Teacher Education Programs

Students of the bachelor’s program in Teacher Education (B.Ed.) obtain a total of 180 ECTS credits over the course of the program and study two subjects (70 ECTS credits each) as well as the modules Teaching Methodology (15 ECTS credits) and Education Sciences (19 ECTS credits).

The following documents, which are only available in German, are relevant to Political Science:

Degree plan (from 2023 on)

Degree plan (from 2019 on)

Examination regulations

Module catalog

Students of the master’s program in Teacher Education (M.Ed.) study two subjects worth an equal amount of ECTS credits as well as Teaching Methodology and Education Sciences. In addition, they complete a placement semester and write a master's thesis. In total, they obtain 120 ECTS credits over the course of the program, which has a standard period of study of 4 semesters.

General Information about the Master's Program

The following documents, which are only available in German, are relevant to Political Science:

Examination regulations

Module catalog

In addition to the two subjects you selected in the bachelor’s and master’s program in Teacher Education, you can take Political Science as an extension subject. This way you can acquire the academic qualification to add a third subject to your repertoire as a teacher. You may apply for admission to the Master of Education Extension Subject program and also start taking courses in it while still pursuing your bachelor’s degree (you must have obtained at least 24 ECTS credits in a bachelor’s program with a focus on teacher education).

The following document, which is only available in German, is relevant to Political Science:

Examination regulations

Each semester, you need to register online for those examinations you would like to take at the end of the lecture period. You will need to do so within a period defined by Student Services.
You will also need to register for all courses that you are meant to take in the respective semester as per the degree plan (including social skills courses). That way, the Student Services’ electronic campus management system (Portal²) keeps track of which student has already attended which courses and how often they have taken exams in those courses.

PLEASE NOTE: The exam registration period falls within the lecture period, which means that you cannot register for your examinations via the Student Services’ campus management system before the lecture period starts.
Each semester, the periods during which you can register for exams will be published on the Student Services’ website.
Online registration is done via Portal².

We encourage you to go abroad during your studies. For more information, please go the section International.

If you would like to have the courses and examinations you take at a university abroad recognized, please contact the program managers and/or departmental exchange coordinators before leaving. They will coordinate the courses to be recognized with you. By concluding a Learning Agreement, it is usually possible to stay within the regular period of study.

You can apply for leave of absence during your studies citing a valid reason (section 61 subsection 1 of the Act on Higher Education of the Land of Baden-Württemberg (LHG)).
A valid reason for being granted an academic leave of absence is for example:
– an internship,
– a stay abroad,
– maternity leave / parental leave / parenting, or
– health issues.

Further information can be obtained from Student Services.

Portal^² is the University of Mannheim’s campus management system. Using the portal, you can, for example, view the course catalog, create a course schedule, and register for examinations.

Portal²

Bachelor’s thesis (6 ECTS)

According to the degree plan, you write your bachelor’s thesis in the sixth semester in a subject of your choice. To be admitted to the bachelor’s thesis in Political Science you must have completed your elective module. The preparation period is six weeks, your thesis should have about 8,000 words. During the preparation period, you can attend a colloquium, which helps you organize your thesis under the supervision of the respective teachers. This enables you to discuss your thesis with your teachers and your fellow students and to exchange ideas. Usually, all university teachers, adjunct professors, and adjunct senior lecturers who offer courses in the respective subject or area are entitled to grade your bachelor’s thesis.

Master's thesis (15 ECTS credits)

According to the degree plan, you write your master’s thesis in the fourth semester in a subject area related to a module you have already completed. You will only be admitted to the master’s thesis if no more than one exam in one of the exercise courses of the selected module has not yet been passed. You must have passed all the other exams (in case you want to write your master's thesis in your extension subject, you must have completed the module). The preparation period is three months, your thesis should have 50–70 pages. During the preparation period, you can attend a colloquium, which helps you organize your thesis under the supervision of the respective teachers. This enables you to discuss your thesis with your teachers and your fellow students and to exchange ideas. Usually, all university teachers, adjunct professors, and adjunct senior lecturers who offer courses in the respective subject or area are entitled to grade your master’s thesis.

To register and submit your final thesis (one copy is sufficient), you need to go to Student Services.