For all people, family represents a central point of reference in their growing up and living (together). The master's degree program in MA Social Work with a Focus on the Family (maps) responds to the increased demands on the institution of family and qualifies you for the various activities with families, in families and in their social environment. The part-time study program is the ideal complement if you want to take on a leadership role in the family field of work in the future, work in an advisory capacity, or go into training and research.
MA Social Work with a Focus on the Family
The Study
Social Work (maps) - Focus on family(ies)!
Regardless of their historically specific forms, families have essential social functions. They are resources for coping with problems and crises, they are places of protection and retreat, and they offer economic support. However, families can also be places where violence and oppression prevail.
Families are becoming the focus of political attention in the context of demographic developments, such as declining birth rates and longer life expectancy, but also as a starting point for dealing with, if not solving, social conflict situations.
In the part-time Social Work with a Focus on the Family, the work is primarily research-oriented and interdisciplinary. From the very beginning, reference is made to your current professional practice. The central topics of the Master of Social Work range from scientific knowledge transfer to the acquisition of leadership and counseling skills. The master's program consists of classroom and self-study phases. In addition, you will be in regular contact with the supervising university lecturers and will also be supported by mentors.
The master's program has been accredited since 2007 and gives you access to the higher service.
University network
The degree program is part of a network of the universities of Fulda, RheinMain and Koblenz as well as the universities of applied sciences in Münster and Potsdam. Further information on the network can be found on the website www.maps-master.de.
Hochschulverbund

Der Studiengang gehört zum maps-Hochschulverbund (Master of Advanced Professional Studies) der Hochschulen Fulda, RheinMain und Koblenz sowie der Fachhochschulen Münster und Potsdam.
Innerhalb dieses Verbunds werden fünf Masterstudiengänge mit insgesamt sieben Schwerpunkten angeboten. Durch den Zusammenschluss der verschiedenen Hochschulen im maps-Hochschulverbund können Synergien genutzt werden und Austausch stattfinden. Unterstützt werden die Hochschulen vom Zentrum für Fernstudien im Hochschulverbund (zfh) mit Sitz in Koblenz.
Passt dieser Studiengang zu mir?
Das berufsbegleitende Studium ist die ideale Ergänzung, wenn Sie zukünftig im Arbeitsfeld Familie eine Führungsrolle übernehmen, beratend tätig werden wollen oder in die Ausbildung und Forschung gehen möchten.
Diese Eigenschaften bringen Sie mit
- ausgeprägtes Interesse am forschenden Wissensaufschluss und an der Entwicklung eigener Fragestellungen
- hohes Maß an Einfühlungsvermögen und Kommunikationsfähigkeit
- Interesse am kooperativen und kollaborativen Arbeiten
- Bereitschaft zum onlinebasierten Lernen in den Selbststudienphasen
- Bereitschaft, sich auf kreative Gedankenprozesse und Tätigkeiten einzulassen
Hochschulverbund maps
Sie sind berufstätige*r Hochschulabsolvent*in der Sozialen Arbeit oder einer der Bezugsdisziplinen? Der Hochschulverbund bietet Ihnen ein umfangreiches Masterstudienprogramm. Finden Sie heraus, ob das Studienkonzept nach dem Blended-Learning-Ansatz das richtige für Sie ist.
Contact
The colleagues of the Student Counselling Service provide information to prospective students, first-year students, parents, teachers and students on all general questions concerning the study program. If you have specific questions or concerns about the degree program, please contact the Student Counselling Service for the MA Social Work with a Focus on the Family or the Program Coordination.
Program Management

Prof. Dr. Alexandra Schmidt-Wenzel
Program Coordination

Kati Schröder, B. A.
These degree programs might also interest you
More coursesStudiengang | Lehrsprache | Studienbeginn | Bewerbungsfrist | |
---|---|---|---|---|
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Childhood Studies and Children's Rights (MA) | English | Winter semester | 01.02. – 31.05. (free of admission)
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|
Early Childhood Studies (MA) | German | Winter semester | 15/06 – 15/10 (free of admission)
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|
MA Social Work with a Focus on the Family | German | Winter semester | 15.05. – 22.06. (NC degree program)
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|
Social Management (MA) | German | Summer semester | 15/12 – 17/03 (free of admission)
|
Career Prospects
Career Prospects
Due to the complexity of the family as an institution and the social work associated with it, a variety of professional positions open up for our graduates. In addition to the actual counseling work, graduates of the Master of Social Work can also take on management and leadership functions in institutions or focus on the area of educational work. Whether in practice, administration or education – the fields of work in social work are varied and the demand for specialists in public child/youth/family welfare and in related official areas as well as with independent institutions is constantly high.
Prospects in the area of supply and consulting
The degree program Social Work with a Focus on the Family will provide you with the specialized expertise necessary to become a counselor:
- Casework
- Group work
- Organizational consulting
- Policy consulting
Prospects in the area of management and control
The combination of practical experience as well as scientific expertise offers you, as graduates of the Master's Program in Social Work with a Focus on the Family the ideal prerequisites for:
- the development and management of projects
- the coordination of supporting organizations and professional associations
- administrative and managerial positions in the educational and social sectors, especially in state or non-state child/youth/family welfare institutions
- national, regional and municipal planning functions
- quality management and evaluation
Prospects in the field of education and research
As a graduate of the master's program in Social Work with a Focus on the Family, you can also find exciting career prospects outside of social institutions, for example in
- Continuing education and training
- Practice research
- Evaluation research
- Teaching
- Doctorate
These degree programs might also interest you
More coursesStudiengang | Lehrsprache | Studienbeginn | Bewerbungsfrist | |
---|---|---|---|---|
|
Childhood Studies and Children's Rights (MA) | English | Winter semester | 01.02. – 31.05. (free of admission)
|
|
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 | 15/12 – 17/03 (free of admission)
|
Study Contents
Course of studies
The knowledge and competence transfer in the MA Social Work with a Focus on the Family takes place in a blended learning format. The daily study routine includes phases of self-study as well as attendance phases at the University of Applied Sciences Potsdam. With its focus on independent and self-determined learning via the online portal, the program can also be completed as a distance learning program.
1. – 3rd semester | Social work science, practice research and reference sciences, family support services, social profession and quality development, self-reflection, leading & guiding |
4th – 5th semester | Family support services, action strategies and forms of work in the field of families, action research project |
6th semester | Master thesis, master colloquium |
Study contents
The knowledge and competence transfer in the degree program Social Work with a Focus on the Family takes place in a blended learning format. The daily study routine includes phases of self-study as well as attendance phases at the University of Applied Sciences Potsdam. With its focus on independent and self-determined learning via the online portal, the program can also be completed as a distance learning program.
Teaching formats
The attendance events primarily serve as an introduction to the topics, reflection, exercises and exchange with each other. As a rule, eleven attendance events take place per semester. Between the classroom sessions, you will work independently and will be supported by a learning platform as well as accompanied by instructors through online coaching:
- On-site seminars
- On-site colloquia
- Online-based self-study
- Mentoring/presence and online coaching
- Research workshops
Subject modules
- Social work science
- Practice Research
- Reference sciences
- Social profession and quality development
- Help for upbringing: family-supporting/supplementary offers
- Strategies of action and forms of work in the field of family
- Action research project: Implementation of a self-selected project, which links the theoretical contents of the study with questions from practice.
Module Manuals & Regulations
A detailed description of the course contents, study plans and descriptions of individual modules of the MA Social Work with a Focus on the Family can be found in the module manual, in the subject-specific study and examination regulations and in the internship regulations.
Projects from the department
More projects
Communicative Appropriation of Digital Sports
An explorative analysis of chat communication in eSports using the example of the Paris Major Blast 2023

laeneAS: The Rural Educational Environments of Young Refugees in Vocational Training
laeneAs identifies educational barriers and develops innovative educational offers for refugees in two rural real labs in Bavaria and Brandenburg.

EDIT – Development of dialogical interaction and participation
EDIT is a cooperative practice research program of the University of Applied Sciences Potsdam (FHP) and the University of Potsdam (UP). In EDIT, practice development and practice research on the development of dialogical interaction and participation in early childhood education are implemented.

CoAct – Co-designing Citizen Social Science for Collective Action
The EU research project "CoAct" pursues an innovative approach to participatory citizen research. The focus is on the further development of a Citizen Social Science (CSS) and its research methods. CoAct is funded by the European Commission's Horizon 2020 program under the call "SwafS-15-2018-2019 - Exploring and supporting citizen science"
.
Attendance dates
Attendance dates MA Social Work with a Focus on the Family
The attendance times, which are of particular importance in the interlocking of the blended learning concept, all take place on site at the University of Applied Sciences Potsdam. Exams and presentations are part of the attendance days, so that no special exam days have to be taken outside of these times. For most federal states, there is the possibility of educational leave. Please contact the program coordinator for this upon enrollment, as the forms must be applied for in some cases.
Summer semester 2023
- 27.03.2023 – 31.03.2023
- 04.05.2023 – 06.05.2023
- 13.07.2023 – 15.07.2023
Winter semester 2023/2024
- 25.09.2023 - 29.09.2023
- 23.11.2023 - 25.11.2023
- 01.02.2024 - 03.02.2024
Summer semester 2024
- 18.03.2024 – 22.03.2024
- 15.05.2024 – 17.05.2024
- 10.07.2024 – 12.07.2024
Winter semester 2022/2023
- 26.09.2022 - 30.09.2022
- 24.11.2022 - 26.11.2022
- 09.02.2023 - 11.02.2023
Sommersemester 2025
- 24.03.2025 – 28.03.2025
- 08.05.2025 – 10.05.2025
- 17.07.2025 – 19.07.2025
Application & Enrollment
Auf einen Blick
Die wichtigsten Fristen, Termine und Zugangsvoraussetzungen für den Masterstudiengang Soziale Arbeit, Schwerpunkt Familie sind hier zusammengestellt. Welche Schritte Sie für eine erfolgreiche Bewerbung beachten müssen, erfahren Sie im nächsten Abschnitt.
Fristen & Termine
- bis zum 22. Juni: Online-Bewerbung einreichen
- bis zum 15. Juli: Bewerbung auf ein höheres Fachsemester, um Ihr begonnenes Studium an der FH Potsdam fortzusetzen
- 04. Oktober: Beginn der Vorlesungszeit im Wintersemester
Zugangsvoraussetzungen
- erster berufsqualifizierender Hochschulabschluss (180 ECTS-Leistungspunkte): im Studiengang Sozialer Arbeit, Bildung und Erziehung in der Kindheit oder in einem ähnlichen sozialwissenschaftlichen Studium
- berufliche Tätigkeit: mindestens 15 Stunden/Woche im relevanten Bereich des Masterstudiengangs
- Verpflichtung zur Teilnahme an extern angebotener Supervision: mindestens 20 Stunden bei anerkannten Fachkräften während des gesamten Studiums
So bewerben Sie sich!
Im Folgenden erläutern wir Ihnen, welche Aspekte Sie von der Online-Bewerbung bis zur Immatrikulation (Einschreibung) beachten sollten.
Weitere Informationen
Unter den folgenden Links finden Sie, und speziell internationale Bewerber*innen, weiterführende Informationen rund um die Themen Bewerbung und Immatrikulation an der Fachhochschule Potsdam.

Internationale Bewerber*innen
Sie möchten sich für ein Studium ab dem ersten oder einem höheren Fachsemester bewerben und haben Ihren Schulabschluss und/oder Hochschulabschluss im Ausland erworben? Dann können Sie sich im Ausland erworbene Abschlüsse und Leistungen anerkennen lassen und bei uns studieren.

Bewerbungs- & Immatrikulationsverfahren
Der Bewerbungs- und Studien-Service informiert und berät Sie bei allgemeinen Fragen zum Bewerbungsverfahren, zur Zulassung und Immatrikulation an der Fachhochschule Potsdam, aber auch zu Themen wie Nachteilsausgleich, Teilzeitstudium, Wartesemester und Härtefallantrag.
Kontakt & Services
Die Zentralen Studienberatung informiert und berät zu allgemeinen Fragen rund um das Studium sowie zu Themen wie Studienwahl, Bewerbung, Immatrikulation und Studienorganisation.
Für studienfachspezifische Fragen zu Modulinhalten, Anrechnung von Studienleistungen, Prüfungen oder Studienschwerpunkten im Studiengang Soziale Arbeit, Schwerpunkt Familie ist die Studienfachberatung die richtige Anlaufstelle.
Studienfachberatung & Studiengangsleitung

Prof. Dr. Alexandra Schmidt-Wenzel
Studiengangskoordinatorin

Kati Schröder, B. A.
Department of Student Affairs
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
Contact


