The program is ideal for anyone who enjoys engaging with other cultures and can imagine teaching German. You will need empathy and the ability to shift your perspective. Self-directed learning and teamwork are an important part of your studies.

Proof of a bachelor’s degree

• in a modern philology degree program, or
• in Business Education with a major in German, or
• in a cultural studies-oriented degree program with a culturally reflective (inter-, trans-, pluricultural) focus (at least 30 CP or 12 semester hours per week), or
• in an educational studies-oriented degree program with a culturally reflective (inter-, trans-, pluricultural) focus (at least 30 CP or 12 semester hours per week), or

or proof of a bachelor’s degree from a higher education institution that is substantially equivalent to the above-mentioned programs.

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.

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.

Information on the examination regulation.

First and second semester:

• Fundamentals (the role of German and German cultural mediators, awareness of linguistic diversity, and culturally reflective learning)
• An overview of foreign language didactics, with a focus on the role of textbooks and exam design
• The language and how to teach it: How do I teach grammar, vocabulary, and text structure?
• Neurodidactic foundations of language learning, German as a second language (focus on integration courses), and German for professional purposes.

Second and third semester:

• Cultural and language mediation: advanced culturally reflective learning, discourse-oriented regional studies/language policy, working with literary texts, and fundamentals of pronunciation teaching
• Virtual teaching
• Compulsory internship
• Group project: You choose a topic as a group and work together to develop teaching materials for a specific target group or on a regional topic, or you plan your own language school
• Language course (reflecting on the course and experiencing the learner’s perspective)

Fourth semester:

• Master’s thesis

Weighting of the study content for the final grade:

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.

You can complete your mandatory internship at a language institution (university, Goethe-Institut, language school) abroad, ideally in the third semester.

Internship

As part of your studies, you will complete an internship at a language institution or department (university, school, Goethe-Institut, language school) in Germany or abroad. This must comprise at least 50 teaching units (TU) and 10 TU of independent teaching. It is recommended to complete the internship in the third semester.

Voluntary internships are another good opportunity to obtain more in-depth insight into a professional field.

An internship allows you to discover whether everyday life in a particular occupation suits your career expectations and interests. You can gain qualifications for a professional field and acquire important professional and personal skills to start a career. An internship helps you both shape your career path, and mold the remainder of your course sequence – in particular by selecting specializations that suit your practical experience.

You can find further information and relevant internships on the Career Service website.

• Integration courses
• Professional language courses
• Migration sector (migration counseling, immigration authorities, Federal Office for Migration and Refugees)
• German as a foreign language abroad
• German as a second language at school

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.