Becoming a teacher for the primary subject of health at vocational schools, vocational colleges, specialised upper secondary schools, specialised grammar schools, or at vocational schools specialising in health system professions.

What Is It All About?

Finally, Hesse has a programme for educating teachers who will be able to teach health as their primary subject at vocational schools. This programme comprises two steps: The Bachelor's degree programme at Fulda is followed by a Master’s degree programme at the University of Kassel. Both programmes are taught in a collaborative manner.
In addition to the primary subject of health, students will complete a core curriculum in instructional methodology, and a general secondary subject, including subject-specific instructional methodology for both subjects. Students who are interested in teaching at vocational schools specialising in health system professions may choose nursing, physiotherapy, or midwifery as a secondary subject instead of a general secondary subject. They also need to have completed vocational training in the corresponding profession.

This Programme Is for You If...

• You have earned your university entrance qualification
• You have amassed at least 1,500 hours of practical experience in a health profession
• You have a strong desire to teach young people the subject of health as part of their vocational training
• You are able to combine your interest in science in medicine with your interest in social and educational sciences

After Graduation

After you have completed your Bachelor's degree, you will study in the consecutive Master's programme, followed by a pedagogical preparatory service period (Vorbereitungsdienst) to prepare you for working at a school.
In Hesse, health is taught as part of various forms of vocational training and education in health-related fields, including that of doctor's and dentist’s assistants, clerical professions in the health care field, of optometrists, and orthopaedic technicians. Click here for a detailed list in German.

Comparable teacher training programmes are available in 8 of the 16 German states, but until now, Hesse was not one of them. Health, therefore, is considered an understaffed subject. In Baden-Wuerttemberg, Rhineland-Palatine, and North Rhine-Westphalia the subject also is considered one of particularly high employability.
If you have completed your vocational training in the fields of professional/vocational training, nursing, or midwifery, you may also work at the corresponding vocational schools, or even at universities offering study programmes in these fields. All of these institutions are urgently looking for qualified teaching staff.

What Can I Expect During My Course of Study?

80 ECTS credits are dedicated to academic training in health as a subject. Human biology and medical contents are at the core of this subject, as they are major topics at vocational schools specialising in health. Additionally, you will also learn to understand structures of the health system, and the position of various health professions within this system. You will learn about the social inequality of health chances, as well as health promotion strategies. The subject is rounded out with 20 ECTS credits of subject-specific instructional methodology, including a school internship.
There are 36 ECTS credits allocated to the core curriculum of education science, and they include periods of practical experience at a school as well.
Another 34 ECTS credits are dedicated to the topic of your secondary subject. Currently, you may choose between chemistry, physics, mathematics, German, English, Spanish, French, and religion (Lutheran or catholic) as your general secondary subject. Nursing and physiotherapy are not considered general subjects and are only available to students who have already completed the corresponding vocational training.
The final exam is awarded 10 ECTS credits.
You will be studying at two sites, Fulda University of Applied Sciences and the University of Kassel.