The research-based combined master’s degree in Care Sciences deals with key interdisciplinary care issues in the health care and social services sector. The degree programme thus consists of two components, care sciences as a compulsory subject and multidisciplinary obligatory elective subjects.

The compulsory subject of care sciences teaches students the theoretical and methodological foundations of the care sciences.

The multidisciplinary obligatory elective subjects provide students with in-depth specialist knowledge of overarching aspects of care. These cover (a) the care context, (b) the research methodology and (c) the provision of personal services.

The overarching aim of the master’s degree in Care Sciences is to give students the skills to evaluate both care concepts and also the quality of care in the health and social services sectors and shape and improve these concepts using evidence-based findings in order to counteract any underprovision, overprovision and inappropriate provision of care.

Graduates of this research-based combined master’s degree thus acquire the skills to scientifically analyse social, institutional and individual care situations and needs under everyday conditions and implement appropriate care provision, structures and processes for recipients.

Possible fields of employment can be found in research institutions. Alongside universities, technical colleges and private research institutes, there are an increasing number of research facilities run by parties involved in the healthcare sector themselves (e.g. insurers, specialist associations and interest groups). There are also other jobs in the healthcare sector, for example, in pharmaceutical companies or companies dealing with biomedical technology or medical products. Graduates can also find employment in (semi-) government facilities involved with health and social policy (e.g. government ministries, Federal Joint Committee, etc.).

Graduates of the degree in Care Sciences are qualified to take on managerial functions in the research, development and organisation of care concepts within facilities offering health care and social services.

Against this background, the combined master’s degree offers on the one hand those students who have already acquired fundamental skills in a degree course focussing on a subsequent career in the health care and/or social services sector the opportunity to specialise in research. On the other hand, it offers students who have already acquired research skills in a bachelor’s degree with a methodological approach (e.g. statistics, social sciences) the opportunity to specialise in applied research focusing on issues in the health care and social services sector.