Here you will find all the important questions and answers about the mandatory internship
Here you will find all the important questions and answers about the mandatory internship for state recognition as a Social Worker or Social Pedagogue.
In addition, you will receive the certificate as a state-recognised social pedagogue and social worker. The elective module "Recognition Internship: Social Work" (DLBSAWAPSA01) is available for this purpose as part of your degree programme. We have summarised the most important questions and answers for you here. If you have any further questions, our student advisory team will be happy to help.
Prerequisites and benefits
With state recognition as a social worker/social pedagogue in Germany, you qualify to work in the field of social work. State recognition is the only way to gain occupational security. This recognition also gives you access to special positions, rights and higher pay entitlements under collective agreements. For example, employers in the public sector require state recognition. Recognition also ensures that you have specified competencies as a social worker. Among other things, your profile includes knowledge in the areas of organisational and legal law, the science of social work, social work methods and professional ethics.
No, nowadays the two terms are used synonymously. Social pedagogy is rather to be seen as a sub-area of social work. The decisive factor is rather the law on the recognition of social pedagogues and social workers, according to which these two professions are equal. However, many degree programmes have been renamed or newly introduced over the course of the reformation, so an indirect correlation is likely to exist.
Certificate of "state-recognised social worker and social pedagogue"
Yes, the Social Professions Recognition Act (SobAG) of the individual federal state explicitly states that: § 5 Equal status of state recognition: Professionals who are state-recognised in other states of the Federal Republic of Germany under similar conditions shall be treated equally to those who are state- recognised under this Act.
For successful completion of your degree programme as well as the issuance of the state recognition, the requirements are:
Bachelor's degree in Social Work from IU International University of Applied Sciences.
Supervised internship in social work institutions corresponding to your field of study amounting to a total of 600 hours (at least 100 days per 6 working hours). In part-time courses, this is calculated accordingly.
Practical reflection, in which you critically reflect on your specialised knowledge from your studies and relate it to your practical experience.
Your original extended police clearance certificate as proof (not older than 3 months when applying for the certificate)
Practice partner
You can complete your practice project at all institutions where tasks of professional social work are carried out by state-recognised personnel. This includes social administrative, educational, and political tasks, for example:
Work with foreigners
Elementary education
Family education/family counselling
Remedial Education/Rehabilitation
Home education
Youth work/youth education
Resocialisation
School social work
Social services
During your practice project, you must have access to qualified supervision which includes the following qualifications:
Social workers (Diploma/BA/MA)
Social pedagogues (Diploma/BA/MA)
Psychologists (Diploma/BA/MA)
Pedagogues (Diploma/BA/MA)
Educators (state-recognised/diploma) - participation in the instructor seminar(Anleiterseminar) is compulsory.
You have to take the initiative to find the institution where you will undertake your recognition internship.
General databases:
jobrapido (Metadatabase)
Einstieg (Internship database)
trovit (Internship and job database)
gigajob (Internship and job database)
karriere.de (Internship and job database)
Jobsuma (Internship and job database)
Jobrobot (Internship and job database)
VDKA (Directory of German kindergartens abroad)
Databases for social professions:
Praktikuss (Internships in social institutions)
Treffpunkt Sozialarbeit (Job and internship database for social professions)
Sozialnet (Job database for social professions)
INFO Sozial (Job and internship database for social professions)
Fachkräfteportal der Kinder- und Jugendhilfe (Job and internship database)
DAJEB (Germany-wide search engine for psychosocial counselling centres)
Job and internship exchange for experiential education
SozialeBerufe.de (Job and internship database)
Anthrojob anthroposophical job and internship database (Waldorf education)
Recognition internship
Unfortunately no, previous work activities can not be recognised for credits.
However, if you have already completed a recognised internship as part of a previous social work degree programme, you are welcome to apply for recognition. This can be done at any time.
Please contact our recognition department at the following email address: anerkennung@iu.org.
Partial recognition possible before 01.09.2021 only for enrolled students. Please note: After this deadline, it will no longer be possible.
All further questions and answers on this subject can be found here
Recognition Internship: Social Work (DLBSAWAPSA)
The scope is 20 ECTS (1 ECTS point = 30 working hours). A recognition internship amounting to a total of 600 h (at least 100 days with 6 working hours each) must be completed. In the case of part-time work, this is calculated accordingly.
Additionally, a practical reflection must be submitted.
You look for a suitable practice/internship partner independently.
You conclude a practice agreement with your practice/internship partner.
IU International University of Applied Sciences verifies the practice/internship partner as well as the professional qualification of the supervisor.
You complete the recognition internship (and in parallel online tutorials from IU International University of Applied Sciences to reflect on theory-practice transfer).
You write a practice reflection. This is examined and evaluated by IU International University of Applied Sciences.
The module Recognition Internship (DLBSAWAPSA) can be started once 90 ECTS have been achieved. From this point on, you can register for the DLBSAWAPSA course in myCampus. You will then find all the relevant information and documents there.
Additionally, the practice/internship partners must have been reviewed by the university and the practice agreement must have been accepted by the university. After that, you can start your accredited internship.
Please send your completed internship agreement in a collected PDF file by email to the Praxisamt (praxisamt@iu.org) BEFORE the start of your internship.
You must complete a total of 600 hours, but at least 100 days with 6 working hours each. In part-time, this is calculated accordingly.
It is up to you how you organise your working hours. The weekly working hours, therefore, depend on the contractual agreement with your practice/internship partner.
Please note that the internship may not be less than the minimum of 100 days. Even if you have agreed on 8 hours per day, the minimum number of days to be worked is still 100.
Yes, as long as your work activity is in the field of social work AND
the institution meets the requirements for practice/internship partners and supervision AND you have achieved at least 90 ECTS.
Yes, you can also complete your recognition internship with several practice/internship partners. For each practice/internship partner, an individual practice agreement must be sent to the Praxisamt before the start of the practice.
Please make sure that the total of 600 hours and a minimum of 100 days and a practice reflection are documented.
The practical reflection serves to record in writing one's own confrontation with the practice/internship partner, with new professional tasks and activities, one's own procedures and the related expectations, ideas and feelings. This is done especially against the background of theoretical knowledge already acquired.
The collective reflection on professionally relevant experiences with the supervisor and the lecturers in the online tutorials can be used to integrate essential insights into one's own development directly into the practical report.
All information on how to work on the practical reflection can be found in the booked course in myCampus.
You upload the written practical reflection to myCampus/Turnitin after completing the recognition internship. The examination for the recognition internship is based on the written work in the form of a practical report assessment (pass/fail) - there is no grading.
Remuneration is not required by law. As a basis for negotiation, we recommend the orientation framework provided by the Federation of Regional Employer's Associations (VKA). A remuneration of 500 to 600 euros is recommended here.
Yes, if the institution where you would like to complete the practical project meets the requirements for German practice/internship partners and the supervisor has the necessary professional qualifications. Furthermore, you must independently provide the relevant proof of aptitude and the certified translation.
The 600 hours, and a minimum of 100 days, of your recognition internship, are purely "net working time", from which no holiday entitlement can be derived. Holidays are not counted as working hours. You can arrange and negotiate your working hours individually with your practice/internship partner. If holiday days are included in the agreement, these must be additionally agreed upon and contractually confirmed.
Please note that the internship may not be less than 100 days. Even if you have agreed on 8 hours per day, the minimum number of days to be worked is 100.
Since you have decided to obtain state recognition as a social worker, the recognition internship is curricular. Therefore, it is a prerequisite for your successful graduation. This means that the recognition internship must be completed during your standard period of study.
Extended certificate of good conduct
The extended police certificate of good conduct (§ 72a SGB VIII) must be submitted in the original before the award of the certificate as a "State-recognised Social Pedagogue / Social Worker" and serves as proof of your personal aptitude. State recognition will not be granted if the extended certificate of good conduct is not submitted or if there are convictions for offences listed in § 72a SGB VIII. The certificate shall not be older than 3 months.
Students who have completed the Social Work degree programme can print out an application for an extended certificate of good conduct in myCampus. You submit this application to the relevant resident's registration office (Einwohnermeldeamt) and then receive the certificate of good conduct by post.
You can find all information and documents in myCampus under the course DLBPPSA02.
Expenses & contact person
The certificate for a state-recognised social pedagogue/social worker is issued by IU International University of Applied Sciences free of charge.
However, the application for an extended certificate of good conduct may incur costs.
Possibilities for prospective students to receive credit for previous achievements: Student counselling (studienberatung@iu.org)
Recognition of prior professional experience: Recognition Department (anerkennung@iu.org)
Recognition of the practice/internship partner and submission of the practice agreement: Praxisamt (praxisamt@iu.org)
Submission of the evaluation form at the end of the practice project: Praxisamt (praxisamt@iu.org)
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