International Social Work A specialization within the Social Work degree program

The specialization in International Social Work looks at social work in a global context, and asks how global developments shape local life situations and social structures. You’ll deal with topics such as innovative international practices, migration, human rights, transculturation, global problem solving, climate change, and development cooperation. The focus will be on current theories and methods of international social work, as well as the question of how intercultural and international cooperation can be successful within different societal framework conditions. Study trips in Europe or beyond, for several days at a time, will allow you to gain insights into areas of practice on the ground, and make international networking and cooperation more tangible.

You’ll be able to work in fields where international relations, migration and human rights play a central role – both internationally, and in locally embedded offers in Germany with global interfaces. You could end up working in NGOs, international organizations, social work with migrants and refugees, international development cooperation, crisis and disaster relief, intercultural social work, participatory urban development, or human rights-oriented support structures. Your specialization will help you to integrate international perspectives into practice, to network with partners, and to be able to act in complex, culturally diverse contexts.