The Heidelberg University of Education is designed to train and qualify prospective teachers for a wide range of teaching careers in elementary, secondary, and special needs education. The course of studies at the University of Education is completed with a final State Examination (till 2015), respectively Bachelor of Arts (from 2015/2016) and Master of Education (from 2018/2019).
The University of Education also offers training to other educators, including cooperative Bachelor and master degree programs in pedagogy for engineers to attain a qualification for teaching in vocational schools. Other programs include Early Childhood Education (B.A.), Health Promotion (B.A.), Educational Sciences (M.A.), E-Learning and Media Education (M.A.) as well as Engineering Education (M.Sc.).
Approximately 300 permanent instructors teach more than 4,700 students at the University of Education, where (teacher) training includes primary education and pedagogy, subject-based knowledge, and subject-specific teaching skills. Instruction at the University of Education is, from the very beginning, strongly linked with practice. Various scientific and cultural projects, in-service training programs for educators, cooperation with universities abroad, and various institutions in the Rhine-Neckar metropolitan area complete its profile.
The Heidelberg University of Education specializes in training teachers for a wide range of careers in primary, lower secondary, and special needs education and preparing them for their final state examinations. The University of Education also trains other types of educators, offering courses such as the cooperative Bachelor and Masters Engineering Education programs that qualify teachers to work in vocational education. New courses include Bachelor's degrees in Basic and Pre-primary Education and Health Promotion. Programs such as the M.A. in E-Learning and Media Education – which combines teaching and learning processes with media – and the M.A. in Educational Sciences aim to prepare prospective teachers for future educational challenges. The MA program Educational Sciences offers optional profiles in Early Childhood Education, Education for Inclusion, Cultural Education, Educational Leadership, and Teaching Strategies.
The University has over 4,600 students and around 500 lecturers, teaching a curriculum that covers pedagogical principles, subject-specific teaching skills, and subject-based didactics. Training is strongly practice-oriented from the outset. The University has a clearly defined profile, focusing on the fields of culture and the natural sciences, offering a range of professional further training courses and cooperating with universities abroad while maintaining close ties with institutes in the Rhine-Neckar metropolitan region.
Heidelberg is home to a rich tradition of research and education – particularly at the Heidelberg University of Education. The Heidelberg University of Education, founded in 1904 as an "Educational Institution for Elementary Teachers," plays a vital role in maintaining the city's reputation as a hub of academic excellence.
The University has developed a profile as a research-focused institution that actively encourages and supports practice-oriented research. In both teaching and research, particular emphasis is placed on special needs education, aesthetic education, new media, and didactic approaches in natural sciences.
Our research is always conducted with teaching practice in mind. The steady increase in research activities and the corresponding allocation of external funding to our research staff illustrates the enormous value placed on research at the University.
The governing executive board manages the University. The executive board (Rectorate) consists of four members:
- the chairperson of the board (the Rector)
- the full-time member of the board responsible for managing the University's economic and personnel affairs (the Provost)
- the part-time members of the board (the Vice-Rector)
The Rector represents the University and is the chairperson of the Senate. In addition to managing the University's economic and personnel affairs, the Provost is also in charge of the budget.
At an operational level, the board's key responsibility is to implement the strategic objectives agreed with the University Council.
The Heidelberg University of Education introduced its three-year Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) program in Early Childhood and Pre-primary Education in the 2007/2008 winter semester.
The degree trains students to work with children in a broad range of different institutes in early childhood and pre-primary education (nursery school, kindergarten, joint pre-primary, and primary educational centers, early support centers).
Awareness of pre-primary education has steadily increased over the past few years. It has gained the recognition it deserves as a vital and integral part of the education system. This has led to a discussion about and implementing a diverse range of measures to support children's development and develop guidelines and curricula for the pre-primary area. The result is a demand for teachers trained to work in this field.
Given these requirements, Heidelberg University of Education's B.A. program in Early Childhood and Pre-primary Education aims to provide sound academic training in close conjunction with practical experience in the fields concerned.
The six-semester B.A. is a modular program (for details, see Teaching – modules). The program aims to enable participants to apply scientific techniques and theories and equip them with the professional skills required to work in the various fields of pre-primary education. Students gain practical experience in these fields from the outset (see Work experience office). Many years of researching early childhood and pre-primary education (for details, see Research) have resulted in an excellent blend of research, teaching, and practice about course content and skills.
