Education and Learning in Childhood

Your field of work is varied – and of great social importance.

As an expert in the education and upbringing of children and young people aged 0–14, you will work in educational and advisory settings such as nurseries, primary schools and other all-day educational facilities, family centres or early intervention programmes. You will design educational opportunities for children and support them in their development, whilst also advising other educational professionals and the children’s families.

Childhood education support systems, such as family education and youth welfare services, represent further potential areas of work.

Thanks to the academic expertise you have acquired, you are also able to develop concepts and support providers and organisations in quality development processes.
You can also work in specialist consultancy, further education and training, educational planning, evaluation or at universities.

You will begin by covering the fundamentals of educational science, psychology, social sciences, child protection, law and empirical research. Particular emphasis is placed on the observation of children and the evaluation and self-evaluation of work in educational and childcare settings.

From the fourth semester onwards, you will specialise in one of the following areas:

• Competence development in childhood
• The family as a developmental context
• Institutional development/management

Alongside your modules, from the first to the sixth semester you will gain practical experience in educational settings (180 hours per semester), supported by supervision and practical seminars.

In the seventh semester, you will write your Bachelor’s thesis, often with a strong link to professional practice.

Would you like to support children professionally, take on social responsibility and play an active role in shaping education? If so, you already meet key requirements for this degree programme.

The following are helpful:

• An interest in child development, educational processes and topics such as equal opportunities and social justice
• A passion for teamwork, communication and engaging with professionals, families and institutions
• An openness to academic, theory-based work, as well as to new insights from research and practice
• A willingness to reflect on and further develop your own pedagogical approach and attitude
• Good German language skills are essential – as is the ability to understand specialist literature in English, for example in seminars, on field trips or during international exchange programmes

During the degree programme, you will learn to recognise complex educational interrelationships, to design educational programmes professionally, and to actively support and protect children’s development in cooperation with their parents. If this appeals to you, you’ve come to the right place.

Did you complete your secondary education outside Germany?

• If you want to do your bachelor's degree in Germany, you need an academic qualification that corresponds to the German Abitur or Fachhochschulreife. Here you will find all the information for international prospective students.
• Please note that you must provide proof of German language skills at C1 level.

The following applies to all applicants:

• You are not required to have completed pre-course experience for this course.

Did you complete your secondary education in Germany?
You can apply directly for this course if you hold one of the following qualifications:

• Fachhochschulreife
• Allgemeine Hochschulreife
• Fachgebundene Hochschulreife (subject-specific HE entrance qualification)
• A similar qualification

You can find information about the selection process and the numerus clausus (NC) from the previous semester here: Applying for a Bachelor's degree course/Selection criteria

We only accept online applications. Before applying, applicants must register with www.hochschulstart.de.
During the application period (for the winter semester: 1 June–15 July) you can find the online application and detailed information about the application process on the Applying for a Bachelor's degree course page.

International applicants are also required to apply during the application period.
To make the process easier for you, we have compiled a step-by-step checklist: International applicants