Would you like to support children in their development in the long term? In the Master's degree programme in Primary School Teaching at the Heidelberg University of Education (PHHD), you will deepen your knowledge from your Bachelor's degree and expand your pedagogical skills. This will prepare you specifically for your career entry. You will gain valuable practical experience in practical school studies for primary school teachers, which will make the transition to a traineeship at primary school level easier. The Master of Education Primary School in Heidelberg combines theory, practice and a clear perspective for your entry into teacher training.
In the Master's degree programme in Primary School Teaching, you will build on the skills you acquired in your Bachelor's degree. You will deepen your subject-specific, didactic and educational knowledge and thus optimally prepare yourself to accompany children in a decisive phase of their educational biography.
The prerequisite is a completed Bachelor's degree programme with two subjects and teaching-related elements (subject didactics, educational sciences and practical school studies).
If the Bachelor's degree is not yet available at the time of application, admission can still be applied for if proof of at least 147 ECTS from a teaching-related Bachelor's degree programme is provided.
In the Master's degree programme in Primary School Teaching, you will be systematically prepared for the professional design of educational, training and support processes in the primary school sector. The aim is to develop a scientifically sound and reflective understanding of the profession that will enable you to competently and responsibly support children aged 5 to 12.
As a graduate of the degree programme, you will have in-depth subject-specific knowledge and will be able to combine this with concepts of research-based subject didactics and educational science. You will have a scientifically sound, research-based and practice-orientated attitude. This enables you to deal with issues relating to the requirements and opportunities of inclusion in education. You are prepared to continuously learn through independent action and research and to critically reflect on your own educational process.
The degree programme thus lays the foundation for lifelong learning and continuous professional development in your professional field - always with a view to your responsibility in a diverse and globalised society.
The Master's degree programme in Primary School Teaching is divided into four study areas:
- Educational sciences (educational science and psychology)
- First subject (German or maths) incl. subject-specific science, subject-specific didactics and methodology
- Second subject incl. subject-specific science, subject-specific didactics and methodology
- Practical school studies with a 3-week professionalisation internship
In the Master's thesis, you will work on an academic problem on a topic from one of your chosen subjects or educational sciences.
Standard period of study: 2 semesters
The programme comprises 120 credit points. One credit point corresponds to around 30 hours of student work (attendance, preparation and follow-up work, self-study, examination).
The programme comprises two areas:
- 60 credit points from university coursework as part of the Master's programme
- 60 credit points from the preparatory service for the teaching profession at primary schools
The 60 credit points from the preparatory service are credited towards the Master of Education degree on the basis of a written confirmation of the successfully completed training period of twelve months.
You will complete a four-week professionalisation internship at a primary school in Germany or abroad so that you can apply the theoretical foundations from your degree course directly in practice.
Our Centre for Practical School Studies (ZfS) is your first point of contact for all questions relating to the practical school components of the degree programme.
To the Centre for Practical School Studies
The degree programme offers you the opportunity to integrate a stay abroad into your studies - either via an exchange programme or self-organised. If you would like to venture beyond Germany, you can study abroad for one semester at a university or complete an internship, for example.
The International Office can provide you with information and advice on the various options and scholarship programmes.
To the International Office
After two semesters of university study (60 ECTS) and 12 months of successfully completed preparatory service (60 ECTS), you will complete the degree programme with the academic degree "Master of Education (M. Ed.)" (total of 120 ECTS credits).
The two-semester degree programme concludes with a Master's examination. It qualifies you to start the preparatory service (traineeship) for the teaching profession at primary schools.
If you successfully complete 12 months of preparatory service, you will be awarded the academic degree "Master of Education".
With the Master's degree, you can work in various educational professions, e.g. in educational and family counselling, all-day school supervision or in educational centres.
Important: You are not yet a teacher when you obtain your Master's degree!
If you would like to teach at primary schools, you must successfully complete the entire 18-month preparatory service.
How about democracy education, information and media skills or intercultural learning support? These are just three examples of the attractive additional qualifications that you can acquire as a prospective teacher at the Heidelberg University of Education. You usually complete these additional qualifications with a certificate.
To the overview of additional qualifications
