Childhood Education, Bachelor of Arts

Admission requirements

The degree programme in Childhood Education is open to applicants who meet one of the following requirements:

• General university entrance qualification (Allgemeine Hochschulreife)
• Advanced technical college entrance qualification (Fachhochschulreife)
• Passed master craftsman’s examination (Bestandene Meisterprüfung)
• Intermediate school leaving certificate (at least Realschulabschluss) and a qualified completion of a recognised vocational training of at least 3 years, which shows an average/overall or final grade of 2.5 or better (if these grades are not indicated, the arithmetic mean of the individual subject grades applies)
• Completion of a vocational advancement training of at least 400 teaching hours at a technical school or vocational or administrative academy*
• Final examination in a state-recognised vocational training occupation with subsequent at least 2 years of professional activity related to the degree programme and passing a separate university entrance examination*
• Trained social pedagogical childcare workers and assistants without university entrance qualification may be admitted to the university entrance qualification examination (HZB examination) after 2 years of related professional activity and may begin the studies directly as guest auditors

*According to the ordinance on access for professionally qualified persons to higher education institutions in the state of Hesse.

Equivalence must be demonstrated for foreign qualifications in order to gain admission.

Further information on specific qualifications will be gladly provided upon request. Applicants who do not meet the stated requirements can initially participate in the studies as guest auditors if admission to the HZB examination is granted.

Your questions, further information on access requirements, as well as detailed information on specific qualifications will be gladly provided by the advisors of the study service of DIPLOMA Hochschule upon request.

Details

Care and early childhood education of children is one of the central educational tasks, as the first years of life are particularly important. Childhood pedagogy therefore plays a socially significant role in the upbringing of children up to the age of ten. It imparts essential competences, influences the development of children in problem families, supports the early formation of competences, and reduces cultural differences. In day nurseries, kindergartens, youth groups as well as in inclusion, care and additional educational services, childhood pedagogy is an important foundation for work with young people.

The practice-oriented degree "Childhood Pedagogy" (B.A.) at DIPLOMA University provides you with scientific foundations and concepts to work competently and successfully in the varied field of childhood pedagogy. During your studies, you will learn the scientific and methodological basics for working with children. You will acquire the necessary knowledge and skills that qualify you for specialist and leadership tasks as well as activities in initial and further training, counselling and management. You will get to know the basics and analysis of developmental and educational processes of children. In particular, you will acquire competences in the areas of language, mathematical/scientific education as well as health and environmental education. In addition to the pedagogical qualifications, you will acquire the skills to work scientifically, conduct research and evaluate projects and processes.

During your studies, you will expand your knowledge and your core professional competences, among others, in the following fields:

• General basics of childhood pedagogy
• Action competence: stimulation of child’s play activities
• Professionalisation: biography and quality
• Transitions and fields of action of childhood pedagogy in school contexts

Course progression
At DIPLOMA University, you have the possibility to study the Bachelor's degree in Childhood Pedagogy in one of four variants: as an online degree, as a distance learning degree on site, as a face-to-face degree or as a dual study programme.

The (online) distance learning course at DIPLOMA University is designed according to the "blended learning" principle. This means that you work through the study contents with the help of study booklets and attend seminars. These usually take place on 12 to 14 Saturdays per semester – in exceptional cases also during the week in the evening. In the online course, these are held as live online seminars. You can also take your exams online or at an examination centre of your choice. In the distance learning course on site, you complete your real face-to-face seminars and exams at your chosen study centre – in Hamburg, Hanover or Leipzig.

Costs & registration
The (online) distance learning course at DIPLOMA University starts every year in the summer semester (April) and winter semester (October). The start of studies is – after individual assessment – also possible at any other time.

You can choose between various study and financing models. For example, the installment model 3, with €157.00 per month and a duration of 72 months. You can find the degree programme on the Childhood Pedagogy degree programme page.