Logo Alice Salomon Hochschule BerlinZur ASH-Startseite

Profile

Zur ASH-Startseite

Leichte SpracheWebsite auf Deutsch anzeigen

Master of Social Work - Critical Diversity and Community Studies M.A.

The action-oriented master's program "Social Work - Critical Diversity and Community Studies" (abbreviated as KriDiCo in German) equips students to promote social justice by collaborating with state institutions, independent agencies, social movements, and diverse communities. Core to the curriculum are addressing power inequalities, employing an intersectional approach, and fostering community orientation.

Program Overview
The postgraduate master's program commences every summer semester (in April) and admits a maximum of 40 students. The language of instruction is German.

Aligned with the mission of Alice Salomon University of Applied Sciences Berlin, this program integrates critical diversity studies with community-based work, encompassing theories, concepts, strategies, and various domains of social work. It employs an intersectional approach to comprehend power relations in their simultaneity, contradictions, and interconnectedness. Community action in this context is a dynamic and multi-layered concept that includes emancipatory approaches, participatory and collaborative intervention strategies, empowerment and power-sharing, socio-cultural, educational and memory work, policy-making and transformative justice, as well as personal and organizational development. The program emphasizes critical and transformative professional action, paving new pathways for social work practice.

The primary goal of this master's program is to equip students with a robust foundation in theories and concepts critical of power structures and oriented towards community. This knowledge enables students to analyze social differences, inequality, and conflict intersectionally, while also recognizing resources, resistance, and potential for change. This analysis considers the broader social, historical, political, economic, and cultural contexts. Students develop practices aimed at achieving structural change in various fields of social work, beyond merely managing individual cases. The program values students' diverse backgrounds and experiences, viewing their experiential knowledge as a vital resource and expertise.

The program comprises the following six modules:

  1. Understanding, Contextualizing, and Analyzing Power and Inequality Relations
  2. Recognizing, Reflecting, and Developing Positionalities and Relationalities
  3. Addressing, Initiating, and Shaping Change Processes in a Power-Sensitive and Community-Oriented Way
  4. Concept Workshop - Students' Own Change Projects
  5. Elective Module - Shaping, Developing, and Expanding Profession and Future Topics
  6. Writing up Master’s Thesis

The program awards 90 credits and culminates in the degree of Master of Arts (MA).

The master's program is designed for university graduates with a bachelor's or diploma degree in Social Work, Health, Education and Training, or related fields such as social sciences, cultural studies, humanities, economics, law, spatial sciences, or similar disciplines with a focus on power-critical, intersectional, or community studies. It is particularly suited for individuals already engaged in transformative processes within their organizations, communities, or society at large, who wish to further develop their practice through active exchange with peers.

The program is conducted in German. Applicants must have an appropriate level of German language proficiency. Detailed information about language requirements and the application process is available in the application checklist.

Credit Points (ECTS) 90
Program duration Standard period of full-time study is three semesters (part-time study is possible upon request)
Application 01.12–15.01
Start Summer semester
Places 40
Costs Approximately 310 euros per semester, including the cost of a public transport semester card
  For more detailed information on the application process, admission requirements, and procedures, please refer to the "Bewerbung" section in German.

Contact

The directors of the master programme are Prof. Dr. Sandra Smykalla and Prof. Dr. Jasna Russo.  

If you are interested in the study programme, please email the programme coordinator Jana Jelitzki: makridico@ avoid-unrequested-mailsash-berlin.eu

The International Office supports incoming Erasmus+, exchange and free mover students as well as regular ASH Berlin students wishing to spend a study or internship semester abroad: https://www.ash-berlin.eu/en/ash-international/

Back to top

Downloads

Back to top