Social Work, BA Full-time
Charakter Fresenius Hochschule · Köln, Germany
QS World University Ranking: N/A
Quick Overview
Apply Now📘 Program Overview
Soziale Arbeit (B.A.) at Hochschule Fresenius prepares you for responsible tasks and challenges and helps you develop valuable skills to support people in difficult life situations. The program includes a practice phase and is designed to prepare you for careers as both a state-recognized social worker and a state-recognized social pedagogue.
In the full-time study format, you can study without Numerus Clausus (NC), and the curriculum combines theoretical foundations with practical, career-relevant learning. The program also offers a range of elective options so you can shape your studies around your interests.
🎯 Course & Curriculum
Course structure
- You build core knowledge for practice in social work, with a strong focus on understanding people and social issues.
- You develop the skills needed for theory-to-practice work through structured learning activities.
- The program is designed as a full-time bachelor with a later integrated practice phase.
- You deepen learning in areas such as justice-related topics, counselling and support, and related subject foundations.
- The integrated practice element is part of your bachelor pathway toward professional preparation.
- You continue building competencies that support work in youth services and counselling settings.
- From the 5th semester you have the option to add additional modules in psychosocial counselling and conflict management.
- The bachelor includes an integrated practice field placement with a duration of 100 days.
- You focus on applied preparation for professional roles in social work.
- If you choose the additional modules in psychosocial counselling and conflict management after the 4th semester, the regular study time can extend to 7 semesters.
- In that case, the program path leads to a higher total credit point target as published by the university.
Career outcomes
- You prepare for regulated professional pathways as a state-recognised social worker and state-recognised social pedagogue after completing the bachelor.
- The integrated 100-day field placement helps you graduate with practical experience and readiness for work in youth services and welfare settings.
- You gain job-relevant skills for roles in youth offices, welfare organisations, schools, hospitals, and counselling contexts such as addiction counselling.
- The program supports career entry across multiple client groups, including children and youth, families, older people, and people with disabilities.
- By offering specialisation options in psychosocial counselling and conflict management, you can align your studies with higher-responsibility counselling and support roles.
Employability rate
Social work graduates in Germany typically see an employability rate of around 88% and an unemployment rate of about 12%, reflecting steady demand in public and welfare-sector employers.
Together, these figures point to a stable career outlook with reliable opportunities in youth services, social counselling, and community-based support settings.
✅ Entry Requirements
Academic qualification
| Requirement | Details |
|---|---|
| Secondary school leaving qualification and/or foreign higher-education entrance | International applicants must have a secondary-school qualification that qualifies them for direct entry to a bachelor’s degree in their home country. If your secondary qualification does not provide direct German university entrance eligibility, you may be able to take the Hochschule Fresenius admission assessment (Feststellungsprüfung / Aufnahmeprüfung) described by the university for international secondary school credentials. |
Language requirements
The program is taught in German, so international applicants need proof of German proficiency to study effectively. If you do not yet meet the required language level, plan for German preparation as early as possible.
💶 Fees & Funding
| Item | Amount | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Tuition | EUR 545 / per month | Monthly studies fee for the bachelor program (as shown on the program’s key facts for Köln and Hamburg). |
| Semester fee | EUR 0 / per semester | Semester contribution details are published separately; this structured page keeps the semester fee amount as 0 where an official exact figure is not available in the sources extracted for this program page. |
| Application fee | EUR 695 / one time | One-time application fee shown as Anmeldegebühr on the program’s key facts. |
Proof of financial resources
For Germany student visas, you must show you have sufficient funds for your stay. The university and German immigration guidance may require you to provide financial proof documents (such as bank balance details) during the visa and/or enrollment process.
Important dates
Application window
| Milestone | October - Winter intake | April - Summer intake |
|---|---|---|
| Application portal opens | N/A | N/A |
| Application deadline (final submit) | N/A | N/A |
| Application deadline (EU students) | N/A | N/A |
| Application deadline (Non-EU students) | N/A | N/A |
| Recommended apply-by | N/A | N/A |
| Semester begins | N/A | N/A |
Pre-application & reviews
| Milestone | October - Winter intake | April - Summer intake |
|---|---|---|
| VPD request - recommended | N/A | N/A |
| VPD result expected | N/A | N/A |
| APS - recommended | N/A | N/A |
| Start eligibility check | N/A | N/A |
Document submission deadlines
| Milestone | October - Winter intake | April - Summer intake |
|---|---|---|
| Application submission deadline | N/A | N/A |
| Document submission deadline (EU students) | N/A | N/A |
| Document submission deadline (Non-EU students) | N/A | N/A |
| Language certificate deadline | N/A | N/A |
| Official transcripts deadline | N/A | N/A |
| Certified translations deadline | N/A | N/A |
| Postal / hard-copy documents deadline | N/A | N/A |
| Missing documents (if requested) | N/A | N/A |
📝 How to Apply
Check eligibility for international applicants
Review the university’s international admissions guidance and confirm that your school-leaving qualification qualifies you for bachelor studies in your home country. If your qualification does not directly match German university entrance eligibility, check the admission assessment option described by Hochschule Fresenius. Collect documents early so you have enough time for credential preparation and verification.
Submit the application during the published intake period
Apply through the official university application process within the published application period for this bachelor program. The bachelor program is stated as NC-free, and the university indicates that admission depends on meeting the listed entry requirements rather than an NC. Ensure you complete all required fields and upload the requested documents before submission.
Provide language and academic documents for enrollment
Prepare the required language documentation for studying in German and submit it according to the university’s instructions during the application or enrollment workflow. Submit your academic transcripts and certificates that support your eligibility assessment for international applicants. Keep copies of everything you upload for immigration and enrollment purposes.