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Faculty of PhilosophyHistory – Degree Programme Component in the Master of Education

Historical science captures, analyses and interprets human living worlds in their temporal change and asks about the causes and conditions of historical development.

Information about the Master of Education

The Master of Education is a degree preparing for a future teaching job. In the section "Become a teacher" you will find all the information about the course of the complete teacher training programme from the choice of the subject, the bachelor’s and master’s phase to the teaching practice.
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Facts & Formalities

DegreeMaster of Education
Type of programmeConsecutive
Start of programmeWinter and summer semester
Standard period of study4 semesters
Fees and contributions151.05 € / Semester
Application procedureApplication for Master of Education
Application deadlinesInformation about deadlines can be obtained after you have put together a degree program.
Part-time optionYes

Course Content

The M.Ed in history conveys specialised knowledge as well as the ability to independently and scientifically analyse complex historical phenomena.  It encompasses four periods: ancient history, medieval history, modern history (1500-1900) and contemporary history (as of 1900). Credits can also be gained in the special disciplines American history, Eastern European history, South Asian history, East Asian history, history of the Jewish people, social and economic history, history of medicine, historical methodology and national history. 

Due to the close ties between individual research and teaching, the diversity of the historical-scientific and historical-didactic research profiles is also reflected in teaching.  

Historical-didactic courses are mainly taught by departmental representatives of the Heidelberg University of Education. In these courses, students learn about planning, designing and reflecting on learning processes, in particular with a historically and didactically justified selection of skills, goals, topics, methods and media, different approaches to topics (e.g. with a focus on research, problems or effects on the present), the foundations of individual support, differentiation and assessments as well as the basics of communicating about and reflecting on history.  

Course Structure

The academic programme combines various types of courses: one the one hand, courses in which students acquire in-depth and current specialised knowledge of selected sub-disciplines, and on the other hand, courses that focus on the application of skills associated with studying and analysing history.  

A characteristic of the Master of Education is the blending of specialised and didactic courses at the level of both content and methodology. In this context, students increase and consolidate their empirical, conceptional and theoretical knowledge and analyse (re)presentation of historic in public, cultural and political spaces.  

The total of four specialised courses in the modules or module areas ‘intensive module specialisation’, ‘intensive module focus’ and ‘module perspective’ (practice class, advanced seminar, lecture) are to be selected in such a way that each of the four periods (ancient, medieval, modern and contemporary history) are considered.  

The Blended Module consisting of theory and methodology and specialised didactics can be chosen in two variants (I: module Methods blended with specialised didactics / II: module Focus blended with specialised didactics). As a result, there are two different programme structures (see overview in table – non-binding with regard to the order of the modules). More detailed information can be found in the module handbook. The Master's thesis can focus either on theory and methodology or specialised didactics.