Health/Nursing – Vocational Pedagogics (M.A.)

The need for new teachers at schools for health professions is very high. The Master's degree program "Vocational Pedagogy" contributes to reducing the shortage of vocational teachers and to improving the quality of teaching in vocational schools, further education institutions, the fields of activity that focus on health, midwifery and the nursing sciences as well as in science, research and teaching in general.

Graduates of the specialisation in vocational education are experts for:

• theoretical learning (focus),
• practical learning,
• practical supervision,
• planning training courses,
• cooperation and collaboration at different learning locations,
• further education and in-company training. 

They are active in the following fields:

• vocational education and training,
• education in the health sector,
• in-company education and human resources management,
• continuing vocational education as well as training in both the public and private sectors,
• fields of activity in health and nursing sciences,
• science in general,
• education administration,
• education management and education policy,
• if applicable, authorities for health professions.

Teaching in the degree program takes place within the framework of a weekly block system going from Monday to Saturday normally in the 1st week of each month.

The study program includes modules in the educational sciences and in the professional field of didactics as well as the health and nursing sciences, including the designated related and interconnected sciences.

Modules in the educational sciences / the professional field of didactics 

• Science and research within the focus of health in the sub-discipline of vocational and business education
• Occupation-related teaching-learning arrangements as the integration of didactic, methodological and media-related decisions taken
• Practical school study (interdisciplinary): theory-based observation, design and reflection of occupation-related teaching as well as learning arrangements
• Profile-defining in-depth studies and current challenges of today
• Master's thesis and accompanying course (interdisciplinary)

Health and nursing science modules

• Theories and methods of community health development
• Evidence-based health care
• Palliative care and death education I
• Ageing society for professional education
• Palliative care and death education II
• Ethical thinking and actions
• Professional law
• Practical school study (interdisciplinary): theory-based observation, design and reflection of teaching and learning arrangements related to the profession
• Technology and digitalisation
• Transculturality for vocational education
• Family-oriented communication and counselling skills

In the module "Practical School Studies", students complete a 15-week school study in which findings and experiences that are significant for the profession are collected, evaluated and assessed. These are then pursued for further study with regard to one’s own competence (to act in a professional manner) and supplementary learning needs that one may have or, in addition, further research interests. The school study module is a study section integrated into the study program and accompanied by the university in terms of content, which is carried out in an educational institution of the health care system. It is designed to be interdisciplinary, involving the educational sciences, the professional field of didactics as well as the health and nursing sciences. The students are qualified to prepare, conduct and evaluate lessons based on the school curricula for trainees within the health and nursing professions.

With the Master's degree, there is the possibility of going on to complete one’s doctorate.

Applicants must have completed a professionally qualifying Bachelor's degree or an equivalent professionally qualifying higher education degree, usually with a standard period of study of at least seven semesters and, in the case of modularisation, with 210 ECTS credit points in the field of health care professions including nursing professions, a dual/training-integrated health care or nursing study program or a closely related study program in each case. 

In addition, proof of the acquisition of at least 90 ECTS credit points in health and nursing-related subject and reference sciences must be provided. As a rule, this proof can be provided by the above-mentioned degree (*). Missing ECTS credit points in health and nursing-related subject and reference sciences can also be proven by study and examination achievements of another degree program or by competences acquired outside of the university. 

Applicants who have completed a university degree in one of the above-mentioned subject disciplines with a standard period of study of six semesters, in a modularised degree program with 180 ECTS credits, and who provide the above-mentioned scope of the required health and nursing professional subject and related sciences, can also fulfil the admission requirement if they can provide evidence of the corresponding professional qualification. 

A guideline will serve as orientation for applicants on how this proof can be provided and which qualification certificates will have to be submitted with the application. 

All applicants must also have obtained permission to use a professional title according to the professional law of the respective health profession. 

Applicants who, for example, have completed professional training as a midwife in a health profession other than that listed in section § 3 Para. 1 No. 3 of the Berlin Pflegeausbildungs- und Schulverordnung (BlnPflASchulV / Berlin Nursing Training and School Ordinance) and who intend to take up a teaching position outside of higher education by working at a nursing school or school in the health sector, should please have the applicable state law checked to see whether they fulfil the conditions. In the state of Berlin, the current situation would be that the chances of employment in these fields of work may be slimmer without a vocational qualification in a basic occupation for which the schools provide training (as of 06/2021). 

(*) Graduates of the Midwifery Studies program at the EHB are required to provide proof of the acquisition of at least 90 ECTS credits in health and nursing-related subject and reference sciences on the basis of their degree. For them, it is sufficient to state in the form to be uploaded on the portal as proof of the acquisition of at least 90 ECTS credit points in health as well as nursing-related subject and reference sciences that the degree course in midwifery was completed at the EHB. A detailed listing of the modules is not required in this case. 

Please note that the study program is part-time in terms of form, but that it is similar to a full-time study program in terms of credits and workload. The time required is often underestimated, as the program is organised in block form. In this respect, we recommend planning with a maximum of half of the usual weekly working hours (part-time, 50%).

• Applications are currently possible for the winter semester (start of studies October 1st). 

• Last application date for the respective winter semester: July 15th. 

• Applications are made via the EHB online application portal within the application period – usually beginning at the beginning of June until the application deadline (July 15th). 

After registering as an applicant and entering the details of the application process online, print out the "Application for Admission", complete it and attach the required documents. An application submitted via the EHB online application portal alone is not yet valid. The application for admission must be submitted to EHB with the required documents by the application deadline. The date of receipt of the application for admission with all the required documents at EHB is decisive, not the date of the postmark.