• An interest in both natural science and social science is essential.
• Active and passive English skills allowing you to read texts and attend courses in English are required.
• For field trips abroad, proficiency in the local language would be an advantage.
• During the course, students are required to attend numerous field courses and will be expected to bear a portion of the associated travel costs.

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 first academic year of the Bachelor of Education program, you will focus primarily on human geography (urban, social, and economic geography) and physical geography (geomorphology and climatic geography).

In the second academic year, you will be taught the subjects of empirical research, cartography, spatial planning, soil science, and specialized didactics. In addition, you will be able to deepen and apply the knowledge you have thus far acquired in seminars and lectures over a three-day field trip and by designing geographic learning environments and teaching units in specialized didactic courses.

In the third academic year, you will expand the specialized didactic knowledge you have so far acquired and you will also become acquainted with geographic statistical methods and geographic information systems. Upon completion of the Bachelor of Education, you will be able to design lessons and series of lessons in a scientifically and didactically sound manner, taking into account the motivation of learners and teachers. You can choose to write a bachelor’s thesis focusing on physical geography, human geography, or subject didactics, or you can combine all three approaches.

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.

The best time to do this is between your bachelor’s and master’s degree programs.

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.

Beyond the core subject matter in geography, the interdisciplinary approach will equip you with the skills to identify, analyze, evaluate, and communicate environmental and spatial problems to young people. In the didactic classes you will develop the skills and abilities to direct learning processes (in the context of learning exercises, lessons, and teaching courses), taking into account findings from the fields of the psychology of learning, media didactics, and methodology.

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.

Your acquired knowledge and skills will qualify you both to teach in school as well as to work in other professions in the field of education, such as adult education and textbook publishing.

If, during teacher training, you decide instead to focus on academia, you will be permitted to transfer to the Bachelor of Science degree program, provided certain requirements are met.

For more information on typical careers in geography, please consult the Bachelor of Science Geography profile.

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.