Full-time
Standard Duration of Study
7 semesters (incl. practical semester), 210 ECTS
Place of Study
Language of Instruction
German
Start of Studies
Winter semester (October 01)
Orientation semester also in the summer semester (March 15)
Admission Requirements
University entrance qualification, entrance qualification for universities of applied sciences, vocational qualification or foreign educational certificate, no admission restrictions (NC)
Costs
Semester Tuition ( including semester ticket)
Orientation Semester
Individual modules can be taken as part of an orientation semester
Semester Abroad
Available as a theory or practicum semester
Studying with a Industry Partner
State Recognition
Based on the degree earned, the graduate may use the professional title “State-Certified Social Educator” or “State-Certified Social Educator” in accordance with Art. 1, para. 1 of the Bavarian Social Education Act (BaySozBAG) (General Ruling).
Accreditation
Accredited by the Accreditation Council
Registration
from May 02 – September 30
Program Profile
Social workers help people discover their individual resources and potential, and support them through difficult life situations, such as substance abuse, challenges with childcare, experiences as refugees, debt, or homelessness.
In doing so, they also address social conditions that cause individual problems but can also contribute to their resolution. The program provides you with a solid foundation in social pedagogy/social work and related disciplines. It includes a semester of practical training in Germany or abroad and specifically fosters your social and personal skills. Graduates of the Social Work program automatically receive state certification as social educators upon receiving their degree. This qualifies you not only for a wide range of social work professions but also for positions in government agencies, public offices, and counseling centers.
The combination of a strong theoretical foundation, a strong practical focus, and the opportunity to tailor the program to individual interests makes studying at the university particularly appealing.
Social Work student, 6th semester
What We Value
Well supported and networked right from the start
When you begin your studies and throughout your first semester, you’ll receive support from upperclassmen in mentoring groups. The program begins with required foundational modules. As you progress, you’ll select modules based on your own interests, allowing you to tailor your studies to a specific career path. In seminars, projects, and guidance/reflection groups, you’ll practice practical skills together, and the connection to the theoretical foundations will be reinforced.
Additional qualification through an accompanying course of study
Unique to Bavaria is the opportunity to earn an additional qualification through a complementary program while pursuing a degree in social work. For students with above-average academic performance, there is the option—following the practical semester—to earn an additional certificate over 12 weekends as a supplement to their regular degree program. The supplementary programs are available in two fields of study:
- Management in social organizations
- Personal and experience-oriented consulting
Studying Abroad
At Coburg University of Applied Sciences, students have the opportunity to complete a study or practical semester abroad. To this end, Coburg University of Applied Sciences maintains relationships with foreign partner universities. Further information is available from the university’s Study Abroad service.
Versatility through specialization options
The program offers a broad-based education covering all areas of social work, yet with a unique variety of specialization options: Here, you can tailor your modules to perfectly align with your own interests and career plans, as well as with a constantly evolving job market. Possible specialization modules include, for example:
- Social Work with
- Children and young people
- Families
- People with mental illnesses
- People with addiction disorders
- People with disabilities
- homeless people
- Child protection work
- Clinical social work
- Intercultural educational work
- Experiential education
- Sexual education
- Biographical theater
- Community Building
- Campaigning and public relations
- International Social Work
Course Content and Structure
The program consists of various modules that cover both theoretical and practical aspects of social work. These include foundational modules, a practicum semester, and advanced modules.
1st to 3rd semester
The curriculum for the 1st through 3rd semesters includes, among other things:
- Introduction to social work
- History of the profession and theory
- Fundamental Concepts and Theoretical Discourses in Social Work
- Case understanding and case work
- Social science perspectives (politics | sociology | social medicine)
- Human science perspectives (education | psychology | medicine)
- Culture, aesthetics, media
- Family and Youth Welfare Law | Ethics
- Methodical action
- Conversation management and individual social support
- Social group work and community work
- Social space orientation
- Child Protection and Child Welfare
4th to 7th semester
4th semester
A 22-week practical study semester—systematically guided and reflective
The curriculum for the 5th through 7th semesters includes, among other things:
- Case seminar
- Empirical research methods
- Social and human science profiling
- Social Management | Social Economy | Project Management | Human Resources Management
- Social law | Labor law | Criminal law
- 4 Specialization Modules
- Project workshop
- 1 subject-specific elective required course
- 2 Studium Generale courses (including foreign languages, if desired)
- Bachelor thesis
Orientation Semester
"Social work" sounds exciting, but is it (still) too early to actually start college?
Take advantage of our orientation semester!
Your advantages:
-
Individual timetable with modules from one or more degree programs
- Insights into content and working methods
-
Examinations possible – collect first academic achievements
-
Start your regular studies with a head start
During the winter semester, you can take the following courses (modules) in social work:
- Introduction to Social Work and Its Academic Discipline
- Perspectives in the Social Sciences: Politics, Sociology, Social Medicine
- Fundamentals and Practice of Methodical Action
- Culture, Aesthetics, Media I: Approaches
You can find more information about the orientation semester here.
Practical Experience During College
Projects
You will be involved in practical projects at various locations with regional partners from schools and social service organizations. These projects will challenge you to immediately apply your newly acquired skills and help you build connections with the professional world.
Practical Study Semester
The program includes a practical semester in the fourth semester. During this 22-week period of full-time work at a social work institution—accompanied by a practicum seminar—you’ll gain valuable insight into everyday professional life and have the opportunity to test and expand the skills you’ve acquired so far under supervision. Practical training periods or professional experience in the social and/or educational fields may be credited toward this practical semester, in whole or in part, following an assessment of equivalence. Important information is summarized in the Practical Study Semester Handbook. If you have any questions about the practical study semester, please contact Ms. Verena Heer at FS-Praxisreferat@hs-coburg.de.
Jobs & Careers
The career opportunities for social workers are diverse: they range from child and youth services to family assistance and clinical social work, as well as experiential education and cultural work. Potential employers include organizations affiliated with major welfare associations such as Caritas, Arbeiterwohlfahrt, or the Diakonisches Werk, as well as municipalities, government agencies, correctional facilities, theater and cultural organizations, hospitals, and private associations.
Go get a master's degree!
After successfully completing their bachelor’s degree, outstanding graduates of Coburg University of Applied Sciences and Arts have the opportunity to continue their studies with a suitable master’s program. Immediately following the bachelor’s program, students can choose from the three-semester master’s program in Social Work, the newly established master’s program in “Applied Theater: Theater as Social Work,” or the part-time master’s program in Clinical Social Work. The latter is offered in collaboration with Alice Salomon University in Berlin.
You can also find an overview of which master’s programs you can pursue with your bachelor’s degree here.
Insights
You are currently viewing a placeholder content from YouTube. To access the actual content, click the button below. Please note that doing so will share data with third-party providers.
More InformationCurriculum and Examination Regulations
The study plan provides an overview of the structure of the program. The module handbook provides information on the content of the individual modules. The Study and Examination Regulations forms the legal basis for the degree program. Mathias Stübinger, the academic advisor, can answer any questions about the program’s curriculum.
Modules No Longer Offered
Here you’ll find all past module descriptions.
Teachers and employees
An Overview of the Faculty and Staff in the School of Social Work
Study Ambassador
My name is Timo Eckardt, and I’m a student ambassador for the Social Work program. Since I’m a student at Coburg University of Applied Sciences and Arts, I can answer your questions directly. So if you’d like to know more about what the program actually entails or what life is like in Coburg, just send me an email at: Timo.Eckardt@stud.hs-coburg.de
