Credit: Aaron Burden

Relevance of social work for society

The vision of SBW Berlin is a world in which people make a joint contribution to helping people in need through social commitment and the development of social projects: on a small scale, in the immediate vicinity, but also nationally and globally. We consider personal motivation, the desire to do something good and meaningful and to acquire the necessary expertise to do so, to be the basis for the socially empathetic path to humane living conditions.

Together with scholarship recipients and partner organizations, SBW Berlin supports young talents who are interested in the social sector or would like to strengthen their existing social commitment. If you are studying or would like to study social work, you can find detailed information on the content, career opportunities, educational institutions and possible support from the SBW here.

What is the social work degree program anyway?

Social Work is a bachelor’s degree course that has emerged from the fusion of social work and social pedagogy. It offers young people a scientifically sound and system-theoretically conceived education in the field of social work with a clear practical orientation.

After completing their studies and equipped with the relevant specialist and key qualifications, students can independently take on responsible activities in social work, for example in child and youth welfare, social counseling and other areas that facilitate the living conditions of people who find themselves in a difficult life situation. At the same time, graduates of the Social Work degree course currently have the best prospects of subsequent employment where they can put their social ideas into practice.

Goals and tasks of the social work degree program

The demand for academically qualified specialists in the field of social work has risen sharply in recent years. Social changes are presenting the social sector with new tasks in several areas, from child protection to youth social work, educational support, rehabilitation of people with mental stress disorders and much more.

Graduates of the bachelor’s degree course in Social Work can go on to work as street workers, addiction counselors, life and social counselors, for example, or take on management positions in facilities for children, young people or senior citizens. This makes a social studies course like this all the timelier, especially as the professional motivation of the current generation is defined very differently than in previous decades. Students see their professional future in a meaningful occupation. They want to work together to bring about positive, human, sustainable and social change, which can only benefit society as a whole.

Studying social work not only gives ambitious students the security they are looking for. It also provides ideal contacts for mutual exchange on an equal footing. After all, students are part of a community in which they all share a social and respectful attitude and help each other.

Social studies program: Qualification and numerus clausus

Among the core subjects are the basics of education, psychology and sociology, as well as legal and interdisciplinary business content. In most universities in Berlin and Potsdam, the course has a generalist focus, introducing students to the various fields of social work. For instance, the basic modules provide knowledge on the fundamentals of professional skills, such as the basic introduction to the study of social work with history, theories and concepts, followed by the framework conditions. Other modules are dedicated to the heterogeneity of living environments, including the interplay between social work and health, usually in the form of interdisciplinary case and project work.

Additional modules teach cross-professional skills and knowledge such as ethics, law and aesthetic education. Practical, management and scientific skills are also taught in a modular structure. Furthermore, it is possible to deepen and thus individualize the knowledge of subject-specific skills in optional modules. The range is very diverse. One question remains: what are the requirements for enrollment? Is there a numerus clausus?

Social studies program: Qualification and numerus clausus

Yes, there is one: To study a bachelor’s degree in social work, you need a general higher education entrance qualification (university degree courses), alternatively a university of applied sciences entrance qualification (university of applied sciences degree courses) or a subject-specific higher education entrance qualification. In addition, some universities also admit applicants who have obtained a vocational baccalaureate in the social or nursing field or who can provide evidence of relevant vocational training.

The NC for social work is currently between 2.0 and 3.1 throughout Germany; in Berlin it fluctuates annually between 1.5 and 2.5. In the universities’ own admission procedures, waiting semesters, previous training, voluntary service and other aspects such as motivation, intention and voluntary work are positively assessed and credited where appropriate. However, due to the social orientation, there are further requirements that make the course even more interesting because it is so practice oriented.

(Source: https://www.soziales-studieren.de)

Pre-internship between 12 weeks and six months

Most universities require previous practical experience or a pre-study internship in the social sector. Depending on the university, the duration of the pre-study work placement can vary between 12 weeks and six months. Relevant activities in institutions that provide an insight into the fields of social work, such as workshops for disabled people (WfbM) or children’s and youth facilities, are recognized as internships.

In many cases, relevant practical experience such as a voluntary social year or the Federal Voluntary Service as well as subject-related vocational training and activities such as nursery schoolteacher, curative education nurse, social assistant or remedial teacher are also counted towards the internship.

Duration of studies, structure, practical phases and theory

In general, the bachelor’s degree program consists of a total of six semesters and includes six theoretical phases and – starting with the second module – five accompanying practical phases, which play a special role in the Social Work degree program. Here, the focus is on implementing what has been learned academically in everyday working life with those in need of help.

This is intended to enable students to develop a sound understanding of themselves as social workers. As a result, students gradually take on independent tasks during the practical phases to reflect on their own interests and skills and to be able to better assess their personal prospects for their future working environment.

Academic specialization in the MA program (Master of Arts)

Students who have completed the bachelor’s degree course of the same name or a related course with a SAGE profile (Social Work, Health, Education and Training) or who are already working in the social sector can apply for one of the consecutive or postgraduate master’s degree courses in Social Work. Master’s degree courses are offered with differentiated in-depth content such as practical research in social work and education, management and quality development in healthcare, social communication and diagnostics, social policy and social law, education and social work or organizational management and financing by political institutions.

In general, the master’s degree course is primarily research-intensive. It aims to open an academic career for master’s graduates with specialist skills in educational and socio-educational clusters. A master’s in social work usually consists of four semesters. Most universities do not require an NC. Upon successful completion, the Master of Arts generally entitles the holder to a doctorate.

Application procedure and application deadlines

Although most applications to universities can be submitted online as of a specified date before the application deadline, some universities expect applications to be sent by post, while others expect a combination of both. There is no standardized application deadline, which means that you must take into account the very different deadlines set by each university.

Once your application has been successful, all universities allow you to start your studies in the winter semester, while some also offer the option of starting in the summer semester. It is definitely a good idea to find out about the application procedures and deadlines well in advance. The same applies to potential funding opportunities. Which is where SBW Berlin might enter the picture:

Funding opportunities through the SBW Berlin scholarship program

Those studying for a BA in Social Work or a MA in Social Work can apply for a scholarship from SBW Berlin. The abbreviation SBW stands for socially better world. In 2018, Anika Maneva and Stefan Wienecke founded SBW Berlin with the aim and wish of implementing their social ideas and making a social contribution to society. Thanks to their own scholarship program, to date several members of the team have supported social commitment and the development of social projects during the scholarship recipients’ studies.

The scholarships are aimed at students in the social sector at a university or university of applied sciences in Berlin or Potsdam; primarily at German citizens, but also other citizens and refugees who are already in Germany with an EU permanent residence permit and are studying in the social sector. Applicants should have several personal skills in particular, a deep motivation of wanting to help others.

SBW Berlins expectations towards applicants

A fundamental requirement for admission to the SBW scholarship program is a high level of social commitment and motivation on the part of the applicant or scholarship recipient. Applicants and scholarship recipients are expected to have professional or voluntary experience in the non-profit/social sector.

There should be a clear motivation to become socially involved, particularly with people in emergency situations, vulnerable groups and marginalized groups and those affected. Potential scholarship recipients also qualify through their desire to develop their own social project and thereby strengthen their social commitment.

Commitment to non-profit work and social project planning

When accepting the scholarship, all SBW Berlin scholarship recipients commit to a manageable amount of social work. They are also expected to proactively carry out their own community projects, which can come from a wide variety of sectors. For example, Enrique Luna’s project “MUSICA Y MOVIMIENTO” promotes the general understanding of music and focuses on its therapeutic effect. George, a former SBW scholarship recipient from Uganda, found answers to the question of how pupils can be encouraged to continue attending school even in economically difficult times in his self-initiated social project “YOUTH DROP-OUT SCHOOL PREVENTION”.

Social study program: SBW scholarship for social interaction

While the SBW scholarship provides financial support to students on a full-time social work course, for example by providing a place to live in a shared flat, it differs from other scholarships that are exclusively linked to a specific NC in terms of the basic idea, although the average grade is also decisive for the awarding of a scholarship through the SBW Berlin scholarship program. Furthermore, the funding program is linked to the social commitment of the scholarship recipients, who are required to proactively develop their own social projects or prove their social engagement outside of their studies.

Prospective applicants should also be able to communicate their professional goals in the social sector transparently and clearly. Anyone studying social work claims attractive career prospects with meaningful employment in a social context. SBW-Berlin supports suitable applicants, cooperates with social institutions and organizations and provides targeted mentoring for scholarship recipients’ social projects in Germany and abroad. Together, we believe that we can make the world a better place – hand in hand – and we are fully committed to doing so.

Would you like to read more exciting articles? Find more information about SBW Berlin here in our blog section.