The placement semester is an integral part of your teacher education program. You will immerse yourself for one semester in the everyday working life at a school and gain important teaching experience for your future work as a teacher; during the placement semester you will be professionally supervised. You can also spend part of the placement semester abroad.
...in Baden-Württemberg
At a glance
- Full-time internship at a secondary school or a vocational school (upon consultation, the placement semester may also be completed at an interdenominational school)
- Accompanying courses at the seminars for training and further education of teachers (Seminare für Ausbildung und Fortbildung der Lehrkräfte)
- 12 weeks of instruction between September and December
- At the University of Mannheim usually during the third semester (for students whose program started in the fall semester) or during the second semester (for students whose program started in the spring semester)
- Please note that you cannot complete the placement semester at schools in other federal states, at the school where you passed your Abitur diploma or at schools were close relatives are employed.
- International students and students pursuing a second degree can be exempted from tuition fees during the placement semester: Request for exemption from the obligation to pay tuition fees
Registration
- The registration is centrally coordinated via the online platform maintained by the Ministerium für Kultus, Jugend und Sport Baden-Württemberg.
- You will receive your access authorization in good time by e-mail from the Student services of the University of Mannheim.
- Application phase 1: Pre-registration at several schools, allocation to schools taking into account the applicant’s personal wishes, the schools capacity, and subject-specific requirements
- Application phase 2: Changing schools is possible via the online platform depending on capacity
- Registration period and instructions for the registration
...abroad
At a glance
Part 1: Stay abroad
- Self-organized stay abroad at a German or European school or as assistant foreign language instructor (usually, via the exchange program of the PAD)
- When? During the bachelor’s or master’s program
- Your stay abroad will be recognized by Thomas Häberle from the State Office for Teacher Certification (LLPA) Stuttgart as soon as you have returned home and enrolled for the master’s program.
Part 2: Placement in Baden-Württemberg
- 4 weeks of teaching practice at a school in Baden-Württemberg
- When? During the master’s program following your stay abroad
- Usually, the placement begins in September.
- The same criteria and registration regulations apply as for the placement semester in Baden-Württemberg.
Part 3: Seminars in Baden-Württemberg
- Accompanying courses at the seminars for training and further education of teachers (Seminare für Ausbildung und Fortbildung der Lehrkräfte)
- When? During the master’s program, before or following your stay abroad
- As a rule, the events last from September to December.
- The same criteria and registration regulations apply as for the placement semester in Baden-Württemberg.
German or European schools
- Overview of the available schools
- Duration: at least 8 weeks at a time
- Further criteria: 10 hours of assistant instruction per week, secondary level
- Information of the Ministry of Education on internships at a German school abroad
Assistant foreign language instructor program of the PAD (Pädagogischer Austauschdienst)
- Exchange program of the assistant foreign language instructor program of the PAD
- Duration: at least 6 months at a time
- Further criteria: 10 hours of assistant instruction per week, secondary level
- Equivalent stays abroad as assistant teachers with the above mentioned characteristics are also possible.
- Information of the Ministry of Education regarding stays abroad as assistant teachers
Students of the cooperative programs in Teacher Education will obtain all relevant information about their placement semester from the Mannheim University of Music and Performing Arts or the State Academy of Fine Arts Karlsruhe respectively.