Assisting people in shaping their own lives and living together with others, guiding them in coping with everyday burdens or challenging emergencies, and not ignoring social conditions in the process - this is what characterises social work. In your studies you will learn to understand how difficulties develop, how they affect people and how they can be overcome.
LeaderCHE ranking
Campus Hilltop
Period in semester7 (full time or individual part-time model)
Languages of instructionGerman
Application PeriodsWinter semester: 30 April to 15 July
Summer semester: 31 October to 15 January
Continuing Master ProgramsSocial Work
In the Social Work degree programme, you can choose International Social Work as an optional specialisation. In the focus you strengthen your intercultural competences and develop sensitivity for intercultural learning processes and conflicts.
With a Bachelor of Arts degree in Social Work, a wide range of career perspectives or subsequent Master’s studies are open to you. As a social worker/social educator you will work - depending on the field - with people of different ages, deal with the challenges of today’s family life, professional transitions, chronic illnesses, with challenges of special life situations, and much more.
You will advise, support, accompany, plan and organise educational and change processes, for example:
After your registration in the national application portal hochschulstart.de you apply via the HEonline Campus Management System of the Hochschule Esslingen.
Check the requirements
Do you have a university entrance qualification (e.g. German Abitur/Fachhochschulreife), a school leaving qualification from a country other than Germany or a vocational qualification? If you do, you have already fulfilled the first requirement for a successful application.
Register on hochschulstart.de
You register in the central application portal hochschulstart.de to receive your applicant ID.
Register and apply on HEonline
You register in hochschulstart, the national application portal, and apply for one or more degree programmes at Esslingen University of Applied Sciences. After submitting your application in HEonline, you can also view and prioritize it on hochschulstart.
Upload your documents
We need your documents and certificates so that we can process your application. You can upload them in Esslingen’s “HEonline” campus management system. We need your documents by the application deadline at the latest.
All done!
You can view the processing status of your application at any time via HEonline. You should keep your login details safe. Shortly after the application deadline, you will be able to see whether you have received an admission offer in HEonline and hochschulstart.
The video tutorial shows you the most important application steps and the importance of prioritization.
Detailed information about the application procedure
Orientation programme: Getting to know Esslingen University of Applied Sciences
Student life (student finance, food & accommodation, leisure activities)
Yes. If you are interested in studying part-time, please contact Sabine Schneider or Jutta Spilgies.
There are usually more applications than places available. This means that not all applications for degree programmes will be successful. The places available will be awarded in accordance with the result of the university’s own selection procedure.
We are unable to give details of any admission restrictions (numerus clausus, NC) in advance. The NC states the selection threshold and the waiting time in semesters (periods of 6 months) for the last student in the ranking who is admitted to the degree programme. This means the NC varies depending on the number of applicants, their selection thresholds/waiting times and the number of places available. Since this is different for each application phase, we are unfortunately unable to provide any information about the admission restrictions (NC).
For some of the Bachelor degree programmes at Esslingen, the admission procedure for applications for the first regular semester is via the national application portal Hochschulstart and the “dialog-oriented service procedure - DoSV”, where you can apply for a maximum of 12 university places.
To process your application, the “Application/Admission” team needs all the documents required for the admission procedure at Esslingen. You can upload these online via Esslingen’s HEonline campus management system.
Video tutorial “How to apply via hochschulstart.de”
Further information on applying via hochschulstart.de
Would you like to work for changes in individual and structural social conditions and for more justice? Do you bring an interest in understanding and thinking through different causes of hardship, a willingness to engage in arguments and take different perspectives? Do you want to stand up for people’s rights and dignity? We look forward to meeting you!
I study social work at Esslingen University of Applied Sciences because social work is my passion as a human profession. I also like to help other people and want to change something in the system and think that this profession is the right one for me. The university's reputation in the area is very good. The profession of social work encompasses many areas, including the legal sector or youth welfare offices - in other words, any kind of work with people.
Fatmanur Gündüz, Social Work degree programme
I chose social work because it has many perspectives and it is diverse. After graduating, you don’t have to limit yourself, but can work in many different areas. Esslingen has a very good reputation and is close to Stuttgart, which is a beautiful city. The transport links are also very good.
Alba Quintieri, Social Work degree programme
Directly on campus, there is a sports hall and gym as well as football pitches and basketball courts.
Well stocked, with many study spaces and a beautiful view over Esslingen, the library is the perfect place to learn.
Large and bright seminar rooms can be modified with individual modules to suit all needs.
The campus is easy to reach by public transport. There are also spaces for cars and bikes.
In the fourth semester, theory is turned into practice. Accompanying seminars provide support.
We support parents as well as students with responsibilities for children and relatives in their studies with advisory services.
Get started
find a course