The most important requirements? You should be excited by the range of questions biology seeks to answer, and as a prospective teacher you should also be enthusiastic about giving lessons in biology. In addition to a sense of responsibility and the desire to work as a teacher, you should also have a good feel for how to work with pupils.

You should also enjoy independent practical work since this will make up a large portion of your studies and includes physiological and ecological lab courses, plant and animal identification exercises, and excursions. Good communication skills, the ability to learn, write, and work in a structured manner, and good time management will all play a key role in enabling you to complete your studies quickly and successfully.

For this program of study, you need good English language proficiency in order to be able to read and understand specialist literature in English. However, you will not be required to provide separate proof of your language skills.

This program is studied as a part of the Bachelor of Education degree program (teacher education for Gymnasium). The degree program always includes two teaching subjects as well as the subject of Education Studies.

In the Biology teacher education program, you will not only attend biology courses, but also many courses in school didactics. These courses will provide you with the didactic foundation necessary to share your theoretical and practical knowledge methodically in school.

Program structure

The Bachelor of Education in Biology is divided into three academic years.

The first year is dedicated to basic knowledge of chemistry, cell biology, botany, and zoology.

In the second year, you will take modules on human biology and anthropology as well as on ecology, biodiversity, and evolution.

The third year covers the physiology of plants and animals.

The subject-specific modules are supplemented in the second year of study by a subject didactics module, which teaches biology didactics in lectures, seminars, and an internship.  

Stays abroad

Would you like to live abroad for a semester or a year? Do you want to learn another language and get to know a new culture? Or gain a different perspective on your particular subject? A stay abroad provides you with the perfect opportunity to achieve this and is possible with every degree program – either self-organized or by taking advantage of one of the popular exchange programs. This is made possible by various cooperation agreements and partnerships with foreign universities.

For more information on this topic, please visit our websites on studying abroad. Visit our student exchange platform for an overview of cooperating universities in your field.

This program of study does not require you to spend time abroad, but you nevertheless have the opportunity to do so.

Internships

In the Bachelor of Education, you will complete three 3-week internships and experience different types of schools firsthand. This practical experience will complement your theoretical training, help you practice your pedagogical skills in the classroom, and give you direction for your future career.

For more information, please visit the website for school internships provided by the state of Rhineland-Palatinate.

Students interested in completing additional voluntary internships – including those in other professional fields – can find more information on the Career Service website.

The teacher education degree program prepares you – and is a prerequisite – for a career as a teacher at a Gymnasium in Germany. Not only will you acquire comprehensive knowledge about the subject, you will also learn how to convey this knowledge to your future students in a fun and creative way, while inspiring interest for your subject.

To work as a teacher later on, you must also obtain the Master of Education after completing your bachelor’s degree and then complete a teacher traineeship (Referendariat). The first, university-based phase of your teacher education ends with the recognition of your B.Ed. and M.Ed. degrees as the First State Examination. The second phase, the teacher traineeship (Referendariat), generally lasts 18 months in Rhineland-Palatinate and concludes with the Second State Examination.

However, you are not restricted solely to classroom teaching after completing the teacher education program. You can also work in a variety of professional fields beyond teaching in public schools.

The B.Ed. degree also offers you the opportunity to work in the field of nature and environmental education, with companies and authorities, or in the media, where you can apply your specialist and teaching skills professionally.

Potential employers include

• NGOs (e.g. nature conservation organizations)
• Publishing companies
• Authorities such as environmental agencies
• Management consultancies
• Communications agencies

Not sure what to do after graduation? Don’t worry!

A university degree generally does not prepare you for a single profession but qualifies you for a wide range of career paths – for example, in research, in a typical profession related to your field of study, or in one of many other academic fields.

This is why career orientation is also part of your studies. Gaining practical experience is key, and you can do so through internships, working student positions, part-time jobs or voluntary work, for example.

JGU’s Career Service will support you throughout the entire process with information, advice, workshops and numerous events – from career orientation and working on your profile and skills to finding your dream job and successfully applying for it.