Evangelische Fachhochschule Freiburg
Protestant University of Applied Sciences

The Protestant School of Social Work in Freiburg is a college belonging to the Protestant Church of Baden ( Evangelische Landeskirche in Baden), which is the name of the area lying in the South-West of Germany and belongs to the State of Baden-Württemberg. It specializes in the field of higher education for Social Work, Social Pedagogy and Religious Education.

The „Fachhochschule“ offers 115 openings for each academic year and all together there are approximately 550 students studying at one time.Entrance (October) from secondary school, technical or commercial education with honours, professional education as pre-school teacher.

The students of Social Work, Social Pedagogy and Religious Education obtain a degree (Diploma of Social Work, Social Pedagogy or Religious Education -State Certificate for Social Work and Social Pedagogy) after a 4-year study ( sandwich system ) which includes two consecutive 6-months’ periods of field placement* in the 3rd year. One semester of the field placement should be carried out in the area of direct social services and one semester is spent in the area of administrative and management services.The students of Religious Education spend one year in a parish. More and more students are doing part of their field placement in a foreign country.

The 1st year of college is primarily geared toward general introductions in different areas of studies: Psychology, Sociology, Law, Theology and Pedagogy. In addition, courses in social work methodology are taught in smaller seminar groups: Casework, Group Work,Family Work, Community Organisation and Research.Arts, crafts and sports are additional courses throughout the 1st, 2nd and 4th year.During the Introductory Phase the curriculum for both diploma courses is identical. Religious Education offers a seperate curriculum in the 1st year combining theology and human science subjects.

In the 2nd and 4th year students are more free to choose the subjects and classes on which they want to put their main emphasis . In addition there is 1/2 day per week of practical training with supervision.The Curriculum at the Protestant School of Social Work consists of Generic Core and Special Core Courses (Social Work or Social Pedagogy) and provides a variety of options (areas of concentration):

Social Work

• Work with the mentally ill
• Social work with juvenile and adult offenders
• Social work with disadvantaged groups (i.e. women, refugees)
• Social work in the administrative and economic system

Social Pedagogy

• Work with children and adolescents
• Adult Education and Work with the Elderly
• Work with physically disabled and handicapped
• Work with emotionally and behaviourally disturbed children.

This „integrated“ form of field placement is practised in the southern „states“ of the Federal Republick of Germany. (Other „states“ offer their field placement in the last year of studies : 3 years in college with diploma, 1 year „on the job“ training with state certification as State Certified Social Worker or Social Pedagogue.<

An additional voluntary course of study leads to a special Certificate „sport-related social work“.In cooperation with the „Südbadische Sportschule Steinbach“ the Fachhochschule offers training in „sports-related youth and social work for disadvantaged children and adolescents“<

Religious Education

• The ministry of deacons/deaconesses in parishes and church run institutions
• Educational Work with children, adolescents and adults
• Religious Education in Public Schools
• Pastoral counselling and social services (diakonia)

At the end of this theoretical and practical education students write a dissertation concerning a special issue of social work,social pedagogy or relgious education and after passing their final oral exams they receive a diploma and a certificate as State accredited Social Worker or Social Pedagogue<

Infrastructure

• modern spacious educational facility
• audio-visual-center
• Library with individual work areas
• Computer lab
• Special rooms and workshops for arts and various activities
• Institute for Practice Oriented Research
• Institute for Advanced and Continuing Education
• Children’s day care centre
• Cafeteria

Address

Evangelische Fachhochschule Freiburg

Hochschule für Soziale Arbeit, Diakonie und Religionspädagogik

Buggingerstr. 38
D- 79114 Freiburg
Telephone: +49/ (0)761-4781-0
Telefax: +49/ (0)76-147812-30
E-mail: