Document Actions

Berufliche und Betriebliche Bildung / Vocational Education and Training (B.Ed.)

The Vocational Education and Training degree programme at JLU is your first step towards a career as a teacher at vocational schools.

Foto: JLU/Katrina Friese

Overview

The Vocational Education and Training degree programme prepares you for a career as a teacher at vocational schools – through a Bachelor’s degree followed by a Master’s degree. By choosing your vocational subject and a general education subject, you will shape your profile as a future teacher.

 

Applying for admission

 

Start of studies

Winter semester


Mode of admission

No admission restriction

Duration of studies

6 semester


Workload

180 credit points (CP)

Degree

Bachelor of Education (B.Ed.)


Language of instruction

German

Composition of the Study Programme

What can I expect from this programme?

Vocational and Industrial Education is a group of Bachelor’s and Master’s degree programmes specialising in ‘Agricultural Economics’, ‘Nutrition and Home Economics’, ‘Electrical Engineering’ or ‘Metal Technology’ (the latter two in cooperation with the Technical University of Central Hesse). You choose a vocational specialisation as well as a general education subject from the range of subjects offered for teaching at grammar schools.

The degree programme complies with the provisions of the Hessian Teacher Training Act (HLbG) in order to ensure that Master’s graduates are treated on an equal footing with state-certified teachers (First State Examination).

Successful completion of a Master’s degree is recognised as equivalent to the First State Examination for Vocational Teacher Training, meaning that graduates may initially apply for the subsequent preparatory service and, upon its completion, (Second State Examination), they are qualified to teach at vocational schools and vocational grammar schools.

 

What will I learn?

These degree programmes provide you with a wide range of knowledge about vocational and in-company training and their areas of application, both in theory and in practice. These include subject-specific and systematic content, pedagogical, methodological and didactic skills, and professional competencies specific to the field, as well as interdisciplinary and communication skills.

How is the programme structured?

Students must choose between two BA courses of studies according to their vocational subject.

The first BA programme is for students of The second BA programme is for students of
Agriculture Electrical Engineering*
Nutrition and Home Economics Metal Engineering*
*The second programme is offered in cooperation with the Giessen University of Applied Sciences.

 

The programme contains

  • Educational sciences: sociology, political science, psychology
    (Unlike in other teacher training programmes, educational science is not studied as a separate subject; educational science content is covered within the subjects of vocational, occupational and business education)
  • one of the vocational specialisms listed above
  • a general education subject
  • vocational and business education
    (at the Institute of Educational Science, not as a vocational specialism)
  • practical vocational and school-based studies

 

Educational sciences

Educational sciences deal with such areas as the realities of education (for example: familial education, school education) theory of learning, social environment of pupils, parents and teachers, the basics of democracy etc. These subjects are components of the course, because teachers should not only transmit the knowledge of their subject. They also have a role to play in upbringing. In order to fulfil this role, they must be able to identify and understand structures and processes which are pertinent to school and society, and explain these to individual pupils.

  • Psychology
  • Sociology
  • Political Science

 

General Education Subjects

The subject is chosen from a sub-area of the range of subjects offered on the Teaching Qualification for Grammar Schools (L3) at Justus Liebig University Giessen. The following options are available:

  • Biology
  • Chemistry
  • German
  • English
  • Protestant Religion 
  • French
  • History
  • Computer Science
  • Catholic Religion 
  • Mathematics
  • Physics
  • Politics and Economics
  • Spanish
  • Physical Education

Career Options

Which options for further study does JLU offer?

If you are interested in becoming a teacher at a vocational school, you can complete

The Master’s is the equivalent to the first state teaching examination.

In addition, the Bachelors degree in Vocational Education and Training may provide access to the Masters degree programme in Ecotrophology.

What career paths can I pursue after graduation?

The Bachelor’s degree may lead on to either direct entry into professional life or continuing on from the Bachelor’s to a Master’s. Only on completion of a Master’s can one apply for the practical preparation stage of the qualification.


Possible career paths for Bachelor’s graduates include, for example,

  • extracurricular and in-company training and further education,
  • pre-vocational education and guidance, and
  • for Master’s graduates, teaching at vocational schools.

In Hesse, there is the opportunity at other tertiary education institutions to work towards other types of degree in vocational teaching. Further information can be found under “Studying in Hesse” at the Hessian Ministry of Higher Education, Research and the Arts.

Alternative means of entry to the BA programme in Vocational Education and Training

If you have completed one of the areas of focus whilst doing another degree, you may apply for recognition of this from the board of examiners. Usually, however, relevant aspects of the main subjects, the complementary subjects or vocational or business education are missing, and because these are all essential elements of the BA programme, students are often admitted into a higher semester. See information page on alternative entry.

Application and Enrolment

Requirements

A valid university entrance qualification (German: HZB) is required for admission to the program.

  • From Germany: General university entrance qualification (= Abitur or equivalent), vocational university entrance qualification, master craftsman’s certificate, university entrance qualification for professionally qualified individuals.
  • From abroad: You can find out whether the university entrance qualification from your home country qualifies you for direct admission to a degree program in Germany on the information portal for the recognition of foreign educational qualifications (anabin) .

Applicants with a foreign university entrance qualification should also note the required proof of German language proficiency .

Entry requirements

For certain general education subjects within the Vocational Education and Training degree programmes, proof of entry requirements must be provided:

Work placement

For the Vocational Education and Training  degree programmes, a work placement is compulsory; this is usually carried out as a continuous block placement up until enrolment. The professional placement comprises 52 weeks of full-time, practical work in a relevant professional field. Full evidence must be provided by the time of registration for the Bachelor’s thesis at the latest. Due to the total duration of the professional placement, it is not possible to complete it entirely whilst studying. The entire work placement, or the majority of it, should be completed before the start of the degree programme. Relevant completed vocational training courses are recognised.

Proof of the relevant (i.e. A pre-training work placement (completed at training organisations specialising in the chosen field) must be submitted upon enrolment

Relevant vocational training may, under certain circumstances, be recognised as a pre-placement work experience placement. Please contact the Examination Board (Institute of Educational Science, Chair of Educational Science specialising in Vocational Education) for the degree programme regarding recognition.

Application deadline

Winter semester 2026/27

Opening of application period

1 June 2026

Application deadline

  • for applicants with a German university entrance qualification: 1 September 2026
  • for applicants with a foreign university entrance qualification: 15 August 2026

International applicants can find further information on the International Office website.

👉 Apply now More about the application process

Further Information

Where can I find official documents about the programme?

Examination and study regulations

Special Regulations (with module descriptions and module plans)
General Regulations for Bachelor's and Master's programmes

Please note that only the German version of the regulation is official and legally binding. The English version is for informative purposes only.

 

Courses offered in the course catalogue

Electronical course catalogue (in German)

 

Study programme flyer

B.Ed. Berufliche und Betriebliche Bildung (PDF in German)

 

Accreditation

The programme has been accredited since 19 August 2006.

Is this course right for me?

Are you still not entirely sure whether the course of study is the right one for you? We support you with a wide range of information, events and advisory services around your study orientation and choice. For example, experience real university atmosphere at our Hoch­schul­informations­tagen (HIT) and the Open Campus Day!

Study orientation

How do I have a successful start at JLU?

To help you get off to a good start with your studies, we warmly invite you to attend our orientation events. Here you will learn
everything you need to know about starting your studies:

  • creating a course schedule,
  • examination regulations and registration deadlines,
  • campus areas and leisure activities,
  • and much more.

At the same time, you will have the opportunity to get to know your future fellow students.

Start of studies

Contact

Subject Advisor

Prof. Dr. Christian Schmidt

  • Head of the programme, subject advisor, recognition of internships and academic achievements
  • Subject area: Agriculture/Nutrition/Household Science

Institute for Educational Science
Professorship of Vocational Education
Karl-Glöckner-Str. 21 B
35394 Giessen

Email:

Dr. phil. Dipl.-Ing. Tatjana Hocker

  • Subject area: mechanical engineering/electrical engineering

Philosophikum II, House B, Room 3a
Karl-Glöckner-Str. 21
35394 Giessen

Phone: +49 641 99 24038
Email: Tatjana.Hocker

Central Study Advisor

Beate Caputa-Wießner

Central Student Advisory Service
Erwin-Stein-Gebäude, 1st floor
Goethestrasse 58
35390 Giesen

Advisory services and contact information

International Office

Assistance for incoming, outgoing and Erasmus+ students

International Office
Goethestrasse 58
35390 Giessen

Contact persons and office hours