Social Gerontology Master's program

• Completed Bachelor's or Diploma degree with 210 ECTS (if 180 ECTS, an aptitude test must be passed, but this can be waived if proof of at least two years of professional experience related to older people is provided)
• At least one year of professional experience related to older people or a related professional field (individual solutions are possible in exceptional cases)
• Professional activity (gainful employment/voluntary work) related to older people with a weekly working time of 15 to max. 30 hours
   

Study requirements for the eLearning courses

• PC with Internet connection (at least DSL 2000), up-to-date browser software and Flash plug-in, headset and webcam

• 1st semester: Basic modules
• 2nd semester: Basic and advanced modules
• 3rd semester: in-depth and extension modules
• 4th semester: specialization modules and Start of Master's thesis
• 5th semester: Final module - Master's thesis

Organization of the degree course 

In order to meet the needs of our students for long-term planning security on the one hand and to meet the work schedules of the lecturers involved, some of whom are in external employment, on the other, we can only provide an approximate guide to the teaching times planned for each semester at this point. The exact dates will be determined in accordance with the teaching schedule of the Faculty of Social Sciences approximately three months before the start of the semester. 

1st semester: 

• Two contact weeks (attendance) 
• 1st block week in mid-April 
• 2nd block week in mid-July 
• Two extended weekends (Friday to Sunday) 
• 1st block weekend in May 
• 2nd block weekend in June 
• One contact evening per week (eLearning) 

2nd semester: 

• two contact weeks (attendance) 
• 1st block week end of September/beginning of October 
• 2nd block week beginning/mid-February 
• Two extended weekends (Friday to Sunday) 
• 1st block weekend November/December 
• 2nd block weekend in January 
• One contact evening per week (eLearning) 

3rd semester 

• Two contact weeks (attendance) 
• 1st block week in mid-March 
• 2nd block week mid/end of June 
• Two extended weekends (Friday to Sunday) 
• 1st block weekend in April 
• 2nd block weekend in May 
• One contact evening per week (eLearning) 

4th semester 

• Two extended weekends (Friday to Sunday) 
• 1st block weekend October/November 
• 2nd block weekend in January 
• One contact evening per week (eLearning) 

5th semester 

• Two extended weekends (Friday to Sunday) 
• 1st block weekend March/April 
• 2nd block weekend May/June 
• One contact evening per week (eLearning) 

One in five Germans is aged 65 and over - that's 17 million people. By 2030, this figure will rise to 22 million or 29% of the population. This makes Germany the country with the oldest average population in Europe. Saxony is the oldest federal state in Germany: Saxony's demographic change is 10 years ahead of the national average. Adapting existing care structures to this new situation is turning Saxony into a "social experiment". Solutions that are developed here have the potential to serve as a model for the rest of Germany and beyond.

As an educational institution, the Zittau/Görlitz University of Applied Sciences is taking up the challenge of training management personnel to deal with the problems associated with demographic change. The Master's degree program aims to train highly qualified experts.

The accredited degree course is recognized nationwide as an entry qualification for the higher civil service and entitles students to a doctorate. It opens up career prospects in a variety of professional fields, such as:

• Healthcare/nursing and elderly care/work with the elderly
• Welfare organizations
• Municipal and ministerial administrations
• Speaker activities
• Public relations work
• Scientific processing as well as research and evaluation
• Political, organizational and management consulting
• Product development for older people