Shaping the future of social work – we offer you valuable impulses and opportunities for further education! With our part-time degree programme in social management, you can bring your knowledge and skills up to date. The degree programme prepares you excellently for management positions and tasks in social organisations. If you are not yet sure whether the degree programme is right for you, you can book modules individually and also decide to study later.
Social Management (MA)
Management & Leadership in Social Work
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Degree:
Master of Arts
Type:
Part time
Advanced Master's program
Course language:
German
Standard study period:
6 semesters
Start of study:
Summer semester
Application deadline:
01/12 – 31/03 (free of admission)
Admission requirements:
First university degree with professional qualification, professional experience and work of at least 15 h/week in an institution/organisation with a constitutive social work or social pedagogical mission during studies
Profile
Source:
ZEW
Study social management: Do I even need it?
The clear answer: Yes! Because professional management is essential for social institutions and enterprises. Whether legal frameworks, organisational development, financing or public relations - the part-time master's programme in social management optimally prepares you for a leading position in a social institution.
The focus of the master's in social management is on management and leadership. The focus is particularly on the management and organisation of social institutions as well as corporate culture. You will deal with basic questions of social and economic sciences and reflect on social work in a social context. In a practical research project you will combine your own experiences with scientific knowledge and apply your acquired knowledge.
The University of Applied Sciences Potsdam has experienced and highly qualified lecturers. The programme is professionally and purposefully structured in terms of content and didactics. The practical implementation of the taught content is the central concern, so that you can independently develop solutions and set your own impulses.
Your advantages at a glance
- Advance your career: With the master's programme, you have excellent career opportunities and are qualified for management tasks.
- Maximum current and exclusive content: Expand your competences as well as your knowledge with the latest developments.
- From practice for practice – with case studies, practical research projects and, above all, the practical application of the content taught.
- We accompany you on your way to becoming a manager: Benefit from personal contact persons and individual support.
- Best-in-class lecturers and experts from theory and practice: Learn from those who know the practice and are passionate about their subject.
- Study in small groups: We ensure learning success and individual learning development through compact group sizes.
- Study part-time: The classroom sessions usually take place on fridays and saturdays. usually take place on fridays and saturdays. This means that you can easily integrate the dates into your everyday working life.
- Study location: The attendance weekends take place at the University of Applied Sciences Potsdam. It is one of the smaller and exclusive universities, which is characterised by its excellent lecturers, its family atmosphere, its beautiful campus and its good accessibility.
- Practical research project: Priority is given to the application-oriented transfer of the content taught. You will implement what you have learned within the framework of a comprehensive and intensive practical research project with a view to your job-related challenges and your career goals. This ensures concrete, long-term and sustainable learning success. You will be intensively accompanied by the lecturers.
Study or further education? You decide!
We offer the opportunity to study flexibly so that you can tailor your qualification requirements to what is important to you at the time:
- Full degree programme: study Social Management part-time and graduate with a Master of Arts.
- Individual modules: Take individual modules from the social management degree programme and receive a certificate of attendance or a university certificate.
- CAS programmes: Deepen your knowledge in a specific area of social management with our CAS programmes.
Would you like to complete the entire degree programme later? No problem, because we can recognise your academic achievements.
Interviews with lecturers
Further education
Interview
Practical and inspiring: Lecturers of the Master's degree programme in Social Management provide insights into their expertise and teaching activities as well as their motivation – Marc Schlote
Experience social management up close! In an exclusive series of interviews, our lecturers give you a look behind the scenes. Learn how practical seminars not only challenge students, but also encourage them. Discover why experienced experts have chosen the FH Potsdam and what insights they have to…
Further education
Interview
Social Management – Practical and Inspiring: Interview with Daniela Galetto
Experience social management up close! In an exclusive series of interviews, our lecturers give you a look behind the scenes. Learn how practical seminars not only challenge students, but also encourage them. Discover why experienced experts have chosen the FH Potsdam and what insights they have to…
Further education
Interview
Social Management – Practical and Inspiring: Interview with Christiane Biedermann
Experience Social Management up close! In an exclusive series of interviews, our lecturers give you a look behind the scenes. Learn how practical seminars not only challenge students, but also encourage them. Discover why experienced experts have chosen the FH Potsdam and what insights they have to…
Further education
Interview
Social Management – Practical and Inspiring: Interview with Jan Schlotter
Experience social management up close! In an exclusive series of interviews, our lecturers give you a look behind the scenes. Learn how practical seminars not only challenge students, but also encourage them. Discover why experienced experts have chosen the FH Potsdam and what insights they have to…
Contact
The colleagues at the student counselling service provide information to prospective students, first-year students, parents, teachers and students on all general questions about the degree programme. For specific questions and concerns about the part-time master's programme in social management, please contact the Ssubject counselling service.
Subject Counselling Service
Academic staff member for theory and practice of social work, family/youth and programme development Social Management (M. A.), curriculum planning
These degree programmes might also interest you
More courses| Department | Degree programme | Teaching language | Start of study | Application deadline |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| |
Childhood Studies and Children's Rights (MA) | English | Winter semester | Note: This degree programme will no longer be offered from winter semester 2024/25
|
| |
Early Childhood Studies (MA) | German | Winter semester | 15/06 – 15/10 (free of admission)
|
| |
MA Social Work with a Focus on the Family | German | Winter semester | 15.05. – 22.06. (NC degree program)
|
| |
Social Management (MA) | German | Summer semester | 01/12 – 31/03 (free of admission)
|
Career Prospects
Career prospects
No question: well-trained professionals with management expertise are in high demand in the social sector. After completing your studies, you can cover two specialist areas - management and social work - and thus qualify yourself primarily for the management level.
Social managers find good career opportunities in all practical fields of the social sector – whether in non-governmental organisations (NGOs), foundations or in the private sector.
Prospects in the social sector and in the free economy
The combination of management and social work gives our graduates a professional expertise that is in high demand in various fields. The fields of work of social managers include:
- Economic management of homes, foundations, charities and social institutions
- Human resources management
- Consulting for social institutions
Prospects in the public service
Graduates of the master's degree programme in social management fulfil all the requirements under career law for the higher civil service in a public employment relationship.
These degree programmes might also interest you
More courses| Department | Degree programme | Teaching language | Start of study | Application deadline |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| |
Childhood Studies and Children's Rights (MA) | English | Winter semester | Note: This degree programme will no longer be offered from winter semester 2024/25
|
| |
Early Childhood Studies (MA) | German | Winter semester | 15/06 – 15/10 (free of admission)
|
| |
MA Social Work with a Focus on the Family | German | Winter semester | 15.05. – 22.06. (NC degree program)
|
| |
Social Management (MA) | German | Summer semester | 01/12 – 31/03 (free of admission)
|
Study Content
Course of studies
The master of social management is a part-time programme with six semesters and concludes with a master of arts degree. In the module overview you will find the compact and in-depth courses. Modules can also be booked individually as advanced training. An overview of all modules can be found further down the page.
| Semester 1 – 3 | Subject modules |
| Semester 4 | Subject modules, project |
| Semester 5 | Subject modules, project, compulsory elective module |
| Semester 6 | Master's thesis, master's colloquium |
Study content
The knowledge transfer in the social management degree programme takes place in a blended learning format. Here, e-learning courses are combined with face-to-face sessions to offer you great flexibility in organising your daily study routine.
The face-to-face events extend over two to three days and primarily serve as an introduction to the topics, reflection, exercises and exchange among each other. They usually take place once a month. Between the attendance events, you work independently and are supported by an online learning platform and accompanied by teachers.
The attendance weekends take place at the University of Applied Sciences Potsdam. It is one of the smaller and exclusive universities, which is characterised by its excellent lecturers, its family atmosphere, its beautiful campus and its good accessibility.
Teaching formats
- Classroom events
- Self-study via online learning platform
Subject modules
- Leadership and management compact
- Organisational Development and Financing Compact
- Social Policy, Social Work and Social Management
- Advanced course in leadership and management
- Specialisation in Organisational Development
- Financial Policy
- Law
Electives
- Project management
- Quality development
Project
- Carrying out a limited research project that combines the theoretical content of the degree programme with questions from practice
Thesis
- Independent writing of a master's thesis
Module overview
In the currently valid module handbooks and study and examination regulations of the social and educational sciences department you will find the module overview, a detailed description of the modules and study contents as well as the study plan for the social management degree programme.
Module 1: Leading and managing compactly
The module provides a systematic overview of scientific foundations, concepts and discourse perspectives on leadership and human resource management in social institutions.
Module 2: Organisational development and financing compact
The module provides a systematic overview of scientific foundations, concepts and discourse perspectives of organisational development from concept development to marketing and financial planning in social institutions.
Module 3: Social Policy, Social Work and Social Management
The module deals with basic questions of social policy and social management with regard to the specifics of social work. It poses the question of the extent to which social management can make a contribution to impact-oriented social work or whether this is not rather a myth of rationality?
Module 4: Deepening Leadership and Direction Part 1
The module deepens the view of instruments and specifics of personnel development in social institutions. The motivation to take up a social profession and a leadership role is discussed, and one's own leadership style is reflected upon. Concrete leadership situations are dealt with. The conduct of conversations in the context of staff appraisals and in negotiations plays an important role.
Module 5: Deepening Leadership and Direction Part 2
Health management as well as gender and diversity management are no longer justified normatively (or morally) in modern human resource management, but also economically. The module deals with the background, goals, instruments and effects of these concepts of modern management.
Module 6: Deepening organisational development
Organisational development is usually accompanied by change processes that give rise to resistance and conflicts. The module deals with these dynamics and teaches tools for recognising and managing conflicts.
Module 7: Fiscal Policy
Knowledge and understanding of financial policy and controlling instruments are prerequisites for successful management. The module teaches the essential tools and their possible applications in the context of controlling social institutions.
Module 8: Law
In addition to social legislation, the legal areas of "non-profit status" and "labour law" play a special role for institutions and organisations in the field of education and social work. The module deals with the current legal situation and its application using practical examples.
Electives
Project management, quality development
Application & Contact
Dates & requirements for your application
The most important deadlines, dates and admission requirements for the part-time master's programme in social management are compiled here. You can find out which steps you need to take for a successful application in the next section.
Dates
- by 31st of March: submit enrolment application
Access requirements
- First professional university degree (210 ECTS credits), on which the master's programme in further education builds in a meaningful way.
- At least one year of professional experience in the field of social work or education
- Work during studies (at least 15 hours per week) in an institution/establishment with a social work or social education mandate
Costs
- Semester contribution and fees amounting to 1,650 euros per semester.
- Notes: Graduates of the University of Applied Sciences Potsdam receive a five percent reduction. The continuing education programme is exempt from VAT.
This is how you apply!
Do you meet the admission requirements? Then you have the opportunity to submit an enrolment application for the summer semester from 1st of December to 31st of March on the MyCampus university portal of the University of Applied Sciences Potsdam.
Once you have submitted your online application for enrolment, submit the completed application, printed and signed, together with all required documents in paper form. The date of receipt at the University of Applied Sciences Potsdam is decisive.
Documents to be submitted
- University degree certificate(s)
- Proof of practical work experience in the field of social work or education
- Proof of work during studies in an institution/organisation with a constitutive social work or social education assignment
Additional coursework and examinations to be taken
After enrolment, the examination board of the social and educational sciences department decides on the type and scope of additional study and examination credits to be taken for a degree with less than 210 ECTS credits.
Do you have questions about the enrolment procedure at the University of Applied Sciences Potsdam? We have compiled frequently asked questions and answers about enrolment and admission.
Further information
The following links provide you, and especially international applicants, with further information on the topics of application and enrolment at the University of Applied Sciences Potsdam.
International applicants
You would like to apply for studies from the first or a higher semester and have acquired your school-leaving qualification and/or university degree abroad? Then you can have degrees and achievements acquired abroad recognised and study with us.
Application & Enrolment Procedure
The application and study service provides information and advice on general questions regarding the application process, admission and enrolment at the University of Applied Sciences Potsdam, application for a higher semester, but also on topics such as compensation for disadvantages, part-time studies, waiting semesters and hardship applications.
Contact & Services
The student counselling service provides information and advice on general questions about studying as well as on topics such as choosing a degree programme, application, enrolment and study organisation.
For subject-specific questions on module content, credit transfer, examinations or study focus in the part-time master's programme in social management, the subject counselling service is the right place to go.
Subject Counselling Service
Academic staff member for theory and practice of social work, family/youth and programme development Social Management (M. A.), curriculum planning
Study and Examination Service
Room
014
Study Info Service
studien-info-service@fh-potsdam.de
bewerbungs-service@fh-potsdam.de
campuskarte@fh-potsdam.de
Study Service
studien-service@fh-potsdam.de
Exam Service
pruefungs-service@fh-potsdam.de
Family Affairs Commissioner
Room
026
Office hours
Tue and Thu 9.30 am – 1.30 pm
Commissioner for University Employees with Impairment
Room
201
Office hours
by arrangement
Contact Persons Department of Student Affairs
Study and Examination Service
Room
014
Study Info Service
studien-info-service@fh-potsdam.de
bewerbungs-service@fh-potsdam.de
campuskarte@fh-potsdam.de
Study Service
studien-service@fh-potsdam.de
Exam Service
pruefungs-service@fh-potsdam.de
Hauptsachbearbeiterin Bewerbungs- und Studien-Service
Sachbearbeiterin Bewerbungs- und Studien-Service
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