Teaching Degree Programme Chemistry
Whether it’s climate protection, technology or everyday life – chemistry is everywhere. On the Chemistry Teacher Training programme at JLU Giessen, you’ll learn to explain scientific concepts in a way that’s clear, hands-on and relevant to real life.
At JLU Giessen, you can study chemistry to become a teacher at lower-secondary schools (L2), grammar schools (L3), special-needs schools (L5) and vocational schools (BBB).
The programme combines subject-specific fundamentals with modern teaching methodology, the use of digital tools and a strong practical focus. From an early stage, students work on experiments suitable for the classroom, receive video-based feedback on their own teaching style, engage with current topics such as education for sustainable development, and utilise digital learning environments such as virtual laboratories – all to ensure contemporary, motivating chemistry lessons.
The programme concludes with the first state examination and forms the basis for the subsequent preparatory service (teaching internship), which ends with the second state examination. This opens the path to a career in teaching. Even after graduation and passing the first state examination, we wish to continue supporting our graduates, including through the alumni association Freunde der Chemischen Institute, which provides alumni with an informal opportunity to connect with lecturers and industrial chemists.
Composition of the Study Programme
| Modules in the teaching degree programme for chemistry at lower-secondary schools and special-needs schools | Modules in the teaching degree programme for chemistry at grammar schools |
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Please note that all modules are held in German.
In the chemistry didactics modules, you will develop the skills needed to plan and design contemporary chemistry lessons – from lesson plans rooted in everyday life and the targeted use of technical terminology to modern teaching methods such as the flipped classroom, which combines face-to-face teaching with digital learning resources. You will mostly work collaboratively with your fellow students in the modules and learn to assess learning processes, support pupils individually, and design lessons that are realistic and up-to-date.
As the course progresses, you will deepen your skills in the didactic preparation of experiments, the visualisation of chemical phenomena, and the development of digital learning environments. This results in practical teaching concepts designed to prepare you specifically for your future teaching career.
The programme is complemented by modules in the educational sciences (pedagogy, political science, psychology, sociology), as well as a practical semester and internships; for the teaching degree programme for special-needs schools, subjects in special education are also included.
You can find fascinating insights into teaching and research in the chemistry teaching degree programme on the website of the Institute of Chemistry Didactics.
Practical Semester
During your practical semester, you will apply your subject-specific and pedagogical knowledge comprehensively in a school setting for the first time. You will receive intensive preparation and support from the university. You will plan and deliver your own chemistry lessons and observe pupils’ learning processes. This will give you valuable insights into your future career and allow you to gain your first teaching experience.
Application
Information on entry requirements, deadlines and the application process for teaching degree programme can be found on the central pages of JLU Giessen.