Dual Study Programme Social Pedagogy to Start

Following its successful accreditation, the bachelor degree programme in Social Pedagogy will be launched as a dual programme at the St. Pölten UAS this autumn. Students can now start their education as social pedagogues in the form of a regular study programme.

In the new bachelor degree programme Social Pedagogy at the St. Pölten UAS, students enjoy a general education at the higher education level. In addition to child and youth welfare, the programme covers the entire spectrum of Social Work, thus closing ranks between Social Pedagogy and Social Work. The special characteristic of this dual programme: Practice and training blocks in the cooperating organisations are fixed components of the curriculum. Following an introductory study phase, the students are directly active in practice at the cooperating institutions.

“Social pedagogues accompany people in their everyday lives, for example when they can no longer live with their families, or not yet on their own. The objective is to help them ‘stand on their own feet’ in the most comprehensive way possible”, says Academic Director Christine Schmid.

Great Demand for Social Pedagogues

Given the strong demand for academic professionals in this field, the provincial government of Lower Austria supports the bachelor degree programme Social Pedagogy at the St. Pölten UAS with 1.8 million EUR.

“We are very pleased that we have now been given the green light for the dual bachelor degree programme in Social Pedagogy at the St. Pölten UAS. It was a matter close to our hearts to receive financing for this programme as we need to respond to the great demand for specialists in this field. After all, children and adolescents from precarious family situations often depend on the assistance offered by social pedagogues. It is imperative that we act fast here! The high number of applicants and their strong interest in this study programme confirms that we have taken the right decision”, emphasises Lower Austrian Governor Johanna Mikl-Leitner.

“We want to find solutions to current problems in society by means of science, research, and target-oriented training. This is a central objective of our Lower Austrian Science Agenda. The present problems in the Social Pedagogy sector made it inevitable that we move fast. We hope that this education offered at the St. Pölten UAS will lead to a situation where we have an adequate number of experts with high-quality training available to help affected persons ‘get back on their feet’ once again”, says Deputy Governor Stephan Pernkopf.

In the academic year 2025/26, the study programme will be expanded by further study places financed by the Federal Ministry of Education, Science and Research (BMBWF).

“It makes us very happy that the high quality of our education has been thus recognised. Thanks to the financial support of the provincial and federal governments, we can expand our educational offer fast and enable the training of more professionals who are, after all, much sought after”, says UAS CEO Johann Haag.

Social Pedagogy Students Now Eligible for ‘Selbsterhalterstipendium’

In the past, the St. Pölten UAS already offered a science-oriented training with high practical relevance for Social Pedagogues on a continuing education basis. Up to now, however, this option has been fee-based, and the students have been ‘continuing education students’, which means that they have been excluded from many scholarship options such as the ‘Selbsterhalterstipendium’ . “As Social Pedagogy is now a regular degree programme, students can make use of all grant and scholarship options”, explains Academic Director Schmid who is optimistic that this will motivate even more prospective students to become social pedagogues.

The official authorisation and national recognition of the study programme was issued by the Agency for Quality Assurance and Accreditation Austria (AQ Austria).