BACHELOR 2020-2021

INTERNATIONAL
SOCIAL WORK

EMPOWER PEOPLE AND

COMMUNITIES. BUILD CONNECTIONS.
AND CONTRIBUTE TO A MORE JUST
AND INCLUSIVE GLOBAL SOCIETY.
SOUND LIKE YOU? START MAKING A
DIFFERENCE TODAY BY SIGNING UP
FOR INTERNATIONAL SOCIAL WORK!
HAN.NL/ISW
PROFESSION_ PROGRAM IN BRIEF
International Social Work at HAN trains you to work THEORY AND PRACTICE
Theory and practice are closely linked at HAN. Your lecturers
together with local communities in an international guide you through all the current research on international social
setting. You work systematically and with proven work. At the same time, you dive straight into practice. Allowing
methods. Setting up projects. Liaising with local and you to apply the methodologies you learn in a real work setting.

international contacts. Connecting people. Your aim? In your 1st year you work as an intern for 1 day a week. Where?
To empower the individuals and communities you At an internationally-oriented organization in the Netherlands.
work with. So that they become more resilient and From your 2nd year your internship intensifies in time, complexity
and responsibility. And you have the option of going abroad for
self-reliant. this. So you’ll have plenty of opportunities to put what you’ve
learned into practice. In real communities.
Today we face all kinds of global issues.
Natural disasters. Migration. Climate change. SPECIALIZATION
Interreligious conflict. Poverty. Issues that need more Social work is a very broad field. When you graduate from this
than a just a quick fix. That’s where you as a social program, you’ll be specialized in Community Development and
Inclusive Society.
worker come in. You empower communities to tackle
such issues from the ground up. Always in
collaboration with the involved parties. And always in COURSE OVERVIEW
a sustainable manner. 1st year
• Introduction to Social Work Theory
• Psychology & Pedagogy
• Theories on Communities
JOBS • Critical and Ethical Considerations
• Social Worker in Community Development • Target-Group Analysis
• Social Worker in a Multicultural Setting • Development of Social Participation
• International Project Leader in Community Development • Community Development
• Contacting Target Groups
• Individual and Group Counselling
A GOOD MATCH? • Creative Skills
• Are you interested in global themes and issues? • Professional Writing Skills
• Would you like to contribute to improving the world? • Profiling and Presenting
• Do you find it important to have a career that’s • Internship
meaningful?
• Do you like working with people from different cultures? 2nd year
• Are you keen on travelling and are you adventurous? • Empowerment in Social Work
• Are you a good team player? • Voluntary and Involuntary Contexts
YES? Then the program is a good match for you! • Psychology & Sociology
• Guiding Groups
• Network Development
• Motivational Interviewing
• Social Research
• Social Technology
• Creative Skills
• Internship

3rd year
• Specialization Program: Community Development & Inclusive
Society
BROAD NETWORK • Internship
HAN has been running the Dutch-taught social work degree • Social and Participatory Action Research (on location)
for many years now. So we’ve built up a broad network.
We collaborate with health care organizations. Community 4th year
organizations. Government bodies. NGOs. And partner • Social and Participatory Action Research (on location)
universities. In both the Netherlands and abroad. We’re also • Elective Minor Program
linked to the International Federation of Social Workers and
the International Association of Schools of Social Work.
BUILD YOUR PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE ADMISSION REQUIREMENTS
In your 2nd, 3rd or 4th year you can do your internship abroad. , Diploma of secondary education
Where you might go? That could be anywhere in the world. , Fluency in English:
Many students will do an internship at an NGO. For example, the • IELTS > 6.0
Red Cross, Oxfam Novib, Greenpeace or Warchild. You could be • TOEFL > 80 (Internet based)
working at a refugee camp. Setting up a health, sports or music • Cambridge Certificate (CAE or CPE)
program in the slums of Calcutta. Or in the Townships in South
Africa. In collaboration with local professionals and possibly han.nl/admission
together with a student from another discipline.

In your 4th year you get hands-on experience at designing and CREDITS AND STUDY LOAD
conducting your very own research project. The type of research? HAN uses the European Credit Transfer System (ECTS). It’s the
Participatory action research. That means your starting point is an standard for higher education across Europe. When you pass your
actual need within the community. A need you have identified in exams or assignments, you receive credits.
your 3rd-year internship. And you won’t just make recommen- Credits are based on study load:
dations in a report. You’ll actually set up and execute the project. , 1 ECTS credit = 28 hours of study
A project that impacts the lives of real people.
How many credits do you get in 1 academic year?
, 60 ECTS credits = 1,680 hours of study
WHY STUDY INTERNATIONAL SOCIAL WORK AT
HAN? What if you don’t gain all 60 credits in the 1st year? Because you
failed some subjects or fell behind? That’s OK. You can miss some
One of a kind credits and catch up later.
This is the only international bachelor degree in social work in the
Netherlands. Each program sets its own minimum number of required credits
for the 1st year. For International Social Work this is 45.
Community development
At the end of this program, you’ll be a specialist in community
development. A growing field within social work.

Practice-based
Spend loads of time gaining experience in the field. Putting the
theory into practice. Having immediate impact.

Creative methods
Focus on creative methods within social work. Sport. Art. Drama.
Music. Games. Use these to connect and activate people.

MASTER DEGREE?
Ambitious? Keen to further your education? Want a position with
more responsibility? Make sure you choose a transfer minor
during your studies. This prepares and qualifies you for a master
degree at a research university. For example, the Masters in
Community Development at Utrecht University. A perfect match
for HAN students with a BSc in International Social Work. Or what
about doing a master degree in another country?

Social work is the fastest growing profession in the

world because more and more governments realize we
need social work to run good societies.

RORY TRUELL / SECRETARY GENERAL OF THE INTERNATIONAL

FEDERATION OF SOCIAL WORKERS
 OPEN DAY IN SHORT
NIJMEGEN CAMPUS
Location
Saturday, 4 April 2020 Nijmegen
10.00-14.00h
Language
English

Program duration
4 years

NEXT STEPS IN ORIENTATION Program start

Interested in studying at HAN University of Applied Sciences? September
Want to find out more first? Come and meet us! Either online or in
person. Here’s how you can meet our lecturers, students and Study load per week
alumni: Contact hours: 20
• Open Days Study and practice hours: 20
• Education Fairs
• Information Sessions Degree
• Online Meeting Bachelor of Social Work
• Student for a Day
Graduation percentage
han.nl/meetus 81% of all students graduate within 5 years

APPLICATION PROCEDURE
Step 1
Apply on Studielink.nl, the central online application tool for higher
education in the Netherlands.

Step 2
Send the necessary documents. HAN Admissions Office emails you
about which documents to send.

Step 3
You're invited for a Skype interview to check whether the program
is a good match for you.

Step 4
Find out whether you’ve been accepted. HAN Admission Office
emails you the outcome of your application.

Step 5
Received the acceptance letter? Paid the tuition fees? You're
officially a HAN student!
HAN-83332-en-GB-0120-3

HAN NIJMEGEN CAMPUS QUESTIONS? SOCIAL

Kapittelweg 33 HAN Information Center Facebook.com/HAN_International
6525 EN Nijmegen +31 24 353 05 00 Instagram.com/HAN_International
Netherlands [email protected] Youtube.com/HANUAS
www.han.nl/english

Colophon | January 2020 | Photography: Eva Broekema | No rights can be derived from the information in this factsheet