What is it all about?

Studying Pedagogics is all about dealing intensively with theories of pedagogical action and the fundamentals of general pedagogy and vocational pedagogy. Knowing the aims, methods, historical foundations and institutional aspects of education and teaching, teaching and learning will enable you to recognize and locate pedagogical problems, analyse them holistically and reflect on them critically. This is primarily done by engaging with academic texts - so you should enjoy reading.

In addition to lectures and tutorials, you will take part in numerous seminars during your studies, in which topics such as media education are explored in depth in smaller groups and you actively participate through contributions and presentations. A compulsory internship complements the theory with practical experience. Through the area of interdisciplinary qualifications and your compulsory elective subject, you have the freedom to shape the content of your studies. The degree program in Pedagogics at KIT focuses on the fundamentals of educational and social research and vocational pedagogy.

Program structure

During your studies, you have various subjects, which consist of one or more modules. A module deals with a specific topic and consists of one or more courses. In the module handbook for your degree program, you will find a description of the modules and their subject assignment as well as a study plan. This gives you an orientation as to which courses you should attend in which semester in order to complete your studies within the standard period of study. It takes into account a balanced distribution of courses over the individual semesters. It also ensures that you are first taught the important basics before moving on to more advanced topics. Your individual course of study may differ from this.

The degree program in Pedagogics has a compulsory area worth 103 credit points (ECTS), consisting of the two subjects "Fundamentals of Pedagogy" and "Specialization in Pedagogy" as well as the interdisciplinary qualifications (key qualifications) worth 6 credit points (ECTS). The bachelor's thesis module, your supplementary compulsory elective subject and the internship are also compulsory.

The compulsory subject "Fundamentals of Pedagogy" consists of five modules:

• Pedagogical Foundations
  
• Fundamentals of Vocational Education
  
• Scientific Work
  
• Didactics and Methodology
  
• Organization and Fields of Action in Vocational Education
  

The compulsory subject "Specialization in Pedagogy" contains the following four modules:

• Applied Methods of Educational Research
  
• in-depth module Fields of Action
  
• Vocational Training Policy
  
• General Pedagogy and Educational Sciences
  

You can choose your supplementary compulsory elective subject from the following subjects, which make up around a quarter of your degree:

• German Literature: you will study the German language in depth, from linguistics to New German literature.
  
• History: you will gain in-depth insights into historical contexts and examine epochs and processes of cultural change.
  
• History of Art: you will analyze works of art and deal with different epochs and cultural influences on the visual arts.
  
• Media Culture: Theory and Practice (MKTP): you will learn about the theory and practice of media studies, including media history, media theory and media analysis.
  
• Philosophy: you will deal with fundamental questions of existence, ethics and epistemology.
  
• Sociology: you will analyze social structures and developments and deal with social theories and institutions.
  
• Technology Assessment: you will learn how to analyze the social and ecological impact of new technologies. The minor subject deals with historical and modern concepts of technology assessment, social science and philosophical approaches as well as methods for consulting in this area.
  

Internship

The bachelor's degree program in Pedagogics includes a professional internship of at least 6 weeks, which you will usually complete in the last third of your bachelor's degree program. You are responsible for finding your own internship. You can find possible internships at public educational institutions, for example. It is important that you get to know the planning, implementation and reflection of teaching-learning arrangements (e.g. training courses) and/or the management of educational programs or educational counseling or other related areas and gain your own experience. The Examinations Office will be happy to help you decide whether a particular internship is suitable.

Stays abroad

KIT offers a wide range of options for stays abroad, from individual courses to a year abroad. Especially if you are interested in a longer stay abroad, it is advisable to contact the International Students Office early on.

Bachelor's thesis

At the end of your bachelor's degree, you will complete your bachelor's thesis, an academic paper that allows you to apply and deepen the knowledge and skills you have acquired. It usually deals with a pedagogical issue and requires independent research, analysis and the preparation of a written paper. The maximum processing time is six months.

Your studies often don't end with your bachelor's degree. It is only in the master's degree program that you really specialize in the subject areas that particularly interest you and set the course for your later career entry. It is therefore not surprising that most students go straight on to study for a master's degree after completing their bachelor's degree.

A degree in Pedagogics opens up professional fields of activity for you wherever professional teaching and learning takes place. The focus of your work will therefore be on planning, organizing and designing educational processes with different groups, learning occasions and problems. The increase in vocational training processes will result in an expansion of this area in the institutions, forms of learning and methods in the future, so that pedagogical skills will also be increasingly in demand for further training in the company/profession. Overall, it can be assumed that the learning and knowledge society will increasingly require pedagogically qualified specialist personnel. This applies in particular to the areas of educational counseling, healthcare, personnel management, university didactics and quality assurance. But there is also a need for internal and external knowledge transfer, advice and public presentation and communication of positions in the various cultural institutions of a society (museums, churches, associations, federations, interest groups, etc.). Depending on your specialization, a degree in Pedagogics opens up wide-ranging and diverse areas of application in the fields of cultural mediation, multimedia exhibition and presentation management, organizational and personnel development, vocational training and further education, education management for private educational institutions and associations and chambers. By choosing this supplementary area, you can prepare yourself for a career in this field.

If you have an academic interest and a good Master's degree, it may make sense to pursue a doctorate and a career at a university or research institution.

Characteristic features of Pedagogy B.A. at KIT

• triple composition of general pedagogical, vocational pedagogical and pedagogical-psychological study components
  
• a professional internship of at least 6 weeks, including preparation and follow-up work, is a compulsory part of the degree program
  
• the pedagogy degree program is located in the technological environment of the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology as a basis for diverse interdisciplinary cooperation
  
• mentoring program for a good start to your studies
  

What KIT has to offer

• central campus close to the city forest and right next to the city center
  
• orientation week before the start of lectures
  
• 24-hour library offering single and group working places
  
• wide range of inexpensive catering options (dining hall, cafeteria, Koeri and Pizzawerk)
  
• numerous interdisciplinary offers for personal and professional development, e.g. Lernlabor, Schreiblabor and Perspektivenlabor
  
• study abroad, e.g. via Erasmus
  
• excellent university sports facilities with a large selection of sports
  
• comprehensive cultural offerings with university orchestras, choirs and theater groups
  
• extensive support for career entry and self-employment
  
• Lernraum app
  
• internationally oriented degree programs and diverse exchange programs
  
• modern laboratories and practical teaching methods
  
• diverse student initiatives, clubs and opportunities to actively participate in campus life
  
• stay in touch after graduation via the alumni network

Higher education entrance qualification (HZB)

Germans and persons of equal status to Germans (i.e. EU/EEA nationals and non-EU/EEA nationals with a German higher education entrance qualification) are entitled to study at KIT if they have one of the following qualifications:

1. General higher education entrance qualification (Abitur)
2. (relevant) subject-restricted higher education entrance qualification (not Fachhochschulreife)
3. Delta examination of the University of Mannheim (for holders of a Fachhochschulreife)
4. recognized advanced vocational training (e.g. master craftsperson) or vocational training, professional experience and aptitude test for those with professional qualifications

For further options, see §58 of the "Landeshochschulgesetz" (State Higher Education Act).

Please note: German nationals with a foreign school-leaving qualification must have the relevant "Regierungspräsidium" (regional authority) certify that their qualification is equivalent to the German Abitur.

For non-EU/EEA nationals with a foreign school-leaving certificate (hereinafter also referred to simply as non-EU/EEA nationals), the school-leaving certificate from some countries is recognized as a direct university entrance qualification in Germany. In many cases, however, in addition to the school-leaving certificate, a university entrance examination and/or a successful year of study in the home country and/or the "Feststellungsprüfung" must be proven with valid documents in order to be allowed to study a bachelor's degree in Germany. You can find the country-specific regulations in the DAAD admissions database or on the Anabin website (in German only) of the "Zentralstelle für ausländisches Bildungswesen" (Central Office for Foreign Education). Further information is available from the International Students Office.

Language requirements and certificates

For the bachelor's degree program in Pedagogics, you need sufficient knowledge of the German language, which corresponds to at least level C1 of the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR).

Proof of sufficient German language skills

Your higher education entrance qualification (HZB) is sufficient proof of your German language skills,

• if you obtained it at a German-speaking school in Germany or abroad,

• if you are a graduate of a bilingual secondary school in Germany or abroad and have passed a bilingual German examination, such as the AbiBac or the Gemischtsprachiges International Baccalaureat (GIB) or

• if you graduated from a foreign school, but there is another official agreement with the respective country on the recognition of your school-leaving certificate or language certificate as proof of language proficiency for university studies in Germany.

A complete list of foreign school-leaving qualifications and language certificates that are recognized as proof of sufficient German language skills can be found on the website of the Kultusministerkonferenz (Standing Conference of the Ministers of Education and Cultural Affairs of the Länder in the Federal Republic of Germany).

If you did not obtain your higher education entrance qualification at a German-speaking institution, you must provide a separate language certificate - regardless of your nationality. Only the following are accepted

• the passed „Prüfungsteil Deutsch“ of the Feststellungsprüfung,
• the passed DSH with the overall result DSH-2,
• the passed TestDaF level 4 in all four parts of the exam (reading comprehension, listening comprehension, written expression, oral expression) or
• a comparable, recognized certificate of sufficient German language skills.

To find out which other recognized certificates can be accepted as comparable by KIT, please contact

• as a German or German-equivalent applicant: Studierendenservice
• as an applicant with non-EU citizenship: International Students Office

Please note:
Language certificates are extremely important application documents that can prevent your enrollment if you do not submit them on time. Therefore, check early on in the application process whether you have the necessary language certificates for your degree program and, if necessary, plan to take one of the language tests mentioned above. The deadline by which you must submit language certificates corresponds to the enrollment deadline stated in your admission offer. In justified cases, you can apply for an extension of this deadline. The extension can be granted until the start of the lecture period at the latest.

Additional necessary requirements for enrollment

For Germans and those with German equivalent status, an additional necessary requirement for enrollment is proof of participation in a study orientation test (e.g. www.was-studiere-ich.de) or a study orientation consultation in accordance with §7 of the "Landeshochschulgesetz" (State Higher Education Act), e.g. by the Student Advisory Service (ZSB) of KIT. Non-EU/EEA nationals do not have to provide this proof.

• all year round Information events of the Student Advisory Service (ZSB) on your desired degree programs, application and admission as well as starting your studies
  
• Try out KIT - clarify your interests and support your study decision by taking advantage of the diverse summer offers or participating in taster lectures.
  
• Campus Day: experience the campus live (together with your family) in spring and make your first personal contacts with the departments and their students
  
• Studieninformationtag: visit KIT on the state-wide study information day in November and experience the lecture hall feeling for the first time
  
• topMINT: you don't know yet what you want to study and need to bridge the summer? Take advantage of our orientation semester before you start your studies.
  
• Use our central online portal studienstart.kit.edu with all the important information and services you need to prepare for your studies and your first semester at KIT. Be it preparatory courses, study-related courses or mentoring programs.
  
• Orientation phase before the start of lectures - from students for students to get to know KIT, your fellow students and your student council. You will receive specific information on this when you enrol.
  
• You will be welcomed by KIT with a colorful supporting program at the welcome event for first semester students. You will receive the invitation after your enrollment.
  

Weitere Ansprechpersonen:

• KIT-Fakultät für Geistes- und Sozialwissenschaften
• Institut für Berufspädagogik und Allgemeine Pädagogik
• Prüfungsausschuss
• Informationen zum Auslandsstudium
• Fachschaft GeistSoz

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• Course catalog current term PDF (English)
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