Primary Education

The bachelor's degree course at the University of Erfurt comprises a major and a minor subject (two-subject bachelor's degree) as well as the fundamental course of study. It aims to impart specialist content and occupational field orientation as well as interdisciplinary skills. The standard period of study is six semesters.

Orientation Phase (First Year)

• Introduction to the pedagogy of childhood: childhood and being a child / basics of empirical childhood research
• psychological foundations of learning, teaching and child development
• Fachwissenschaft Deutsch: Language system and language usage/basic questions of literary communication
• Mathematics: Arithmetic and algebraic basic concepts/geometry
• Basics of the subjects German, mathematics and subject teaching (local and general knowledge)
• Introduction to the didactics of German and mathematics / basics of the didactics of subject teaching

• if necessary, foundation of school garden or technical communication and technical drawing

Qualification Phase (Second/Third Year)

• Teaching and learning in primary school
• Didactics and Methodology of Mathematical Learning Processes in Primary School/ Consolidation of German Didactics
• Educational worlds of children in pre-school/out-of-school contexts
• Literary, aesthetic and written language education at pre-school age/out-of-school

Specialist knowledge for the fourth subject is acquired with the minor course.

The course of study is concluded with a Bachelor's thesis.

The variant "Primary School" and the variant "Pre- and Extracurricular Education" differ in the scope of the modules.

Two-Subject-Bachelor

The major and minor subjects differ in terms of the content and scope of the course. In the major subject a Bachelor thesis is written.

Examinations regulations major Primary Education

At the University of Erfurt, you will study a major and a minor subject (two-subject bachelor) in the bachelor's program. You may have to observe combination rules.

Combination rule:

• Primary and elementary education can be combined with all fields of study.
• When combining with the subject German Studies or Mathematics, you must choose between School Garden or Works for the fourth subject.

Internships during studies

• Interdisciplinary Internship for Vocational Field
• optional: Internship for Vocational Field

Further internships for students with the professional goal of becoming teachers:

• two school type-related school internships in the Bachelor's program

Relevance for teacher training

If you follow a master's degree course in teaching, you will acquire the teaching qualification for the subject German, Mathematics and local knowledge and expertise at the following schools:

• Primary schools

Studying to become a primary school teacher

• Combination of the major subject Primary and Elementary Education with a minor relevant to the teaching profession

Download Flyer "Studying to become a primary school teacher" (in German)

Studying to become a primary school teacher

Studying with Abitur

• general qualification for university entrance or the subject-related higher education entrance qualification or a comparable previous education

General information on the admission requirements (study without Abitur):
www.uni-erfurt.de/studium/vor-dem-studium/bewerbung-zulassung-einschreibung

Language requirements during studies

• German: Upon application, international applicants must prove German language skills at level B1.

Note: If you are aiming for the Master of Education Primary School, please also note the requirements for your chosen minor field of study.

Language Centre

The Language Centre (Sprachenzentrum) offers around 140 language courses per semester in 16 modern and ancient (foreign) languages. It supports you in acquiring and deepening your language skills.
www.uni-erfurt.de/sprachenzentrum

International applicants

International applicants whose native language is not German must provide proof of sufficient German language skills (level B1) upon application.

Information on required German language skills and the German language test for university admission (DSH):

Language and Admission Requirements 

Admission limitation (with NC)

Only a limited number of study places are available for the field of study Primary and Elementary Education (university internal admission restriction, numerus clausus). The number of places is determined anew for each winter semester.

The places are allocated in an admission procedure according to the following criteria:

• Average grade of the university entrance qualification [HZB] (20% of places),
• Supplementary university selection procedure (60% of places; the only underlying criterion: average grade of the HZB),
• Waiting time (20% of seats).

After the Bachelor at the University of Erfurt

Master of Education Primary Schools

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