Social Work, Bachelor of Arts

These are the requirements for the Bachelor of Social Work

With your Bachelor's degree in Social Work, you can work as a specialist in social work in the field of child and youth social work or as a specialist in early childhood education.

To be admitted to the Social Work program at IU International University, you need to have either a High School Diploma (general higher education entrance qualification), a vocational high school diploma, or a subject-specific higher education entrance qualification.

In addition, you can study Social Work without a High School Diploma. To be admitted to IU's program without a diploma, you must have completed an advanced training course, such as becoming a state-certified business economist, or have a master craftsman's certificate. You can also be admitted if you have completed a vocational training and worked full-time for at least 3 years after this training.

These are the study contents in the Social Work program

This bachelor's degree at IU comprises approximately 32 modules, which you will take and complete over the course of 6 semesters of standard study time. Each module is worth 5-10 credits (ECTS) and concludes with an examination performance such as a research paper or an exam. In total, you will accumulate 180 credits from module to module and from semester to semester.

The typical course plan for full-time studies in Social Work looks like this:

• Semester 1: Social History, Philosophy, Ethics, Field of Profession Development, Introduction to Social Work, Psychology, Social Policy, Pedagogy
• Semester 2: Collaborative Work, Introduction to Scientific Work, Theories and Concepts in Social Work, Sociology, Methods and Instruments of Social Work I, Methods and Instruments of Social Work II
• Semester 3: Social Law, Social Management, Integration and Migration, Target Group Work and Case Management, Social Economics and Socioeconomics, Digital Skills
• Semester 4: Qualitative Research Methods, Pedagogical Relationships and Professionalism, Project: Self-Reflection, Personal Development and Professionalization, Seminar: Digitalization in Social Work, Managerial Functions in Social Institutions, Quantitative Research Methods
• Semester 5: Clinical Social Work, Specific Legal References of Social Work, Development and Socialization, Social Inequality and Diversity, Elective Social Work A
• Semester 6: Elective Module B, Elective Module C, Bachelor's Thesis

What's special about the Social Work bachelor's program at IU are the many opportunities to specialize in subject areas according to your own interests and professional fields in the elective module area.

For the first specialization, you can choose from these exciting modules: Counseling, Group Work, Child Pedagogy I, Basics of Child and Youth Welfare, Social Services for Adults I, Social Entrepreneurship, Social Gerontology, Sexuality in Social Work, Child Abuse and Neglect, Cultural and Media Work.

For the second specialization, you can choose one of these study modules: Counseling in Social Work, Social Area Orientation, Child Pedagogy II, Assistance in Education, Social Services for Adults II, Specific Aspects of Social Management, Life Situations of Older People, Professional Action in Sexual Violence, Trauma Pedagogy, Cultural and Media Work in Practice.

For the third specialization, you can take one of these modules: Labor Law, Counseling, Digital Education, Event Planning and Management, Foreign Languages, Sign Language, Health Economics Specialization, Basics of Child and Youth Welfare, Field of Action Leisure Education, Field of Action School, Special Education in working with Children and Adolescents, Special Education in working with Seniors, Child Pedagogy I, Online and Social Media Marketing, Participation, Civil Society and Democracy Promotion, Human Resources Specialization, Care Management, Social Entrepreneurship, Social Services for Adults I, Social Gerontology, General Studies.

How myStudies Social Work works at IU

The myStudies program at IU International University is a flexible program that combines campus life with self-study phases at home.

Classes take place on-site 2-3 days a week. Alternatively, those interested can follow the classes through IU's Virtual Campus.

Through the online portal and the Learn App of IU, students have access to study materials, presentations, and videos for the modules in Social Work at any time.

Each semester consists of 2 parts, allowing you to take 3 modules per semester. The modules in the field of Social Work, for example, conclude with an exam or a research paper.

Where you can study Social Work at IU privately

With over 35 campuses throughout Germany, IU International University is represented across Germany for programs in all disciplines.

Currently, the university offers the Social Work program in more than 10 cities, such as Berlin, Hamburg, Cologne, Munich, Dusseldorf, Frankfurt a.M., Stuttgart, Dortmund, Leipzig, Hanover, Munster, Bremen, Bielefeld, and Dresden.

At the campus, you will attend your classes. In the lounge area, you can interact with your fellow students. Depending on the city, you may also have access to other university facilities such as cafeterias and libraries – for example, at the Berlin location.

Learning Social Work at the IU Virtual Campus

If there is no IU campus near you or you prefer flexible and digital learning, you can also enroll in the so-called IU Virtual Campus.

At the Virtual Campus, you will attend your Social Work classes, for example, through regular video conferences with your fellow students and instructors.

Through the IU learning platform myCampus, you have access to study materials and the virtual library. You can use the LearnApp from IU to work through your materials digitally on a tablet, for example.