Teaching profession according to LABG 2009 Amendment Order 2016
Since the winter semester 2012/13, the TU Dortmund University offers the subject Psychology for the teacher training study according to the new law for teacher training in NRW from 12.05.2009 (LABG 2009). Current study regulations since winter semester 2016/17 are the "Lehramt nach LABG 2009 Änderungsordnung 2016".
General information
The study of psychology as a teaching subject at TU Dortmund University is geared towards training as a psychology teacher. It is not a training to become a psychologist, which is a prerequisite for further training to become a psychological psychotherapist. For this, a pure psychology degree at another university is required. This also means that transferring to a pure master's degree program in psychology with a bachelor's degree in psychology as a teaching subject will generally not be possible.
Bachelor study
The six-semester bachelor's degree program for teachers includes courses from two teaching subjects and the educational sciences. In the teaching subject psychology, subject-specific and subject-specific didactic courses amounting to 68 credit points are completed in the Bachelor's program.
Course contents
The bachelor's program comprises 52 credit points (LP) of courses in the subject sciences and 16 credit points of courses in the subject didactics. The following table shows an exemplary study plan for the study of psychology as a teaching subject from the winter semester 2013/14:
| 1st sem. | 2nd sem. | 3rd sem. | 4th sem. | 5th sem. | 6th sem. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Social, Industrial and Organizational Psychology | Social, Industrial and Organizational Psychology | Differential Psychology | Differential Psychology | Educational Psychology (incl. DiF) | Educational Psychology (incl. DiF) |
| Psychological Research Methods | Psychological Research Methods | Subject didactics | Subject didactics | Clinical Psychology | Clinical psychology |
| General Psychology | Developmental psychology | Developmental Psychology | Specialization/ Bachelor thesis | Specialization/ Bachelor Thesis | |
| 12 LP | 12 LP | 11 LP | 10 LP | 12 LP | 11 LP |
Subject Sciences
At the beginning of their studies, students receive an overview of the history and range of topics in scientific psychology in an introductory course. In the other specialized courses, they learn about research methods and important content from the core disciplines of psychology. Topics include learning, thinking, motivation, emotion, etc. (General Psychology), intraindividual changes across the lifespan (Developmental Psychology), social interactions (Social Psychology), and interindividual differences (Differential Psychology), as well as psychological research methods. Relevant content from biological psychology and the teaching profession is integrated into various courses.
The knowledge of methods and basic subjects of psychology acquired at the beginning of the program is later deepened and extended by knowledge from various application subjects of psychology. These application subjects include industrial and organizational psychology, educational psychology, and clinical psychology. The Bachelor's program concludes with elective courses in which students can deepen their knowledge in two disciplines of their choice.
Subject didactics
In the courses of subject didactics, students are intensively prepared for their later work as teachers. In seminars, students learn methods of lesson design and knowledge transfer. For the practical application of the theory, they also deal intensively with the curricula for the respective type of school, but also with the planning of lessons appropriate to the target group. With the support of the seminar directors, practical exercises and projects are prepared, carried out and analyzed.
Internships in the Bachelor's program
In the Bachelor's program, students complete an orientation internship (4 weeks) at a school. The second internship, the so-called professional field internship (1 month), can be carried out either at a school or in an extracurricular setting. The qualifying internship should be completed prior to graduation.
Completion of the Bachelor's program
The bachelor's program is completed with a bachelor's thesis, which can also be written in the teaching subject of psychology. In doing so, students learn to independently write a - typically empirical - scientific paper. 8 credit points are awarded for the bachelor thesis.
Master study
In the four-semester Master's program, the knowledge gained from the Bachelor's program in the two teaching subjects and the educational sciences is deepened and the didactic skills are further developed. In the teaching subject psychology, the master's program comprises 32 credit points. Additional credit points are earned in the other teaching subject and the educational sciences.
The Master's program can be started in the summer and winter semester. Upon completion of the program, the degree "Master of Education" is awarded. Achievements from the Bachelor's and Master's programs are recognized upon application by the State Examination Office as the First State Examination, which is currently still the prerequisite for the preparatory service (Referendariat) of a teaching profession.
Admission requirements
The prerequisite for studying the Master of Education with Psychology as one of the two teaching subjects is the successful completion of the Bachelor's program in the two chosen subjects.
Bachelor's students of TU Dortmund University who change to the Master's program submit an application for a change of program to the Registrar's Office.
If you have completed your Bachelor's degree at another university, you must clarify whether you have the necessary prerequisites in order to transfer to study for a Master of Education at TU Dortmund University. In general, only subjects in which a degree has already been obtained in a previous study program can be continued. In order to check whether the necessary prerequisites are met, the equivalence of the degree with the corresponding Bachelor's degree at the TU Dortmund must be checked. For this purpose, an application for admission to the Master' s program must be submitted. Please note that the examination takes some time.
Both applications can be found under Documents and Forms or on the web pages of the Student Secretariat.