FH-Prof. Mag. Peter Stepanek
Head of Degree Program Social Economy
+43 1 606 68 77-3201
peter.stepanek@fh-campuswien.ac.at
The social economy provides around 150,000 jobs in Austria and is a dynamic and rapidly changing sector. New social needs, demographic change, the climate crisis, the digitalization of all areas of life and various crises are leading to a change in demand. Social managers have to develop complex strategies and effective approaches with limited resources. This requires a specific professional profile.
The Master's Degree Program Social Economy enables you to deal with leadership and management in the form of agile social management. You will build up business know-how for various activities and management tasks in the social economy. You will also strengthen your skills in developing and implementing innovative concepts, evaluating social services and carrying out research projects. You will also benefit from an internationally oriented, practice-oriented study program in cooperation with several European universities and a joint degree.
Master of Arts in Social Sciences (MA)
Tuition fee pro semester
€ 363,361
+ ÖH premium + contribution2
Application winter semester 2025/26
01. January 2025 - 15. May 2025
49
Kelsenstraße 23
1 Tuition fees for students from third countries € 727,- per semester. Details on tuition fees can be found in the general fee regulations.
2 for additional study expenses (currently up to € 83,- depending on degree program and year)
3 starting summer semester 2025 at Favoritenstraße 226
Ideally, you come from a practical background in the social sector and are interested in the management of social economy organizations and the associated, diverse topics and fields of activity. You consider research-based knowledge and international networking to be important for developing innovative solutions to social problems. You would like to exchange ideas with experts from other European countries about current developments and learn from each other.
Comprehensive and unique curriculum.
Continue your generalized basic education with very specific continuing education offers.
Our national and international network opens up perspectives and job opportunities after graduation.
The relevant admission requirement is
A total of 180 ECTS credits, exemplary list:
The diploma from a three-year academy for social work is considered equivalent.
The head of degree program decides in individual cases.
The required language level according to the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR) is at least
Applicants may require legalization of documents from countries other than Austria in order for them to have the evidential value of domestic public documents. Information on the required legalizations can be found here in PDF format.
For documents that are neither in German nor English, a translation by a sworn and court-certified interpreter is required. Your original documents should have all the necessary legalization stamps before translation so that the stamps are also translated. The translation must be firmly attached to the original document or a legalized copy.
As part of your online application, upload scans of your original documents including all required legalization stamps. For documents not issued in German or English, scans of the corresponding translations must also be uploaded. The head of the study program decides on the equivalence of international (higher) education qualifications. Therefore, your documents can only be checked as part of the ongoing application process.
Your path to studying at FH Campus Wien begins with your registration on our application platform. In your online account, you can start your application directly or activate a reminder if the application phase has not yet started.
Your application is valid once you have completely uploaded the required documents. If you do not have all the documents at the time of your online application, please submit them to the secretary's office by email as soon as you receive them.
After completing your online application, you will receive an email confirmation with information on the next steps.
The admission procedure is based on
The places are allocated on the basis of the ranking of the results in the admission procedure. Professional practice in the social sector will be taken into account.
The program combines business know-how with the demands of a social economy organization. You benefit from research-based, practice-oriented expertise of the lecturers. The annual Spring School gives you insights into current topics and developments in the international environment.
This master's program is the first European program for social economy and social work that concludes with a joint degree from several European universities. Courses in cooperation with the international joint degree partners increase the quality of the education. A two-week, mandatory study visit to a partner university from the joint degree network will expand your professional, linguistic and intercultural competencies. We live an intensive exchange with these partner universities:
University Trnava (Slovak Republic)
University Ostrava (Czech Republic)
Mobility partner:
University of Silesia in Katowice (Poland)
Babeș-Bolyai University of Cluj-Napoca (Romania)
In addition to intensive international cooperation, we are networked throughout Austria with social sector organizations and research institutions. At the interface of research, practice and teaching, the Department Social Work has its own Research Center for Social Work. You will also benefit from our cooperations with your Master's theses.
Graduates of the Master's degree program
To this end, you will acquire relevant specialist knowledge from a wide range of disciplines, adapted to the current needs of organizations in the social economy.
Number of teaching weeks
14 per semester
Times
Every three to four weeks Thu. to Sat. 9.45 a.m. to 5.15 p.m., with accompanying distance learning
Electives
Selection and participation according to available places. There may be separate admission procedures.
For a joint degree (based on § 3 Section 2 Subsection 10 FHStG) you have to acquire at least 30 ECTS credits under the responsibility of our partner universities.
As a graduate of this program, a wide range of occupational fields and career opportunities are open to you. Find out here where your path can take you.
Organizations offering social services are challenged to guarantee optimal service quality for their respective target groups on the basis of limited financial resources. As a graduate of this Master's degree program, you will plan and design the necessary framework conditions.
This will open up various professional positions and functions in nonprofit and forprofit organizations.
The European Master's program in Social Economy and Social Work at the FH Campus Wien focuses on sustainability management in the social economy with an international teaching project.
Project websiteWe work closely with numerous organizations in the social and public sectors, universities and research institutes. Our close cooperation with work placements in social work and social economy guarantees you strong contacts for your professional career or participation in research and development activities. You can find information about our cooperation activities and much more at Campusnetzwerk. It's well worth visiting the site as it may direct you to a new job or interesting event held by our cooperation partners!
Head of Degree Program Social Economy
+43 1 606 68 77-3201
peter.stepanek@fh-campuswien.ac.at
Kelsenstraße 2, S.4.25
1030 Vienna
+43 1 606 68 77-3200
+43 1 606 68 77-3209
sozialwirtschaft@fh-campuswien.ac.at
Office hours
by appointment
Academic Staff
florentina.astleithner@fh-campuswien.ac.at
+43 1 606 68 77-3211
Academic Staff
maria-clarissa.canete@fh-campuswien.ac.at
+43 1 606 68 77-3206
Academic Staff
helga.eberherr@fh-campuswien.ac.at
+43 1 606 68 77-3213
The research activities of the program deal with current topics in the social economy: inclusion and diversity, areas of tension in social economy organizations, forms of participation (innovative tools, creative processes), impact orientation, sustainability management, solidarity economy and cooperatives.
Head of project: FH-Prof. Mag. Peter Stepanek