History as subject in the Interdisciplinary Bachelor’s Degree Programme
(Bachelor of Arts)

The degree programme is modular, comprising an introductory area and an area of specialisation. The introductory area is compulsory, and is identical for all History students at the Bachelor’s level. In contrast, the number of History specialisation modules to be taken in the compulsory elective area depends on whether History is taken as a major or minor subject; it also depends on whether students wish to complete a degree in Teacher Education or prefer to prepare for different a career option as a historian. The latter aspect also plays a role in the placements students need to take as part of the Bachelor’s degree programme.

In the five basic modules, students acquire basic historical and methodological knowledge, as well as the skills required to produce scientific work. In the practical module, students gain experience in project work for the first time, e.g. in museums, memorials, archives, newspaper editorial offices or radio stations. The research learning module gives students pursuing a non-school-based specialisation the possibility to explore current scientific work in dialogue with researchers from their subject. The history education elements give students an introduction to the academic discipline of teaching methodology for the subject of History, and enable them to start specialising in research into teaching history.

In the area of specialisation, students select their compulsory elective courses from modules with a different systematic orientation (global history, social history, cultural history, historical culture) and with a different epochal specialisation (Ancient History to Contemporary History).

As part of the Interdisciplinary Bachelor’s Degree Programme, students pursuing a non-school-based specialisation are expected to complete an eight-week placement outside school.

Students focusing on teaching must complete a non-school-based placement as well as a school placement, lasting four weeks each.

The Interdisciplinary Bachelor’s Degree Programme concludes with a dissertation, written in the major or minor subject, which the student has to defend during an academic discussion in the subject of History.

• Subject Combination Options Interdisciplinary Bachelor’s Degree Course For Masters’ programme Teacher Training Course for Grammar Schools (PDF-Download)

• Subject Combination Options Interdisciplinary Bachelor’s Degree Course (PDF-Download)

Students of the subject of History wanting to go into teaching should be equally interested in the specialist subject matter and specialist problems, as well as in issues relating to the individual and social reception and production of history.

The challenges faced in the professional field of “schools and teaching history” call for a great affinity for educational work with children and young people. Rather than acting as “disciplinary specialists in school”, history teachers are responsible for developing teaching/learning arrangements that enable students to learn about history.

Outside school settings, students should be interested in tackling ever-new tasks. They should also be good at organising their work, and should be willing to go to great lengths to procure analogue and digital information. It is essential for students to have a good command of spoken and written German, and, at the very least, passive knowledge (the ability to read) one or more modern languages. A general enjoyment of reading and writing is also essential.

After completing the Bachelor’s stage, Interdisciplinary Bachelor’s Degree Programme graduates who want to become teachers must take a Master of Education degree before they can enter the teaching profession.

Historians can generally be found working in politics, culture and business. Graduates with a Master’s degree are usually taken on in these professional fields.

Graduates have found work in schools and higher education institutions, institutions of further and continuing education, documentation and publishing, archives, libraries and museums, the Foreign Office, international organisations and the media.

• Teaching at grammar schools and comprehensive schools
• University and science
• Memorials and museums
• Libraries and archives
• (Cultural) journalism, media (press, publishers, radio, television)
• Political institutions, organisations and facilities
• Political parties, associations and administrative bodies
• Media enterprises
• Historic tourism

• Atlantic Studies/ History, Culture and Society (Master of Arts)
• Philosophy of Science (Master of Arts)
• History as subject in the Master’s Teacher Training Course for Grammar Schools (Master of Education)

• Master’s Teacher Training Course for Grammar Schools (Master of Education) (only possible with a school-based focus)

Under certain conditions, admission to the following Master''s programme is also possible. More detailed information can be found in the respective admission regulations. If you have any questions, please contact the course advice of the desired Master''s programme:

• Educational Studies (Master of Arts) (only possible with a school-based focus, at least 11 ECTS in education / psychology)