Who Benefits from the Bachelor’s Degree in Social Work via Distance Learning?

The distance learning programme in Social Work (B.A.) at Hochschule Fresenius is aimed at individuals who want to professionally support and accompany people in difficult life situations. The course is especially suitable for you if you are working in the social sector or are aiming for a position in social work, social pedagogy, child and youth welfare, or other fields of social support. This degree programme is also an option for career changers with professional experience in related fields such as education, nursing, upbringing, or administration, enabling you to obtain a state-recognised qualification with flexible learning formats.

Formal Admission Requirements in Detail

Depending on your previous education, various admission routes are available to you:

• General higher education entrance qualification (Abitur): You can enrol directly for the distance learning programme.
• Advanced technical college entrance qualification or subject-specific higher education entrance qualification: A direct start to studies is also possible, taking into account the federal state and, if applicable, the subject area.
• Professional access (without Abitur):
  • Completed at least two-year vocational training and at least two years of full-time professional experience in a subject-related area. Additionally, a subject-specific higher education entrance examination must be passed.
  • Master craftsman certificate or advanced training (e.g. specialist, technician, business administrator) with at least 400 hours of instruction. Here too, a higher education entrance examination is required.
  • Intermediate school leaving certificate and at least three years of vocational training with a final grade of 2.5 or better (if the grade is lower, an additional higher education entrance examination is necessary). Within the so-called ECTS agreement, 18 credit points must be achieved in the first semester or 30 in the first academic year.
• Start of studies at any time: Matriculation is possible every month.

Hochschule Fresenius does not apply a Numerus Clausus (NC). Recognition of prior learning (e.g. from previous studies or training) is possible after individual assessment.

The following personal requirements are helpful for a successful start to your studies:

• Interest in interpersonal processes, social issues, and social responsibility
• Empathy, openness and communication skills
• Capacity for reflection as well as willingness to engage with your own attitudes and actions
• Self-motivation, self-organisation and perseverance – especially in distance learning
• Willingness to gain practical experience through a 100-day professional internship
• Ability to work in a team and to handle diversity and challenging situations

Professional experience in social, pedagogical or care-related fields is advantageous but not mandatory.

Diverse Study Content – What You Learn in the Bachelor of Social Work

In the Bachelor distance learning programme Social Work at Hochschule Fresenius, you acquire a broad spectrum of knowledge for professional social work. The curriculum combines scientific fundamentals, a variety of methods, and practical experience:

• Basic knowledge: History, theories, and fields of work in social work; social and human sciences
• Professional ethics and professionalisation: Reflection on professional values and work ethics, self- and external perception
• Methodological and action competence: Communication, case understanding, procedures and techniques of social work, methodology of practice research
• Child and youth welfare: Specialised knowledge of child and youth welfare, preparation for working with young people and families
• Law and economics: Social legislation, law in different life phases and fields of work, economic fundamentals
• Diversity and inclusion: Gender, integration, inclusion, intercultural and age-related aspects of social work
• Healthcare and social work: Specific content on collaboration with patients, e.g. in the health or care sector
• Current challenges: Discourses on social exclusion, participation, deviance, and social control

Additionally, you choose an individual focus – either in “Culture, Aesthetics and Media in Social Work” or “Education, Training and Learning”. A one hundred-day professional field internship (integrated in the fifth semester) as well as a practical project ensure practice-oriented skills. After graduation, you will be able to recognise, analyse, and develop solutions to social problems together with those affected.

Flexible Study: Process, Structures and Examinations

The distance learning programme is designed for maximum flexibility and self-organisation:

• Duration & Structure: The standard period of study is six to twelve semesters. You can choose between 36, 48 or 72 months and adjust your learning pace at any time.
• Start: Study start is possible monthly – there are no fixed semester dates.
• Learning environment: All study content is provided via the digital campus “studynet”. Interactive study magazines, teaching videos, digital libraries and AI tools (e.g. NextGeneration:AI) are available to you. Studymags can be used digitally or, for an additional fee, as printed booklets.
• Support: Study coaches and lecturers accompany you with individual feedback, regular online consultation hours, and discussion forums.
• Attendance days: Eight attendance days in Cologne are scheduled throughout the course. The mandatory professional field internship includes 100 practical days and is ideally completed with a social employer.
• Examination forms: Hochschule Fresenius specifically uses alternative assessments, such as term papers, case studies, presentations, portfolio exams, or open-book exams. On-site exams are rare and largely avoided; instead, online exams and flexible 24/7 exams are standard.
• Degree: After successful completion, you earn the title “Bachelor of Arts” as well as state recognition as a social worker or social pedagogue (according to the current recommendations of professional associations).

The course can be easily combined with work and family. Switching between models or pacing is possible at any time, as is a free extension of up to 12 months.

Career Prospects – Where Do Graduates Work?

The Bachelor of Social Work opens up many deployment opportunities in the social sector. Typical fields of work include:

• Child and youth welfare (e.g. youth welfare offices, homes, family counselling)
• Social counselling, streetwork, socio-pedagogical family support
• Support for disabled and elderly people
• Social work in healthcare (clinical social services, psychiatry, rehabilitation centres)
• Migration, integration and refugee aid
• School social work, education sector and community work
• Social law advice and administration
• Pedagogical and social work leadership and coordination tasks

With the state-recognised Bachelor degree, you meet the formal requirements for numerous positions in the public and independent provider sectors. A subsequent Master’s degree – for example in Social Management, Pedagogy, or Psychosocial Counselling – is also possible. The methodological, legal, and social science qualifications acquired during the course are broadly applicable and in demand on the labour market.