Economics – Master of Education (Secondary education)

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The graduate study programme Master of Education (MEd) in Economics completes the studies for secondary school teachers “Lehramt Gymnasium” and is the pre-requisite for admission to the teacher traineeship (“Referendariat”).

The study of economics will provide you with the essential knowledge, methods and theoretical background in the areas of economics and business administration. Students will learn how to explain the basic concepts of modern economic theory and be able to follow economic policy discussions.

Overview

Degree Master of Education (Secondary education)
Programme start Winter semester & Summer semester
Period of study 4 semesters
Application period 9.5. - 15.7. | 29.11. - 15.1.
Admission restrictions yes
Number of places 10

Why study Economics in the University of Konstanz?

The Department of Economics at the University of Konstanz has an outstanding reputation in teaching and research. The 26 professors and junior professors from the fields of economics, business administration, econometrics, statistics as well as business and economics education, more than 60 doctoral researchers and visiting professors from renowned universities have created an intellectually stimulating and productive environment for your studies and research. All students are seen and respected as individual personalities and receive extensive support in both academic and personal matters.

Content

Prospects and opportunities

Career prospects

Once you have earned the degree Master of Education you can apply for the “Referendariat” (18 months of teacher traineeship) in Baden-Württemberg (and under certain conditions in other federal states, too). At the end of the “Referendariat” you will take the “Staatsexamen” (state examination). Having passed your first state examination, you may apply to work at a public school in Baden-Württemberg (and, under certain circumstances, in other federal states).

Check out our Interview series #dreamjob - starting a career for additional information from our alumni about starting your career.

Programme structure

Programme start

Winter semester & Summer semester

Academic structure

The master’s programme usually takes four semesters to complete. Graduates are awarded the academic degree of “Master of Education”. You will be taking two major subjects as well as classes in educational science including a practical teaching semester. A total of 120 ECTS credits (cr) is required.

You can find an overview of the teacher education programme here.

Erweiterungsfach” (additional subject)
If you’re enrolled in a Master of Education programme, you may opt to study an Erweiterungsfach (additional subject). You can start taking courses in your additional subject during your Bachelor of Education programme and even complete the relevant coursework and performance assessments. These will be recognized once you start your Master of Education programme. Please consult your departmental student advisory service first.

Your additional subject may be one of the following:

  • Chemistry (90 ECTS credits)
  • German (120 ECTS credits)
  • English (120 ECTS credits)
  • French (120 ECTS credits)
  • History (120 ECTS credits)
  • Computer science (120 ECTS credits)
  • Italian (120 ECTS credits)
  • Latin (90 or 120 ECTS credits)
  • Mathematics (120 ECTS credits)
  • Philosophy / Ethics (120 ECTS credits)
  • Russian (120 ECTS credits)
  • Spanish (120 ECTS credits)

    The following subjects are not available for study as additional subjects: biology, political science, sport, economics.

  • Please check the Exam regulations (partly in German) for more information about the programme structure.

    Internship and study abroad

    Internships

    You will complete a 12-week practical teaching semester during your master’s studies.

    Study abroad

    We recommend that you spend at least a few months at another university abroad to acquire language skills and intercultural competencies that supplement your study programme. At the University of Konstanz, we offer a number of opportunities for completing parts of your study programme or an internship abroad.

    Your departmental student advisory service and our International Office will be happy to support you in this.

    Impressions from students and lecturers

    Requirements

    What interests and skills should I have?

    To study economics, you should be interested in thinking about and understanding economic contexts. You should be able to both think analytically and apply theory when analyzing complex contexts and interdependencies. A good working knowledge of mathematics and English will be helpful.

    You will need a variety of skills and competences as a teacher. You should, of course, have a keen interest in your teaching subject, and at the same time enjoy sharing your knowledge with others. In addition to developing teaching concepts, both on your own and with your teacher colleagues, you will need to demonstrate a high level of pedagogical skill in your daily work with children and young people. You should also be able to draw on a range of social competencies. These include communication and conflict resolution skills, resilience and the ability to inspire and motivate. These skills will also help you when interacting with parents. As a teacher, you are essentially responsible for creating a positive learning environment for your school students so they can develop into adults who can meet the challenges of the future.

    Language skills

    Required foreign language skills
    No additional proof of foreign language proficiency is required
    when applying to our teacher education programme in economics.

    German language skills
    International applicants will need to submit documentation of their German language skills at the level DSH-2 or TestDaF 4 or higher. Alternatively, you may submit other recognized language tests or recognized school certificates. The University of Konstanz does not offer preparatory German language courses or approved German language exams. For this reason, you must submit officially recognized documentation of your German language proficiency along with your application.

    Language(s) of instruction

    The languages of instruction in the master’s programme are German and English.

    Admission requirements

    Admission requirements for the master of education programme with two majors (not including the special case “Music” and “Erweiterungsfach” (additional subjects))

    • Completed bachelor’s degree in teacher education “Gymnasium” with two majors or an equivalent degree.
    • In exceptional cases, admission to the master's programme is possible for graduates of a six-semester bachelor’s programme in a specific subject completed at a German university or equivalent institution of higher education in Germany if the programme contained elements of teacher education (see a – d).The same applies to graduates of a bachelor's programme in teacher education for other schools than the “Gymnasium”.

    The following achievements must be documented:

    • a.) a minimum of 64 ECTS in each of the major subjects, as well as a total of at least 146 ECTS in those two subjects together
    • b.) a minimum of 5 ECTS in the teaching methodologies of both majors
    • c.) a minimum of 12 ECTS in educational science
    • d.) a three-week orientation school internship at a “Gymnasium”, a vocational school or a “Gemeinschaftsschule” with upper secondary level, or an equivalent internship,
    • You can catch up on missing achievements up to 50 ECTS during the master's programme. You must have completed the missing achievements by the time you register for your master’s thesis at the latest. 

    Catching up on the following achievements is not possible

    • Teaching methodology courses (see b) as well as the orientation internship in a school (see d). You must document having completed these achievements by the end of the application deadline. Exception: You can complete the teaching methodology courses (see b) later if you apply for one of the following subject combinations: physics/mathematics or physics/computer science
    • In the following subjects you cannot complete achievements later but must document having completed them by the end of the application deadline:
      1. Biology: Lab course on chemical operations “Chemische Operationen”, lab course on cell biology/microscopy “Zellbiologisch-histologisch-mikroskopischer Kurs” 
      2. Political Science: Seminar achievements (you only can complete lecture achievements later) 
      3. Sports: Practical sports achievements (modules 5-7 of the bachelor's programme in Sports (teacher education)) 

    Admission restrictions in biology, political science and sports
    Please note that the three majors biology, political science and sports are programmes with restricted admission. Admission is based on a selection process carried out by the University of Konstanz.

    Fees

    Semester fee

    All students enrolled at the University of Konstanz are charged a semester fee each semester, similar to all other German universities. Here you can find the current semester fee and its individual components.

    Tuition fees for first degree studies for certain international students
    Since winter semester 2017/18, the state of Baden-Württemberg has required some international students to pay tuition fees for their first degree studies. The following students are not required to pay tuition fees: citizens of a country within the European Union (EU) or the European Economic Area (EEA), doctoral students and certain “Bildungsinländer” (e.g. non-EU citizens with a German “Abitur”). More detailed information can be found here.

    Each year, the University of Konstanz grants exemptions to a limited number of particularly gifted international degree-seeking students in accordance with the university’s “Begabtenbefreiungssatzung” (statutes governing the exemption of gifted students). More detailed information can be found here.

    Tuition fees for second degree studies for all students
    All students are required to pay tuition fees for their second degree studies. More detailed information can be found here.

    Application and application documents

    This study programme has admission restrictions.

    An application is possible during the following period: 9.5. - 15.7. (winter semester) and 29.11. - 15.1. (summer semester). There may be other deadlines if you are applying for admission to a higher semester (for instance, if you are changing subjects or universities). For more information please consult the university website.

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