Childhood Studies and Children's Rights (MACR) is for anyone who wants to work in the field of children's rights. The program enables you to bring a children's rights approach to the workplace and opens up new ways of working with, for, and about children - theoretically and practically. MACR is offered both fully online and in a blended learning format with face-to-face meetings in Potsdam.
Degree:
Master of Arts
Type:
Full time
Advanced Master's program
Course language:
English
Standard study period:
3 semesters
Start of study:
Winter semester
Application deadline:
01.02. – 15.05.
Admission requirements:
First professional university degree, 12 months of work experience, English language level C1
The Study
International and interdisciplinary study program
Take advantage of this unique opportunity to study childhood and children's rights in an international environment with students from all over the world and from different academic backgrounds.
The study program will enable you to bring a children's rights approach to the world of work and open up new ways of working with, for and about children - theoretically and practically. All seminars, tutorials and lectures in the Childhood Studies and Children's Rights (MACR) program are offered in English.
Goals:
- To provide students with the skills necessary for working with children, youth and children's rights.
- Acquisition of competencies in the application of scientific methods and skills as well as professional competencies in numerous fields of work relevant to children's rights (e. g. social work, social pedagogy, law, politics, media).
- Development of good research methods.
- Deepening theoretical foundations for the work of professionals.
- Improving your academic writing skills.
- Promoting the rights of migrant and refugee children and children's rights in medical treatment, which have received only marginal attention in childhood and children's rights studies.
- Close collaboration with the professional community at the national and international levels. International organizations (NGOs) in particular contribute to implementation through guest lectures and seminars. In addition, many representatives of major organizations are members of the MACR Advisory Board.
Online or blended learning?
MACR is offered both fully online and in a blended learning format with face-to-face meetings in Potsdam, Germany. We enroll a maximum of 30 students in total, who can choose to study online or in Potsdam. Students who choose to come to Potsdam have regular face-to-face meetings with our teachers and learn in a group setting in a personal environment. Students who study MACR fully online also meet our instructors, but in virtual classrooms and at shorter intervals. Please make sure your PC has an internet connection with a download speed of at least 50 Mbps and an upload speed of at least 10 Mbps, as well as a microphone and webcam.
Both the online students and the Potsdam students will form a group that will be provided with the same materials and content and will do group work as well as individual instruction. Because students from both tracks form one student group, several sessions of the program will be organized to provide shared group assignments and asynchronous learning for all participants*. There are several benefits to both tracks. From last year's experience, we have learned that online learning and study has become very attractive, especially given the global pandemic situation. In addition, access to MACR is easier when travel is not required.
On the other hand, the traditional form of learning in a face-to-face environment creates an atmosphere of trust and learning much more easily than online. Since we are planning an introductory week in Potsdam for all students at the beginning of the program, there will be a group finding process that can be referred back to during the master's program. We are also planning a face-to-face meeting after the second semester, after all modules have been studied, to reflect on our learning process and to exchange ideas about the planned research for the master's thesis.
Network
These degree programs might also interest you
Weitere Studiengänge| Degree program | Teaching language | Start of study | Application deadline |
|---|---|---|---|
| MA Childhood Studies and Children's Rights | English | Winter semester | 01.02. – 15.05.
|
| MA Early Childhood Studies | German | Winter semester | 15.06. – 15.08. (NC free).
|
| MA Social Management | German | Summer semester | 12/15 - 03/31 in even calendar years (NC-free).
|
| MA Social Work with a Focus on the Family | German | Winter semester | 25.05. – 22.06. (NC degree program)
|
Career prospects
Career Prospects
Traditional work areas
- Child and youth welfare
- Social services
- Public services
- Welfare and youth associations (NGOs)
International organizations
- UNICEF, UNESCO, UNHCR
- internationally active development cooperation organizations, especially those working for children, youth and families, e. g. Save the Children, terre des hommes, World Vision, Plan international, etc.
Conflict Management
Graduates of social work, education and training in childhood as well as educator training can expand and sharpen their profile, especially with regard to:
- Conflict management and conflict resolution
- Mediation
- Violence prevention
- Support for migrant and refugee children
Social work
- in schools
- School psychology
- in the context of all-day care: this is particularly the case with the increasing number of all-day schools in Germany
Legal counsel
In Germany (and Austria), it is possible to work as a guardian ad litem (child advocate). For law graduates, the MA Childhood Studies and Children's Rights provides qualifications and competencies in the field of juvenile and family justice.
Ombudsperson for children
By anchoring children's rights in different and diverse environments and areas, new professions and fields of work are opening up. First and foremost, the position of children's ombudsperson should be mentioned here. Children's ombudspersons are very rare in Germany - only a few municipalities and one federal state (Saxony-Anhalt) have such a position. The Master Childhood Studies and Children's Rights contributes to the establishment of child ombudspersons in all municipalities and regions in Germany (other countries are already better positioned in this area, but not only the positions, but also the equipment of the ombudspersons is the goal of MACR.
These degree programs might also interest you
Weitere Studiengänge| Degree program | Teaching language | Start of study | Application deadline |
|---|---|---|---|
| MA Childhood Studies and Children's Rights | English | Winter semester | 01.02. – 15.05.
|
| MA Early Childhood Studies | German | Winter semester | 15.06. – 15.08. (NC free).
|
| MA Social Management | German | Summer semester | 12/15 - 03/31 in even calendar years (NC-free).
|
| MA Social Work with a Focus on the Family | German | Winter semester | 25.05. – 22.06. (NC degree program)
|
Study contents
Course of studies
The standard period of study for the fee-based master's program Childhood Studies and Children's Rights (MACR) is three semesters and concludes with a master's thesis. The exact schedule can be found in the course schedule.
| 1st – 2nd semester | 3rd semester |
| Compulsory modules | Elective modules, master thesis, colloquium |
Study Contents
Teaching formats
- Lectures
- Seminars
- Tutorials
- Colloquia
- Guest lectures
All teaching and learning formats are generally held on Thursdays and Fridays.
Mandatory modules
- Childhood Studies
- Understanding Children's Rights
- Methods and Techniques of Childhood and Children's Rights Research
- Work and Education of Children in an International and Intercultural Comparison
- Children Out of Place and Child Rights Oriented Practice
- Children and Media
Elective modules
- Internship
- Research
- Practical project
Guest lectures
Our seminar program is enriched by expert guest lectures. We regularly invite international researchers and practitioners to give lectures at the University of Applied Sciences Potsdam.
Academic writing
To improve academic writing skills, we offer an academic writing course each fall semester.
Practice Day
To open up various opportunities for internships and employment after graduation, we organize an internship day with NGOs in the field of childhood studies and children's rights every spring.
Thesis
- Master thesis
- oral presentation on the master thesis
Module Manuals & Regulations
A detailed description of the course contents, study plans and descriptions of individual modules of the Childhood Studies and Children's Rights program can be found in the module handbook and in the subject-specific study and examination regulations.
Nr.
324
Modulhandbuch für den Weiterbildungsmasterstudiengang Childhood Studies and Children’s Rights (PDF, 261.33 KB)
zur Studien- und Prüfungsordnung ABK Nr. 323 vom 25.07.2018
Teaching
Lecturers
Summer School
All information at a glance
The next summer school is starting on September 12th, 2022. You can register by following this link.
Target group
BA and MA students who are interested in expanding their knowledge on childhood studies and children's rights. These include any BA and MA students of the social and educational science department of the FHP, including current MACR students, as some of the summer school seminars also make up some of the course's seminars. In addition, students from Romania and Poland will be attending, together with our invited professors.
The next summer school is starting on September 12th, 2022. You can register by following this link.
Target group
BA and MA students who are interested in expanding their knowledge on childhood studies and children's rights. These include any BA and MA students of the social and educational science department of the FHP, including current MACR students, as some of the summer school seminars also make up some of the course's seminars. In addition, students from Romania and Poland will be attending, together with our invited professors.
Goals
The goals of the summer school are to deliver seminars to our students, to give prospective students the opportunity to get an idea about what the MACR does and to educate interested persons on childhood studies and children's rights, within the context of academia and practice.
Format
The summer school is free of charge and open to any BA and MA student who is interested in childhood studies and children's rights. It takes place over 12 days, and follows an on-site/online hybrid model of teaching. The teaching is made up of interactive workshops, participatory seminars and intimate tutorials. The students will have the opportunity to actively contribute through discussion, group work and presentations.
Goals
The goals of the summer school are to deliver seminars to our students, to give prospective students the opportunity to get an idea about what the MACR does and to educate interested persons on childhood studies and children's rights, within the context of academia and practice.
Format
The summer school is free of charge and open to any BA and MA student who is interested in childhood studies and children's rights. It takes place over 12 days, and follows an on-site/online hybrid model of teaching. The teaching is made up of interactive workshops, participatory seminars and intimate tutorials. The students will have the opportunity to actively contribute through discussion, group work and presentations.
Content Overview
Please note: The student presentation and active participation throughout the summer school are mandatory to receive a certificate and the 2 ECTS points.
Monday, 12.09.22
Welcome dinner: Participants will have the opportunity to meet the coordination team and each other over drinks and snacks on campus.
Tuesday, 13.09.22 & Wednesday, 14.09.22
Adultism WorkshopThis is a seminar about power relations between adults and children, focusing on the discrimination faced by children by adults on account of them being children. This workshop is given online by Katerina Varella (MACR Alumna) and Anne Winkelmann.
Thursday, 15.09. 22
Individual study time.
Friday, 16.09.22
Introduction to Childhood Studies Seminar: This is an on-site/online hybrid introductory seminar to childhood studies as an academic discipline given by Prof. Dr. Urszula Markowska-Manista.
Saturday, 17.09.22
Potsdam excursion. This will give the students an opportunity to come away from campus and their screens and to explore Potsdam. The exact activity is yet to be confirmed.
Sunday, 18.09.22
Individual study time.
Monday, 19.09.22
Introduction to Children's Rights SeminarThis is an on-site/online hybrid introductory seminar to children's rights, oriented on the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC) given by Prof. Dr. Mihai Iovu.
Tuesday, 20.09.22
Berlin excursion. It is on the Day of the Child. This will give the students an opportunity to come away from campus and their screens and to explore Berlin. The exact activity is yet to be confirmed.
Wednesday, 21.09.22
Towards the end of the summer school the students will be given the opportunity to have a short one-on-one or peer group online tutorial to individually and collectively process all that they have learned.
Thursday, 22.09.22
Child sexual development Seminar. This is an on-site/online hybrid introductory seminar to childhood sexual development and other related themes surrounding childhood sexuality, given by Prof. Dr. Friederike Lorenz-Sinai.
Friday, 23.09.22
Student presentations, on-site/online hybrid, followed by a group discussion, including considering ideas for future summer schools.
Saturday, 24.09.22
Goodbye Dinner. All participants will have the opportunity to connect once again over snacks and drinks on campus. There will be an on-site/online hybrid evaluation and self-reflection round among the students, as well as a reunion of MACR alumni.
Downloads
Contact
Program Coordinator
Korinna McRobert, M. A.
Akademische Koordination M. A. Childhood Studies and Children's Rights (MACR)
Administrative coordinator
Nicol Tobar Salazar, Bachelor of Laws
Administrative Koordination M. A. Childhood Studies and Children's Rights (MACR)
Application & Enrollment
Application & Enrollment
Required documents
The following application documents must be sent in one PDF document by e-mail (macr_application@fh-potsdam.de) to the University of Applied Sciences Potsdam by May 15th :
- Completed application form(English or German)
- Curriculum vitae (in tabular form)
- Letter of motivation (700-900 words), please write in English
- University degree (single copy)
- Proof of ECTS/Credit Points
- Including transcript of records
- Proof of qualified practical work in the field of children's rights and childhood studies after completion of the first university degree (one year) - The proof should include the following information: Official date with signature, Time frame, Activities, number of hours (part-time/full-time)
- Evidence of English proficiency (level C1, verifiable by transcripts - or informally by, for example, former teachers, confirmation of study or work abroad in an English-speaking country).
Admission criteria
- First academic degree (bachelor's degree)
- Work experience after completion of first university degree (twelve months)
- Work experience should be related to Childhood Studies and Children's Rights
- Proof should include:
• official date & signature
• time frame
• activities
• working hours (part time/full time) - English language skills (level C1)
Important note: If you obtained your first university degree at a university outside of Germany, you must apply to uni-assist in parallel with your application to the University of Applied Sciences Potsdam. Please note that you have to send certified documents to uni-assist, otherwise your application will not be processed.
For further questions please contact uni.assist.
Admission and enrollment
If you obtained your first university degree at a university outside of Germany, you must apply to uni-assist at the same time as you apply to the University of Applied Sciences Potsdam. Please note that you have to send authenticated documents to uni-assist or else they won't process your application. For further questions, please contact uni.assist.
The following aspects of your application will be considered in the selection process:
- Grade of the first university degree (60 %)
- Letter of motivation (40 %)
After admission, you will receive the admission letter and the matriculation certificate by e-mail.
Costs
For the Childhood Studies and Children's Rights program there is a semester contribution as well as a one time fee amounting to 7.600 Euros (total) needs to be paid. The fee can be paid in three installments.
General information on application and enrollment procedures
There are various application procedures at the University of Applied Sciences Potsdam. General information on application and enrollment procedures as well as information on part-time studies, guest auditors and second degree studies can be found on the general application pages.
International applicants
You would like to apply for studies from the first or a higher semester and have acquired your school leaving certificate and/or university degree abroad? Then you can have degrees and achievements obtained abroad recognized and study with us.
Contact
MACR Team
Program Director
Prof. Dr. Friederike Lorenz-Sinai
Professur für Methoden der Sozialen Arbeit und Sozialarbeitsforschung
Program Coordinator
Korinna McRobert, M. A.
Akademische Koordination M. A. Childhood Studies and Children's Rights (MACR)
Administrative coordination
Nicol Tobar Salazar, Bachelor of Laws
Administrative Koordination M. A. Childhood Studies and Children's Rights (MACR)
Founder and patron
Prof. Dr. Manfred Liebel
Schirmherr des Studiengangs Childhood Studies and Children's Rights (M. A.)
Lehrbeauftragter
Student assistant
Academic advising
Services
Studien- und Prüfungs-Service
Raum
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