As a broad-based course of study, the Master in Social Work builds upon the Bachelor’s degree or an equivalent higher education qualification. It goes more deeply into the knowledge acquired in the Bachelor’s course and provides a grounded scientific overview of the subject.

Students acquire the means to develop approaches and models to engage with complex tasks, carry out research and conduct wide-ranging interdisciplinary projects. They are able to take an active part in the theoretical development of the discipline and profession of social work, and anticipate, instigate and implement future models and development possibilities. Graduates of the course are able to identify and manage organisational processes. Using their specialist professional knowledge and competence, they are qualified to analyse evolving problematic situations and the particular environmental, group and generational characteristics of these situations.

The course of studies enables students to further develop social work: to develop new models and approaches in a scientific, systematic manner, to plan and conduct research and to control complex projects. Areas of work include demanding line and staff functions in public administration, in private non-profit organisations, in the education sector or in international organisations. Successful graduation from the degree programme qualifies students to work on a doctoral dissertation.