B.Ed. Secondary Education
| Degree awarded | Bachelor of Education (B.Ed.) |
|---|---|
| Duration | 6 semesters; 180 ECTS credits |
| Starts in | April (summer semester) and October (winter semester) |
| Language of instruction | German |
About the programme
In recent years, most degree programmes in Germany have been adapted to the international bachelor's and master's degree system; among the few exceptions to this rule are the civil–service track teacher education programmes ('Lehramt'), which conclude with a State Examination in Bavaria.
The University of Passau has launched a new type of secondary school teaching degree to train teachers for the German 'Realschule', a selective 6-year secondary school which qualifies pupils for higher-level vocational work or vocational higher education. The Bachelor of Education takes the conventional Lehramt Realschule curriculum and gives it the new, internationally recognised first and second-cycle degree structure.
If you are interested in studying the Lehramt Realschule programme, the Bachelor of Education may be an attractive alternative for you.
Features
- This programme is designed to be studied in conjunction with the Master of Education in Teaching and Learning Processes, which builds upon it.
- As the first part of this study path, the Bachelor of Education does not include the First State Examination for teachers, which means that, on its own, it is not a sufficient qualification for becoming a teacher at a Bavarian state-run school. However, this can be remedied by two additional semesters' study in either the Master of Education programme or in the regular Teacher Education Programme for Realschule secondary schools.
- If you follow this study path you will actually receive three qualifications:
- the First State Examination for teachers
- the B.Ed. Secondary Education and
- the M.Ed. Teaching and Learning Processes.
- Compared to the conventional teacher degrees, the B.Ed. and M.Ed. route contains a larger proportion of pedagogy and didactics modules, which will be useful for your traineeship and during your career as a teacher.
- If you do not wish to study for the Master of Education after completing the bachelor’s degree, you have the opportunity to switch to the conventional Lehramt Realschule teacher education programme and sit the First State Examination for teachers. Attempting this pilot programme is therefore completely risk-free for students.
Your study path starts with the B.Ed. Secondary Education programme, which has a standard period of study of six semesters. During this time you will accumulate 180 ECTS credits on the basis of your dissertation and the four module groups:
A) Educational Science
B) Teaching Subjects
C) Teaching Subject
D) Subject Didactics
A) The Educational Science modules impart expertise and methodologies in the subject areas of general pedagogy, school pedagogy and psychology. In the practice teaching module, an intermediate module that forms part of module area A, the 'Exercitium Paedagogicum' or the 'Lehr:werkstatt' are completed as practice teaching elements.
B: You will choose two teaching subjects in this module area and accumulate a minimum of 50 ECTS credits. Teaching subject combinations
C: You will earn an additional 10 ECTS credits in one of your chosen teaching subjects. If business/economics is chosen as a subject, this must be completed in module area C.
D: You will choose two subject didactics corresponding to your chosen teaching subjects (5 ECTS credits each).
Depending on your choice of subjects in module area B, you can earn 1–4 ECTS credits in the free area, which includes further courses and modules from the teacher education programmes in the fields of educational science (pedagogy and psychology), the teaching subject and subject didactics. Language courses, insofar as they are not already related to the chosen teaching subject, can be counted towards this module area, as well as teacher education-related events of the Future: Careers and Competencies (ZKK) of the University of Passau.
You will write your dissertation on a topic chosen from module groups A or D.
Upon completion of the B.Ed. degree programme, you may proceed to the master's programme (subject to access requirements).
For further details, please consult the Academic Advice Service's infosheet (German) and the module catalogue (German).
This degree programme starts in the October (winter semester) and April (summer semester) each year.
With abitur or European qualifications
Prospective students with a higher education entrance qualification from Germany or the EEA region (e.g. German abitur or the Austrian matura) can enrol directly for this degree programme during the enrolment period.
Prospective students with non-EEA qualifications
You will need German language skills at level C1 CEFR or higher to study this degree programme, as that is the main language of instruction for this programme. Therefore, you will have to provide a recognised German language certificate such as DSH-2 or TestDaF 4 in all four categories, unless German was the language of instruction for your secondary school education (e.g. Abitur at a German international school) or prior tertiary education.
The University of Passau has set up a German language teaching unit, German Courses Passau, which offers a selection of preparatory language programmes tailored to the needs of international students. These range from summer courses to a full academic year and cater to learners of all levels.
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