The team of the Faculty of Social Sciences welcomes you at the Georg-Simon-Ohm University of Applied Sciences in Nuremberg. We are pleased that you are interested in our student exchange programme. You will find further information about the following here:
A semester in Nuremberg will offer you experience with social work in Germany and a chance to get to know the German education system, culture and tradition.
The academic year at our university, as at most German universities, is divided into two terms: the so-called "Wintersemester" (winter term) and the so-called "Sommersemester" (summer term). The winter term begins at the beginning of October and ends in the middle of March of the following year. The summer term begins in mid-March and ends on September 30th. However, the lecture periods run only from mid-October until mid-January (winter term) and mid-March until the end of June (summer term). Each lecture period is followed by an examination period for all written exams. The remaining time is the semester break (so-called "Vorlesungsfreie Zeit") which is intended for writing papers, doing project work, etc.
We are looking forward to hearing from you and to meeting you in Nuremberg!
General Information about the Faculty of Social Sciences
Social work education started at the Georg-Simon-Ohm University of Applied Sciences Nuremberg over 30 years ago. Recently, the degree “Diploma in Social Work” was replaced by the Bachelor and Master programmes as part of the major changes in social work education in Germany in the context of the Bologna process. The new study structure has enabled the department to integrate suggestions from recent social work practice and theory. The new curriculum focuses on current issues, cross-section subjects and reflection of practical experience. The aim of our courses is to enable professional and personal growth and the programme educates future social workers to be flexible in a rapidly changing society and profession.
The research interests of our faculty and students mirror the variety of social work in society, ranging from child protection to social work with drug addicts to community building. Our alumni work in various fields of social work, in national and international contexts.
Currently, about 1,230 students are enrolled in three study programmes. More than 300 new students are admitted to the B.A. Social Work programme each year. The teaching staff consists of 31 professors, five lecturers and numerous visiting lecturers from various fields of social work.
The faculty building offers students a wide range of facilities for studying and socialising, e.g., a library, a cafeteria, two computer labs with high-speed internet access and various places for group projects.
Depending on the number of students and the learning objectives, different types of classes and seminars which use a range of learning and teaching techniques are offered: lectures, exercises and seminars, projects, practical trainings, field trips and placements. There are also different forms of examinations like written and oral exams, term papers, in-class presentations, project work and practical tests. Usually, students are assessed according to the German grading system (see below), but some courses are assessed only with the marks "pass" or "fail".
Conversion table:
Bachelor of Arts in Social Work
The faculty offers a 210 ECTS (7 semesters) Bachelor of Arts in Social Work programme. The programme includes a short-term placement (16 days) during the 2nd or 3rd semester and a full semester of placement (22 weeks), which should usually be taken in the 4th or 5th semester. Further information can be found in the module descriptions.
The study philosophy of the B.A. in Social Work programme is a general approach to cover all aspects and requirements of employment in the field of social work and social pedagogy. The programme integrates not only practical guided placement periods accompanied by theoretical studies and supervision, but also theoretical approaches to social work and social pedagogy. Studies include knowledge, theory and skills in the science of social work, social pedagogy, pedagogy, psychology, sociology, law, political science and medicine.
The holistic view is focused in a later phase of the programme by studies in special fields of social work: work with children, youth, families, the elderly or handicapped people, adult education, social management, media pedagogy, international and intercultural social work, gender, rehabilitation, health care etc. Thus, on the one hand, students have the opportunity to gain a general approach to the professional field of social work by studying in the professional context of one special field of social work; on the other hand, the choice of compulsory electives allows them to build a profile for a later practice in several professional areas. Students acquire knowledge, skills and attitudes by project-based studies in close contact with practical problems that are usually developed from research results and consultancy within the department in fields of specialisation. Studies are organised in modules, which can be chosen individually every semester. Some modules are only open for registration after completing the prerequisite courses.
The programme offers cross-section modules in addition to the specialisation modules. Details can be found in the module descriptions.
For further information on the course see:
The 30 ETCS Programme for Incomings
Please note that almost all lectures and seminars in the above mentioned courses are held in German. Nevertheless, in order to support foreign students and to facilitate the selection of classes offered by the Faculty of Social Sciences, we have developed a 30 ECTS programme in English. The programme offers students knowledge about the theory and practice of social work in Germany and encourages them to relate this understanding to developments in their own country. The programme consists of a project, four modules taught in English and a 6-week placement in a social work institution. It begins twice a year (at the beginning of October and mid-March) and lasts for about four months. In order to offer international students a variety of subjects, students are able to choose within particular modules. This enables students to enhance their personal and professional competences.
If you are interested in the programme, it is very important to contact the faculty before the exchange in order to adapt the structure and requirements of the programme to your individual expectations and needs.
Detailed information on the programme is available here:
Contact:
Prof. Dr. Horst Unbehaun
Email: horst.unbehaun@ohm-hochschule.de
Tel.: +49 911 5880 2590
Bachelor of Arts in Lifelong Education
Furthermore, the department offers a part-time study course for child and youth care workers who want to develop their professional skills and knowledge:
Master of Arts in Social Work
On a postgraduate level, the faculty offers the 90 ECTS (three semesters) Master of Arts in Social Work. The prerequisites for the M.A. programme include a first undergraduate degree in social work or a related discipline with a final mark of at least good (“B”) and a qualifying examination.
The M.A. programme aims at broadening knowledge and professional competence in one or several special subjects. The programme aims at developing the student’s professional standing in the expanding and challenging field of professional social work. It is particularly designed to assist students in acquiring competences for executive positions in order to optimise social services and tailor them to particular needs of service users. The course deepens professional knowledge in human resources, development and coordination tasks in social organisation taught in the B.A. programme. In addition, the curriculum includes courses on social research and social work management, which focus on the links between various reference sciences, e.g., sociology, pedagogy, law, political science and business administration. The intensive study of social work history, present practice and future as a science and profession with its own characteristics is aimed at increasing the participation in professional and academic discourses on the development of social work in a wider social policy context. The close connection between theoretical approaches to social work and social work practice characterises this programme, which is to be finished with a research-oriented M.A. thesis.
Further information on the programme:
