Angewandte Familienwissenschaften
HAW Hamburg · Hamburg, Germany
QS World University Ranking: N/A
Quick Overview
Apply Now📘 Program Overview
The HAW Hamburg offers Angewandte Familienwissenschaften as a continuing-education Master of Arts (M.A.) designed for professionals who want to deepen and qualify their work experience in the context of family, combining scientific training with strong practical relevance.
The programme is structured as a berufsbegleitend Master and is taught in a way that supports work alongside study, with compact presence phases and modular coursework leading to the Master degree.
🎯 Course & Curriculum
Course structure
- Foundations of Applied Family Studies
- General family psychology and sociology of the family
- Clinical family psychology introduction
- Academic and practical application modules to build professional competences
- Cultures of the family and family and migration perspectives
- Politics, law, and economics of the family
- Scientific working module to strengthen empirical and research-related skills
- Application competence for research using qualitative and quantitative empirical social research methods
- Application competence for advising
- Application competence for leading and managing (Führen und Leiten)
- Master thesis with research colloquium
- Professional integration of research, advising, and leadership competences into a final research project
Curriculum
Weiterbildender Masterstudiengang Angewandte Familienwissenschaften (M.A.) an HAW Hamburg: insgesamt 90 LP (ECTS), modularisiert mit 11 Modulen über 5 Semester.
| Semester | No. of modules | Module / subject category | ECTS | Semester total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Semester 1 | 3 modules | Grundlagen der Angewandten Familienwissenschaften | 12 | 24 |
| Wissenschaftliches Arbeiten | 6 | |||
| Allgemeine Familienpsychologie | 6 | |||
| Semester 2 | 3 modules | Soziologie der Familien | 6 | 18 |
| Klinische Familienpsychologie | 6 | |||
| Kulturen der Familie | 6 | |||
| Semester 3 | 2 modules | Familie und Beratung (Anwendungsmodul, Teil 1: Forschen verpflichtend) | 6 | 12 |
| Familie und Migration | 6 | |||
| Semester 4 | 3 modules | Familie und Beratung (Anwendungsmodul, Teil 2: Forschen plus gewählter Strang Führen und Leiten oder Beraten) | 6 | 18 |
| Politik, Recht und Ökonomie der Familie | 6 | |||
| Familienbezogenes Praxisprojekt / Projektarbeit im Anwendungsstrang | 6 | |||
| Semester 5 | 2 modules | Masterthesis mit Forschungskolloquium | 18 | 30 |
| Abschlussbezogenes Forschungskolloquium / Begleitung der Masterthesis | 12 | |||
| Total | 11 modules across 5 semesters (including Masterthesis). | 90 ECTS | ||
Career outcomes
- You deepen your professional practice in family-related settings and can move into management, leadership, and advisory roles connected to family services and welfare institutions.
- You build scientifically grounded competencies for planning, implementing, and evaluating family-related support and counselling work, helping you become a more competitive candidate in the social sector.
- You strengthen applied research skills through methods-focused modules, which supports roles that require evidence-based decision-making and program development.
- You gain interdisciplinary expertise (psychology, sociology, clinical perspectives, law and policy, and migration) that fits employers working across families, social services, and community support.
- Because this is a professionally oriented continuing-education master, you can apply what you learn directly alongside your work experience and graduate with practical, role-ready skills.
- You obtain an M.A. degree from HAW Hamburg that supports long-term career progression into specialist and leadership positions within public and non-profit organisations.
Employability rate
Graduates in family-related education, social work and related applied social-science fields 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 family services, counselling, and community and welfare organisations.
✅ Entry Requirements
Academic qualification
| Requirement | Details |
|---|---|
| Bachelor's degree or equivalent | International applicants need a completed relevant higher-education degree with at least 210 CP (ECTS). If your first degree has fewer credits/learning points, the university may recognise and credit prior learning qualifications where applicable. |
| Professional experience | In addition to the first degree, applicants must have relevant professional practice experience for in general at least one year. |
Module matching by study area
| Study area | Match possible? | Conditions |
|---|---|---|
| Education & Training |
Language requirements
This programme is taught in German. If your higher education entrance qualification was not obtained at a German-speaking institution, you must submit proof of sufficient German language skills with your application for admission.
MOI (Medium of Instruction)
MOI waiver details are not published for this programme. See the English test requirements above.
💶 Fees & Funding
| Item | Amount | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Semester fee | EUR 397 / per semester | Semester contribution for winter semester 2026/27 including semester- and Deutschland ticket: 397 € (as published on the HAW Hamburg fees page). |
| Tuition | EUR 8500 / total program | Study fee: 8,500 € total for the standard period of study (Regelstudienzeit), as stated on the programme page. |
Proof of financial resources
For your Germany study permit, you must be able to finance your stay. Prepare proof of funds that meets Germany's immigration requirements for international students, and keep it available for your visa/entry process.
- Proof of sufficient funds for studies in Germany as required for the student visa/residence permit process
- Any additional evidence of financial support that you can use during the visa/immigration process
Important dates
Application window
| Milestone | October - Winter intake |
|---|---|
| Application portal opens | N/A |
| Application deadline (final submit) | November 28, 2025 |
| Application deadline (EU students) | N/A |
| Application deadline (Non-EU students) | N/A |
| Recommended apply-by | N/A |
| Semester begins | N/A |
Pre-application & reviews
| Milestone | October - Winter intake |
|---|---|
| VPD request - recommended | N/A |
| VPD result expected | N/A |
| APS - recommended | N/A |
| Start eligibility check | N/A |
Document submission deadlines
| Milestone | October - Winter intake |
|---|---|
| Application submission deadline | N/A |
| Document submission deadline (EU students) | N/A |
| Document submission deadline (Non-EU students) | N/A |
| Language certificate deadline | N/A |
| Official transcripts deadline | N/A |
| Certified translations deadline | N/A |
| Postal / hard-copy documents deadline | N/A |
| Missing documents (if requested) | N/A |
📝 How to Apply
Prepare your documents and eligibility evidence
International applicants should verify that they meet the master-specific entry requirements, including a relevant first degree with sufficient credits and relevant professional experience. Prepare your letter of motivation and CV, and collect your degree certificates and supporting documents for continuing education and professional practice. If German proof is required for you, arrange the official language certificate before submitting the application.
Submit your application to HAW Hamburg during the application period
HAW Hamburg requires you to apply during the published application period for the intended intake. Submit the required documents by email to the master application address listed on the programme's prospective-students page. After the application window closes, the admissions committee reviews valid applications and may invite you to an interview and/or an entrance examination as appropriate.
Complete any interview and/or entrance examination (if invited)
If the admissions committee decides you need additional assessment, you may be invited to an interview and/or to take an entrance examination. Follow the instructions in the invitation carefully, including any deadlines for preparing documents or evidence. After assessment, the selection decision will be made based on eligibility of the preliminary studies and available study places.