As a future teacher, a love of teaching, a good instinct for working with students, and a sense of responsibility are important requirements for handling the upcoming variety of pedagogical work in your working life. As a prospective art teacher, you should also have a passion for art in general, and bring your own ideas that you want to pursue with energy and initiative. You should also find joy in exploring the artwork of others and in regularly visiting museums and other cultural institutions.

In order to study at the Academy of Fine Arts, you must pass a multi-level aptitude test to demonstrate a certain level of artistic talent and aptitude for the program of study. For this, you will need to submit some samples of your work in portfolio form. In a subsequent oral examination, you will comment on your work and explain your interest in the subject. The Mainz Academy of Fine Arts will be happy to advise you on your portfolio in advance in the form of individual academic advising.

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.

Program structure and specializations

In your program of study, you will attend lectures and seminars in art history, art-related theory, and the didactics of art. In the studios and workshops of the Mainz Academy of Fine Arts, you will independently experiment with various artistic processes and carry out your own educational art project. You will also participate in field trips and workshops.

Your studies will be divided into two parts:

Introductory phase (1st − 2nd semester)

During the first two semesters, you will attend basic courses for your general artistic orientation and be given your own studio space. This will allow you to lay the foundations for your own artistic work and further develop your interests, skills, and talents. You will explore new artistic avenues.

Art Class Studies (from the 3rd semester)

At the beginning of the third semester, you will join an individually selected art class in order to study the practice of art and will work in the studio. You will participate in class by discussing works in progress. During the bachelor’s degree program, you will also take introductory courses in the academy’s workshops to further develop your skills in areas such as woodworking, metalworking, printmaking, media lab, film and digital photography, and painting techniques.

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.

Graduates typically work in the following fields:

• Freelance artistic activities, ranging from independent studio work to commissioned work
• Galleries and art associations
• Museum education
• Adult education
• Art therapy
• Universities and academies

Please also note the subsequent Master of Education “Fine Arts”, which qualifies you for the teacher traineeship (Referendariat) in the teaching profession.

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.