Hochschule Düsseldorf
University of Applied Sciences
Fachbereich Sozial- & Kulturwissenschaften
Faculty of Social Sciences and Cultural Studies

MA Social Work and Peda­gogy with a Focus on Psycho­social Coun­selling

HSD - Social Sciences and Cultural Studies > English > Study Programmes > MA Social Work and Pedagogy with a Focus on Psychosocial Counselling

Profile

Psychosocial counselling includes both formal and informal processes of professional communication, which focus on promoting and strengthening people’s personal and social resources.

Psychosocial counselling is therefore essential task and key competence in many professional fields of social work and early childhood education. The study programme deepens practiceoriented knowledge acquired in a bachelor’s programme, in professional practice and potentially also in specific trainings. It also focusses on reflective competences, which are especially important in psychosocial counselling.

Consequently, our approach in the master’s programme is to combine counselling practice with counselling research.

In accordance with the spirit of a university of applied sciences, you study different topics of psychological counselling in theory and practice. Thus, as a graduate, you will have both a research as well as a (counselling) practice orientation.

Module Manual (PDF)

Please note: The language of instruction is mainly German.


 

Career Options

The study programme teaches you competences for various areas: counselling for clients of any age as well as their relatives or even work in counselling research.

It aims at all professional fields which include psychosocial counselling, e.g.

  • institutions which provide explicit or implicit counselling services (e.g. open childhood and youth work, counselling for parents, work with older people)
  • counselling in cooperation with families in family centres and family education centres, day care for children, all-day schools and in the context of open childhood and youth work
  • school social work
  • psychosocial counselling services
  • social psychiatric and sociotherapeutic facilities
  • private and freelance counselling services

You could also work in institutions involved in counselling research and evaluation – e.g. in universities and institutes researching psychosocial counselling.

In addition, this degree qualifies you for admission to further training in child and adolescent psychotherapy.
 

Capacities:

​Key facts

 

Language of 
instruction
​Mainly German
Degree​Master of Arts (MA)
Normal programme length3 semesters (full-time)
Study programme begins​Winter semester
Application​Find out how and when to apply:
Degree seeking students
Exchange students
Allocation of places​Restricted admission **
General admission requirements
Go to admission requirements
Special admission requirements1. Bachelor’s degree or a comparable degree from a higher education institution in social work or early childhood education (or a comparable study programme) with an overall grade of 2.5 (‘good’ according to the German grading system) or better.
2. Proof of relevant practical experience and academic achievements​.
Application with a provisional grade*
​Possible
​Period abroad
​Possible
​​Postgraduate study programmes at HSD e.g. doctoral studies
​Summary of key information​Flyer (PDF)

​Information for international applicants Go to information for international applicants

 
*A provisional grade is the average grade of all your examination results available at the time of application. This is a temporary solution in case you do not have a final grade yet.

**The restricted admission is subject to approval by the Ministry for culture and academic affairs of North Rhine-Westphalia (MKW).