Practical professional studies (module BPS)

Throughout your bachelor’s program, various courses will provide you with information about the fields of practice and institutions in social work. You can find more detailed information about specific internship opportunities at our annual internship fair, where numerous social work organizations present themselves. Under “Internship Opportunities,” you’ll find a list featuring a selection of organizations from various fields of practice. You can obtain information on additional practicum sites from the BPS Office or through posted notices.
If the organization you have in mind has not yet been recognized by the Institute for Social Work, it must submit an application for recognition as a practicum site. You can also find the corresponding form under “Practicum Sites.”

The practicum module comprises 768 hours and must be completed in accordance with a training agreement concluded between you and the organization operating the practicum site. The training agreement also includes the objectives and content of your internship (training plan) and must be sent digitally to the BPS Office before the start of the internship at the following address: bps.ifs[at]uni-kassel[dot]de. If all requirements are met, the BPS Office will countersign the contract and return it to you via email. You have the option to complete the practical training module at two different institutions. In this case, each practical training phase must comprise at least 192 hours. The internship must be completed within one year, and the hours spent at the internship site must not be less than 16 hours per week; you may complete this flexibly on a part-time basis.

Please note that in many fields of work, it is necessary to submit a current criminal background check. The current cost for this is 13–17 euros. Information on possible fee waivers can be found here.

We would also like to point out that it is strongly recommended that you have valid liability insurance (for example, to cover damage to company vehicles or the loss of company keys).

Regarding compensation for BPS1 internships, we recommend the internship guidelines issued by the Association of Municipal Employers’ Associations. This recommendation also applies to BPS1 internships outside the municipal sector.

Measles Protection Act

Under the Measles Protection Act, individuals who work in communal facilities (such as daycare centers, schools, and asylum seeker and refugee shelters) and in healthcare facilities (such as hospitals) must provide proof of measles vaccination or existing immunity to measles.

This also applies to internships!

Please get vaccinated against measles well in advance of the start of your internship (according to recommendations, there should be a 4-week interval between the first and second doses). Proof of vaccination must be provided before the internship begins. Please also consider coordinating the timing of the measles vaccination with a potential COVID-19 vaccination (to allow for a buffer period between the vaccinations). Please discuss the vaccination schedule with your doctor and inquire about the requirements at your internship site.

(Further information:https://www.masernschutz.de/beschaeftigte-in-einrichtungen/. Accessed on September 25, 2023).

You are not entitled to vacation time during the study-integrated internship, but it may be granted by the internship site. The following applies to absences:

If you have absences that cannot be made up (illness, etc., and vacation) totaling more than 128 hours, you must report this to the BPS Office immediately. The BPS Commission will decide whether, how, and how many internship hours must then be made up.

ATTENTION: If your internship site uses its own contract form, under no circumstances may the University of Kassel’s form be used in addition to it. In this case, please attach an additional sheet to the contract that includes the training plan, the name of the supervisor, whether that person holds state certification as a social worker or social pedagogue, and their contact information. Under no circumstances may two parallel contract forms be submitted.

To reflect on your practical work, you must take part in an accompanying course from the BPS module. In addition, you must join a supervision group and register your participation as an additional achievement in HISPOS.

Certificate from the practical training center
After completing the practical training, a certificate from the practical training center about the successfully completed period as well as the objectives and content of the practical training must be submitted or sent by email to the following address: bps.ifs[at]uni-kassel[dot]de
The form for the certificate can be found in the download area.

Reflection form
The reflection form completed by the intern and the practical instructor should be submitted together with the certificate. A digitally fillable version can also be found in the download area.

Assessment by the university (assessment of internship module)
The module grade for students of the examination regulations from 2011 onwards is determined by the assessment of the written internship report. The assessment form can be found in the download area.

Information on the preparation of the internship report can be found under "Preparation of internship reports". After evaluation by the lecturer, the report must be sent to the BPS department. The address can be found in the yellow box on the start page "Practical phases". The academic achievement and the examination achievement (practical report) must be registered in HISPOS during the registration deadlines. For students after the PO from 2019: The participation in supervision must be registered as an additional achievement in HISPOS.