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Study Humanities and Social Sciences in Germany

Explore 2829 programmes in 8 fields.

The humanities and the social sciences form a very diverse subject group that encompasses practical as well as theoretical degree programmes. These programmes have one thing in common: You will study society as a whole as well as the behaviour of people on an individual level. You should be willing to read a lot, as this is how you will acquire the theoretical foundation needed to deal with the relevant questions in this area.

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    Facts

    270 Higher Education Institutions

    Bachelor, Master, Church Degree, Department Examination, Diplom, Final Examination, Licence Examination, Magister, State Examination, Theological Examination

    German, English, French, Spanish, Hebrew

    1-24 Semesters

    Humanities and Social Sciences is divided into 8 fields of study.

    Counselling

    A counselling degree programme offers you the theoretical foundation and the necessary communicative and social skills to be successful in this field. With a degree in counselling, you have excellent career prospects.

    Pedagogy, Educational Sciences

    A degree programme in pedagogy or the educational sciences focusses on people, their training, and education. You learn to develop suitable concepts for the education of children as well as adults.

    Political Sciences

    During your political science studies, you will analyse political processes, political structures, and policy issues. Political theories and methodologies serve as the basis of your studies.

    Psychology

    Psychology focuses on the observation and analysis of human behaviour and experience. It is considered an empirical science, and work in this field is both theoretical and application oriented.

    Social Sciences

    When you study social sciences, you learn about the foundations, structures, and forms of human coexistence. The scientific methods of social science play a central role during your studies.

    Social Work, Curative Pedagogy

    In the field of social work and curative pedagogy, you help people deal with a variety of difficulties. You offer support or help with (re)integration into the job market or into society.

    Sport

    Not all sport degree programmes are equal in design. Therefore, it is important to find a programme that matches your interests and your goals – be it playing an active part in sport or working in the sport industry.

    Theology, Religion

    In a theology degree programme, you study a specific faith and its “teaching of God”, whereas in a religious studies programme, you are not tied to a specific religious community and focus on faith across various religions.

    Always know what comes next

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    Requirements and prospects

    For theoretical degree programmes such as political sciences or social sciences, you need a higher education entrance qualification, i.e., the German Abitur or an international equivalent, as these subjects are offered almost exclusively at universities. For practice-oriented programmes, such as social pedagogy, on the other hand, you can choose from many programmes offered by universities and universities of applied sciences, even if you hold a subject-related higher education entrance qualification.
    Your career prospects after graduation vary: Some fields of study prepare you exclusively for a specific field of activity. For example, social workers will most likely advise and support people from socially vulnerable groups, whereas other degree programmes offer more flexibility and allow you to work in various sectors and functions. In the case of a broader programme, it is thus advisable to specialise during your studies and do internships related to your chosen subject matter to ensure a successful career start.

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