English 
Deutsch Who this Master fits and what you need to bring
This Master is for experienced health professionals who want to qualify for teaching and educational roles in Germany’s vocational training system. Typical profiles include: registered nurses or paramedics moving into lecturer roles at vocational schools; midwives, OTAs/ATAs or other allied health professionals who plan to lead skills labs and curriculum projects; and health science graduates aiming to build pedagogical competence for roles in school-based and in-house education. The study format is part-time with on-campus block weeks in Düsseldorf, so it suits you if you wish to keep working while you upskill for teaching.
Admission requirements
To be admitted you need a relevant first degree and to meet the programme’s subject focus. Key points at a glance:
- Bachelor’s degree in a field related to vocational pedagogy for health professions or in nursing/health/paramedic/midwifery and similar disciplines; minimum final grade 2.5 (German scale) or equivalent on conversion.
- Track options: with a vocational-pedagogy Bachelor you follow variant 1; with a health-science Bachelor you follow variant 2 with pedagogical foundations in the first semester. Other backgrounds may be assessed individually.
- If you aim for a full-time teaching post at recognised training institutions in Germany, you generally need state recognition in a nursing or health profession in Germany (professional registration/recognition is usually required by employers).
- Admission with foreign qualifications: international Bachelor’s degrees are accepted if recognised as equivalent; grading is converted to the German system. Official transcripts and certified translations are typically required.
- Abitur is not required for this Master; your Bachelor’s degree is the higher education entry qualification.
- Teaching language: German. You need advanced German to follow seminars, complete assessments and teach. Proof of proficiency at a high level (usually C1) is expected; standard certificates such as DSH, TestDaF or a Goethe-Zertifikat are commonly used as evidence.
Personal requirements
This is a demanding, career-integrated programme. You should be ready to organise your workload around intensive block weeks on campus and substantial self-study phases in between. Expect regular reading, lesson planning, didactic projects and research tasks, especially before and after the skills lab. Strong self-organisation, perseverance and realistic time planning are essential alongside employment. Because all materials and teaching are in German, you need confident academic German for reading, writing and presenting; if German is not your first language, plan extra time for literature work and drafting assignments. Finally, bring a clear motivation to teach, reflect on your practice and engage with evidence-based pedagogy—this mindset will help you succeed and make the most of supervision and practical teaching samples in Düsseldorf.
What will you study in the Professional Nursing and Health Education at Fliedner University of Applied Sciences Dusseldorf?
This programme is taught in German. You will need advanced German for academic study; proof such as TestDaF, DSH or a Goethe-Zertifikat at C1 level is usually expected for admission to German-taught master’s degrees.
The Master of Arts (120 ECTS) brings together educational science, nursing and health. As a Fachhochschule (university of applied sciences), Fliedner focuses on application and teaching practice rather than purely theoretical research. You move from foundations to didactics and into supervised teaching, culminating in an academic thesis.
Educational science and didactics – You build a solid base in the theories of learning and teaching for vocational education. Typical modules cover didactics and methods of vocational education, communication and counselling in education, and educational management. You analyse how people learn in practice-oriented health settings and how to design effective lessons.
Nursing and health sciences – You engage with nursing and health research and concepts of an “extended nursing practice”. Content spans nursing as systematic and communicative action, health science concepts and projects, and the interface between clinical practice and teaching. The goal is to translate specialist knowledge into teachable content for different learner groups.
Teaching practice and simulations – Two school-based practical phases with teaching samples run through the programme. In the fourth semester, a dedicated Skills Lab prepares you for simulation-based teaching: you develop scenarios, plan simulation sessions and test them in different roles. Successful completion includes a certificate as a simulation instructor.
Research and thesis – You learn to frame educational questions in health contexts, choose appropriate methods and conduct supervised research in a research workshop. The degree concludes with the master’s thesis and a final colloquium, evidencing your ability to link research and teaching practice.
Study tracks by background – If you already hold a bachelor’s in vocational/educational studies for health professions, you follow the regular path. With a health-science or clinical bachelor’s, you complete pedagogical foundations in the first semester instead of repeating health-science basics. This acknowledges different prior knowledge and gets everyone to the same didactic level.
Fliedner University is a private, state-recognised provider in Germany (staatlich anerkannt means the state recognises the right to award degrees). The master is aligned with the European Credit Transfer and Accumulation System (ECTS) and the Bologna framework.
How does studying in the Professional Nursing and Health Education work?
You study part-time alongside work in compact on-campus blocks in Düsseldorf. The format combines block weeks, self-study and supervised practice, making it realistic to continue clinical or educational roles while progressing towards a teaching career.
Teaching language and proof of language
The teaching language is German. For international applicants, admission to a German-taught master normally requires certified advanced German (for example TestDaF, DSH, or Goethe C1). You should be comfortable reading academic literature and leading teaching sessions in German during the practical phases.
Study model and where you will study
The programme is organised part-time (berufsbegleitend) and delivered in block weeks each semester on campus in Düsseldorf. Düsseldorf, the capital of North Rhine-Westphalia, is a major Rhine city with an international airport, dense public transport and a strong healthcare landscape. The campus provides modern seminar rooms and specialised skills labs used for simulation-based didactics.
Learning format and personal support
Block weeks bring you together for seminars, workshops and skills-lab sessions. Between blocks you work on guided self-study, projects and preparation of teaching samples. Practical school-based studies are supervised, giving feedback on your lesson planning, delivery and reflection. The applied profile of a university of applied sciences means close linkage between theory and classroom practice.
Assessments and how you are examined
Assessment methods reflect the programme’s teaching focus: written assignments and project work in educational and health sciences, assessed teaching samples in school-based settings, and the master’s thesis with a final colloquium. A research workshop supports the thesis process from topic definition to methodology and write-up.
On-campus presence and what that means for you
Attendance in Düsseldorf during the scheduled block weeks is compulsory, including for the skills lab and teaching samples. Plan travel and time off work accordingly. If you live outside Germany, you must ensure you can be physically present for these blocks and complete school-based teaching practice with a cooperating institution in Germany.
What does the Professional Nursing and Health Education cost?
Tuition is structured and predictable: fees are €498 per month in the first study year and increase by about 2% annually. Over the regular 4-semester duration (120 ECTS), this amounts to approximately €14,640 in total. Examination and registration fees are included, and payment in monthly instalments is possible.
There is a 10% tuition reduction for alumni of Fliedner University of Applied Sciences. The university provides information on scholarships and financing models. If you pay from abroad, plan for international transfer costs or currency conversion fees, depending on your bank setup.
Living costs in Düsseldorf are mid-to-high for Germany. As an orientation, budgeting €950–€1,250 per month covers rent (room in a shared flat or small studio), health insurance, public transport, food and personal expenses. Costs vary with housing location and lifestyle; block-week organisation can help you reduce accommodation costs if you commute for the on-campus phases.
What careers and recognition does the Professional Nursing and Health Education offer?
The programme awards a Master of Arts with 120 ECTS in line with the Bologna Process. The degree programme is programme-accredited by AHPGS until 30 September 2026. Programme accreditation in Germany confirms quality of curriculum, staffing and structures against national standards, which supports international recognition of your master’s for further study and employment.
As a university of applied sciences (Fachhochschule), Fliedner prepares you specifically for teaching and curriculum roles in the health sector. With the didactic and simulation competence from the skills lab, typical roles include:
- Teacher at vocational schools and recognised training providers for nursing, midwifery, paramedics, OTA/ATA and other health professions
- Simulation instructor and skills lab coordinator in nursing and allied health education
- Curriculum developer or educational manager in hospitals, training centres and NGOs
- Practice educator and coordinator for clinical placements
- Project roles in health education, prevention and patient education programmes
Graduates can also pursue doctoral studies in vocational education, nursing or health sciences where admission criteria are met. In Germany and the EU, salaries in vocational education vary by employer type and federal state. Positions at private or independent vocational schools are typically employment contracts, while civil-service teacher tracks at state schools have separate legal requirements.
Who is the Professional Nursing and Health Education right for – and who not?
This master’s fits experienced health professionals who want to move into teaching and educational leadership. It is especially geared towards those from nursing, paramedicine, midwifery or surgical/anaesthesia assistance who plan to teach at vocational schools or training academies.
- You want to qualify for teaching in health professions and value a structured didactics curriculum.
- You aim to use simulation-based teaching and appreciate earning a dedicated simulation instructor certificate.
- You prefer a part-time, block-week format so you can keep working while you study.
- You have solid German skills and feel confident teaching and assessing learners in German.
- You are looking for a Bologna-compliant 120-ECTS master at a university of applied sciences with programme accreditation.
Some applicants will be better served by a different programme or provider. The points below help you avoid a mismatch before you apply.
- You need an English-taught programme. This master is delivered entirely in German, including teaching practice.
- You cannot attend on-campus block weeks in Düsseldorf or arrange school-based teaching practice in Germany.
- You expect very low or no tuition like at many German state universities. As a private university, Fliedner charges tuition across all semesters.
- You seek direct entry into a regulated civil-service teacher track at state schools. Additional national and regional requirements usually apply for such posts in Germany.
Advisory Service
Have questions about Academic Programs Master in Vocational Pedagogy for Health Professions? Ask your question here, even anonymously. An employee of the institution Fliedner University of Applied Sciences Dusseldorf or the editorial team will answer you.