FB Sozialwesen / FH Jena

Information for incoming International Students

welcome to the School of Social Work at the University of Applied Sciences in Jena. We hope the following information is helpful and we would be happy to see you in Jena.

Jena
Jena is located in the state Thuringia , one of the former East German states, in the valley of the river Saale, close to the lovely Thuringia Forest. The city has a long tradition in the field of higher education and as a center of industry. The alma mater Jenensis, the University of Jena was one of the first European Universities. In Jena Goethe, Schiller, Schopenhauer and other of Europe finest intellectual braines have lived and worked. The Zeiss companies founded in Jena have gained a world wide recognition. Today, Jena has about 70.000 inhabitants and is home of about 30.000 students.

The Jena University of Applied Sciences (JUAS) in Jena
The University of Applied Sciences Jena was founded on October 1^st,1991 as one of the first universities of its kind in the former Eastern part of Germany. Following a rather modest start with 300 students and 13 professors, the JUAS Jena employs 144 professors teaching more than 4.900 students (about 180 from more than 30 countries) today. Students have a choice of more than 30 BA and MA courses of studies, like Optometry, Business Administration, Biotechnology and Medical Engineering, Business, Environmental, Industrial, Electrical and Mechanical, Precision Engineering and, of course, Social Work Studies as well as Nursery (distance learning program). Further general information about the university, its profile, structure, faculties and courses see: http://www.fh-jena.de .
The Faculty of Social work offers for full-time students both, a BA as well as MA in Social Work and, for a part-time students a BA- and MA program in Nursing/Health Management.

Location
The new University campus has been built at the Carl-Zeiss-Promenade Jena (see sitemap at: http://www.fh-jena.de ).
The campus comprises modern seminar rooms and lectures halls, well-equipped laboratories, an attractive library, and many more. After its completion it will be one of the most modern universities in Germany. You can get to the Campus of the JUAS via the motorway exit Jena-Göschwitz passing Jena-Winzerla, the industrial estate South (Süd) to the Carl-Zeiss-Promenade. From the city centre you can reach the campus with the bus number 10, 13 or 40 , the stop is directly called: FACHOCHSCHULE. You can find train connections under http://www.bahn.de .

Central Facilities of the JUAS
The library of the JUAS Jena is equipped with 290,000 books. More than 800 journals and magazines can be used in the reading hall. The library at the campus has several reading rooms and also offers the possibility of CD-ROM search, internet research and database access.

Students can have good and reasonably priced meals at the refectories and the cafeterias of the students' union at the campus and other places in town. The meals are also suitable for vegetarians and people who do not eat any pork. Prices range from Euro 1.50 onwards for a complete meal.

The JUAS offer several sports activities such as badminton, basketball, aerobics, fitness, indoor soccer, Judo, Karate, table tennis, volleyball. Exact times are announced at the beginning of each semester.

Studying at the School of Social Work in Jena
The program in Jena offers an integrated study of social work and social education. The program used to lead to a German University Diploma and compromises eight semesters altogether. With regard to the so-called Bologna process of the EU, since winter semester 2007 new students will be enrolled in the new BA-program which lasts 3,5 years and includes one semester (20 weeks) of practice placement which are supplemented by a number of short block internships during the study program. Further, since 2005 the School of Social Work offers a Master Program in social work which focuses on leadership and social scientific/empirical research competences, leaving (also international) students room for individual specializations.

The aim of the BA-degree is to provide the students with the necessary basic academic and professional competence as social workers. The program is very interdisciplinary which in addition to core areas of Social Work and Educational Science includes subjects like Sociology, Psychology, Law and Administration, Social Policy, Social Medicine and Cultural Communication. Professional methods like supervision and mediation/conflict management are integrated in the program which also offers the opportunity for supervised practical training as well as scientific work and application-related research.

The study program is divided into the so called basic or preliminary course and the main study course. The basic courses take three semesters and should teach all fundamental subjects necessary for the main study course. The basic courses are completed with a so called pre-diploma certificate and followed by the two practical semesters. In the major courses students can choose from a variety of courses, including compulsory courses and optional courses. Students can specialize according to their individual inclinations and career planning in fields like:

Child, Youth and Family Work
Health Care/Rehabilitation
Education and Aesthetics/Cultural Social Work
Social work with target groups
Criminal Justice Social Work
Community based Social Work

The major courses are completed by the BA- rsp. MA-thesis.

The academic year is divided into two semesters. Usually first year students are enrolled in the winter semester which starts in the first week in October, however international students are invited either to start in the winter or summer semester. The summer semester usually begins in Mid March. Minor changes in semester dates could occur due to holidays or unpredictable circumstances. In the first week of the semesters there is usually a general introduction program offered to get to know the JUAS. You can obtain all relevant information for the following semesters under the homepage of the JUAS .

Further, the School of Social work offers it’s own tutorial week for new students rsp. a practice placement reflection course for 2^nd-4^th year students.

Requirements
Students from abroad have to meet certain entrance requirements. Basic requirement is a certificate of secondary education qualifying students for studies at universities in their countries. Direct admission is only possible if the entrance qualification for a university abroad matches the German entrance standard. Special entrance regulations apply to students from foreign partner universities especially within the European Erasmus program rsp. our Socrates University Network (1998). Usually students from our European partners visit our faculty for one semester which is often followed by an internship (total maximum of 2 semester). Because of the agreements within the network the requirements are much more simple. Basic requirement is an official recognition as a Soctrates/Erasmus student of one of our partner universities. Erasmus students do not need an official German language certificate, however we recommend at least basic knowledge of the German language.

If you are a non-EU student, please contact the German embassy of your country whether a visa is required or not. You can also find information under http://www.auswaertigesamt.de at "Die Deutsche Vertretung im Ausland". In Germany you will have to register with the resident's registration office and the International residents' office. You will have to provide the following documents:

resident's registration office passport
proof of accommodation
the International residents' office passport and two photographs
student's ID
health insurance
copy of registration form from resident's registration office
proof of funding your period of studying

Fees
Students who are accepted within the Erasmus program of our European University partners only have to pay a semester fee of € 136,90 per semester which includes free public transport in Jena, membership of the students union (Stura) etc.. All other international students have to pay an additional administration fee of € 50.

German as a Foreign Language
Unfortunately, all of our course programs are taught in German. Therefore, and also if you are looking for a practice placement (internship) you need to speak German. Even Erasmus students do not need an official German language certificate, we recommend at least basic knowledge of the German language.

In the last years we have offered an intensive language course in German as a foreign language for students of our partner universities for no costs. Please contact Mrs. Ursula Geißler ( ursula.geissler@fh-jena.de ) at the language center for information about German courses. Further information is also available in the internet under http://www.gw.fh-jena.de/index.php/info/browse/168 as well as http://www.deutsch-als-fremdsprache.de .

Except of Erasmus students all other international students need an official German language certificate (DSH 2 or 3 rsp. TestDaf 4 or 5) to be admitted to a German university.

For further information please contact:
University of Applied Sciences - Office for International Affairs (Erasmus students)
Mrs. Angelika Förster
Phone: +49 (0) 3641/205-135
Fax:: +49 (0) 3641/205-136
e-mail: auslandsamt@fh-jena.de

University of Applied Sciences - Student Affairs Department (all other international students)
Dipl. Ing. Uwe Scharlock
Phone: +49 (0) 3641/205-230
Fax: +49 (0) 3641/205-231
e-mail: uwe.scharlock@fh-jena.de

Practical Information about student life in Jena
The students’ union (Studentenwerk) provides accommodation for students. With regard to housing we guarantee support, however we need your applications (with the letter of acceptance in the exchange program of your university) several months in advance. Professors, staff and our students will spread the mouth regarding a place in student house etc. Further, you can apply for a place in a hall of residence at the students’ union (www.uni-jena.de/stw-jenaweimar). Arrival has to be arranged individually because the warden in the halls is not always on duty. Some halls also have student wardens ( http://www.stw-thueringen.de/menu-oben/wohnen/wohntutoren.html ). If you arrive at the weekend or late at night you would have to book a hotel for one night ( http://www.jena.de/onlinebuchung ). Private accommodation can be found under http://www.fh-jena.de/stura and “Wohnungsmarkt im Internet”.

If you have taken out a health insurance in your country please provide proof of it with an authorized translation. You also can take out health insurance in Germany for about 55 € per month.

The School of Social work will offer students tutors in order to support our foreign students finding accommodation, necessary information an so forth.

For further information, please contact
Prof. Dr.iur. Thomas Trenczek
Coordinator International Program
thomas.trenczek@fh-jena.de