You should be interested in languages, texts, and how people read in the past and present. You should also enjoy analytically engaging with texts.

Additionally, you should possess a willingness to dissect subject-specific academic and didactic research positions. Some of the academic literature that you will read will be in English. Therefore, you should be proficient enough in English to read and understand these original texts.

As a future teacher, you should also also have an interest in both basic and advanced questions within the context of teaching and learning.

In order to fulfill the entrance requirements for the master’s degree program in teacher education for Gymnasium you must have completed a teaching-related bachelor’s degree with a specialization in teacher education for Gymnasium in the same subjects at a university in Rhineland-Palatinate or an equivalent degree.

Important information for all students who have not completed a Bachelor of Education (for teacher education for Gymnasium) in Rhineland-Palatinate.

If you have not yet received your bachelor’s degree certificate by the application deadline, but have earned at least 135 credits in your bachelor’s program, you must apply by the set deadline with a transcript (certified copy issued by your university) of all coursework and exams completed to date, including your average grade to date.

In justified cases, other degrees may also be recognized for admission to the master’s program. Recognition may be subject to conditions relating to the specific structure of the master’s degree program. If no school internships have been completed, other documented achievements may be recognized as equivalent.

Applicants who have not obtained a university entrance qualification at a German-speaking institution or a degree in a German-speaking course must provide proof of sufficient German language skills. These must correspond to the level DSH-2 of the “German Language Proficiency Examination for Admission to Higher Education for Foreign Applicants” and must be proven by the time of enrollment at JGU.

Good to know: The legally binding basis for selection, admission and enrollment is the text of the entrance requirements as specified in Section 2 of the currently valid examination regulations and, where applicable, in the appendix.

You can find more information in the examination regulations (in German).

The Master of Education in German balances academic content courses with subject-specific didactic training.

1st academic year: Expansion phase
You can expect the following overarching topics during your first academic year:

• Contemporary literature and its teaching (literature and literary didactics)
• German literary history
• Multilingualism (linguistics and language didactics)

You will delve into the developments of literature and authors from the Middle Ages up until the 20th and 21st centuries, including children’s and young adult literature as well as new literary forms of expression, among other topics. You will get to know literary works and analyze them against the backdrop of their historical contexts and current research positions. In addition, you will learn how to spark interest and nurture curiosity about literature in young people. Furthermore, you will be able to strengthen your skills by acquiring and using language in multilingual contexts. You will, among other things, become familiar with integrative language concepts and gain the skills needed to plan and reflect upon German lessons for linguistically heterogeneous groups of pupils.

2nd academic year: Project phase
In your second academic year, you will work on:

• Trends and developments in German linguistics
• Eras and epochal thresholds
• Your Master’s thesis

You will gain insight into contemporary linguistic theories, including those on first and second language acquisition. This understanding will be complemented with methodological knowledge so that you will be able to deduce and work on linguistic questions. You expand your knowledge in literary works from subject-specific and didactic perspectives. You are able to link literature with (political) history, as well as cultural, social, and media history, and describe how the self-perceptions of different epochs have evolved. In doing so, you will be able to analyze themes and motifs exemplarily and interpret and present them appropriately with regard to materiality and mediality.

Starting in the 3rd semester, you may select an area of specialization in literature or linguistics. You may write your master’s thesis in any subject-specific area or in the field of literary or language didactics.

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.

In the master of education program, you will complete a 15-day internship at a Gymnasium during the lecture-free period (March – April or August – October). The focus here is on teaching in the upper-level secondary school (Gymnasium). 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.

Further information on this can be found on the website of the Teacher Education Center and on the pages of the state of Rhineland-Palatinate on school internships.

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

In your fourth semester, you will complete an in-depth didactical internship.

This master’s program will best prepare you for your career as a German teacher at a Gymnasium. You will thus obtain the necessary skills in order to teach and acquire the German language and literature for school contexts. As a graduate you will be able to

• get pupils interested and enthusiastic about the German language and literature,
• plan and deliver modern, didactically reflective German lessons that help pupils build linguistic and literary competence and support their acquisition of language and literature knowledge,
• initiate, evaluate, guide, and foster learning processes in the various educational areas of German lessons,
• select suitable learning materials for your German lessons and also take the diverse prior knowledge and linguistic abilities of your pupils into account.

However, you are certainly not restricted to teaching and planing German lessons! You can pursue any career in which strong German language skills, a deep understanding of German literature, and the ability to think analytically and from diverse perspectives are an asset. These include:

• Academia (e.g., at universities, in research institutes and projects)
• Education and culture (e.g., in museums, theaters, adult education, libraries, archives, and foundations)
• Publishing
• Media and journalism (e.g., newspapers, television, radio, internet)
• Advertising
• Business (marketing, press, and public relations)

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.