Master Soziale Arbeit* (M.A.)

Your studies in Social Work are opening a whole new range of opportunities for you and your career. Be ready to make an impact and to work in an industry as diverse as your learned skills. 

Flexible, versatile, practical: you can complete your Master's degree in Social Work 100% online as an IU distance learning programme and remain independent at all times. Early bird or night owl? No matter which learning type you are, your IU study programme is tailored to your individual needs. Thanks to the innovative learning app IU Learn and the online campus myCampus, you can study independently around the clock. In addition, you have a unique mix of digital tools, virtual live formats and an interactive online community at your disposal. So that you always stay on the move and can incorporate your Master's degree into your everyday life regardless of location. 

Our free student advisory service has all the answers for you! We take the time to advise you individually and without obligation.

With a Master's degree, you can not only expand, deepen and specialise your knowledge in a specific subject area. In the course of your IU studies, you will also be taught more in-depth content, methodologies and skills, which many employers regard as an additional professional qualification. In many professions, a Master's degree is a prerequisite for a career or an academic career. In addition to significantly more attractive career opportunities, possible experience abroad and valuable contacts in the business world, you can usually also expect a significantly better starting salary. This means that an internationally recognised Master's degree offers you a whole repertoire of advantages that you could be denied with a pure Bachelor's degree. 

The Master's programme in Social Work at the IU International University of Applied Sciences enables you to manage social projects with confidence and to actively participate in shaping them. With your Master's degree, you will also fulfil the requirements for a subsequent doctoral programme or postgraduate training as a Child and Adolescent Psychotherapist. You will learn not only how to better understand complex interrelationships and how to optimally control processes. Your knowledge in the fields of Social Work Research, Clinical Psychology or Social Pedagogy will also be further deepened. Depending on the chosen focus, you can also acquire further skills in the areas of Early Childhood Education and Upbringing, Clinical Social Work, Health Promotion, Social Space Orientation or Network Work. 

Reacting professionally to professional challenges and development tasks is just as much a part of your job in Social Work as Planning, Managing and Implementing social projects. With your Master's degree in Social Work, you will acquire the necessary qualifications to start a career in higher service or to pursue doctoral studies. Your career opportunities are also almost limitless due to social developments. Which is why you will later be responsible for the Management, Coordination and Administration of a Child and Youth welfare institution. Or as Head of Social Services you will manage, plan and develop innovative concepts for individual and group services in your institution. Alternatively, you can complete postgraduate training as a Child and Youth Psychotherapist (KJP) to later diagnose and treat mental disorders. 

Please note that upon completion of the master’s programme in Social Work, you will not be awarded the title of "Staatlich anerkannte:r Sozialpädagog:in" (licensed social education worker) in accordance with the Thuringian Social Professions Recognition Act (ThürSozAnerkG). If you wish to be awarded state recognition as a social worker or social education worker, you must complete the bachelor’s programme in Social Work as well as an internship for recognition. You can find out more about state recognition here.