Benefits SGB II (Social Act II)

The certificate programme Benefits SGB II has been offered at the University of Applied Labour Studies since October 2015 and lasts one semester. The programme starts in February, June and October of each year at the Mannheim and Schwerin campuses, with each study cohort limited to 50 participants.

The aim of the certificate programme Benefits SGB II is to further develop legal competence in the legal area of SGB II in order to ensure well-founded decision-making in the area of basic benefits, both with regard to basic benefits for jobseekers and with regard to securing a livelihood. In addition, participants will be able to represent decisions in the fields of  action of granting benefits, sanctioning and other conflictual situations.

The certificate programme in SGB II complements the BA's portfolio of training courses and is limited to 50 participants per study cohort. The target group of the certificate programme includes, in particular, clerks and specialist assistants (with a development plan SGB II) in the joint institutions who wish to further develop their skills in the area of SGB II. Participants in the SGB II certificate programme starting in February, June and October can register eight weeks before the start of the programme using the registration form.

Participants receive a certificate of attendance at the end of the certificate programme. Those who would like to complete the certificate programme with a university certificate are asked to send in the documents required for the admission by 28th February, 30th June or 31st October respectively. The admission procedure and the admission requirements for the certificate programme can be found in the admission regulations. Alongside a first degree qualifying for a profession or successfully completed job training, applicants must also be able to demonstrate at least two years of qualified professional experience as an employee in the legal system of SGB II or SGB III. The students' rights and obligations for contact studies are laid out in the study and examination regulations. Students receive detailed information on the admission procedure in the first on-campus session.

Participants gain knowledge in the field of professional skills, in particular knowledge of the legal system SGB II and its constitutional classification, for the academically based further development of legal skills in the legal system SGB II.

In the 6-month certificate programme "Benefits SGB II", two modules must be taken one after the other. All participants must take module 01 ("Principles of SGB II") and 02 ("Advanced SGB II").

Each module takes three months and consists of two distance-learning phases, alongside two three-day on-campus phases at the HdBA Mannheim or Schwerincampus. In the distance-learning-phases participants work through additional material in self-study. 

For participants who have been admitted (who wish to obtain a certificate), the second distance-learningphase of a module is proceeded by the examination period. If all examinations have been passed, the successful candidate receives 6 ECTS credits per module (12 ECTS credits for the whole programme) and a HdBA university certificate. The certificate programme is a work-related qualification.

The programme is proceeded by a reflection unit of 1.5 reflection days at the HdBA in Mannheim or Schwerin, which – regardless of the chosen specialisation – takes place about 4 to 5 months after the end of the certificate programme.