FAQ - frequently asked questions
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If the admission requirements are met, it is possible to first complete the "DaFZ Continuing Education Program" (WBSP DaFZ) and later switch to the Master's degree program in DaFZ. In this case, credits from the WBSP can be recognized upon application, so that the Master's degree course is shortened. You can find information on the Master's degree program DaFZ here.
Applicants with a university degree in German as a foreign and second language may be admitted to the continuing education program.
- Applicants with university degrees in German studies or German, a modern philology or other language-related subjects are admitted without conditions.
- Applicants with other subjects may be admitted with conditions if they can provide evidence of teaching experience in the field of German as a foreign and/or second language amounting to at least 500 teaching hours.
If you need/want to have your admission checked (or apply for special admission): The examination board will decide on admission. In this case, please send a short application to the secretariat of the Department of German as a Foreign Language. They will forward your documents (CV, short application, motivation, certificates, etc.) to the examination board. Please enclose copies of your certificates, any relevant certificates of achievement and evidence of your teaching experience. The examination board will decide on admission and, if necessary, set conditions for admission.
Applicants must have submitted their application by September 15 of each year in order to be able to participate in courses for the basic module in the following winter semester. For application documents, see regulations § 2, applications should be sent to the secretariat of the Department of German as a Foreign Language.
Applications for participation should be sent by post or in person to the Department of German as a Foreign and Second Language after a consultation.
- Letter of motivation
- Application form (to print out in the download area)
- Copy of university entrance certificate
- Certified copy of degree certificate
- Curriculum vitae (in tabular form)
- Proof of good German language skills (TestDaF level 4, DSH 2 or an equivalent examination - foreign students and native speakers are exempt from this)
- If available: Proof of teaching experience in DaF or DaZ.
No, you do not have student status. You are taking part in a continuing education program that is usually already part-time.
The chances are currently very good. However, you must be aware that this is generally a job on a fee basis (including, for example, lecturing at the Goethe-Institut) and that this area of work is dependent on political decisions (e.g. admission of refugees; Immigration Act). In addition, the regulations on teacher qualification of the Federal Office for Migration and Refugees (BAMF) may need to be observed.
In some countries abroad, there is an increased demand for German lessons, especially for adults.
The following applies to teaching abroad:
You should find out whether a certificate of further education is sufficient for your intended job. For many employers and clients, especially abroad, native language skills and teaching experience are often more important criteria than a degree.
The WBSP DaFZ certificate is also sufficient for an application to the DAAD, as it corresponds to a one-year postgraduate course. At the DAAD, a degree in German studies is a prerequisite for many lectorate positions, but depending on the country or job advertisement, applicants with other subjects and an additional GFL qualification may also be of interest.
For an academic position where the employer is a foreign university, you will improve your chances if you have a Master's degree. With the WBSP, you keep open the option of transferring to the Master's program at the University of Kassel immediately after graduation or even later.
For information on studying abroad, please refer to the following publication:
Dagmar Giersberg (2004): Deutsch unterrichten weltweit. 2nd ed. Bielefeld: Bertelsmann.
We also recommend the following article from "Deutsche Welle".
The "Continuing Education Program German as a Foreign and Second Language" (WBSP DaFZ) concludes with a certificate from the University of Kassel, which provides evidence of further training in the field of didactics and methodology DaF/DaZ. In addition to the grades for the individual course achievements and the overall grade, the certificate also shows 50 credits according to the ECTS system.
The WBSP DaFZ certificate is not comparable with university degrees such as a Master's degree. In terms of scope, it corresponds to a one-year supplementary course of study or a postgraduate course in German as a foreign language. The Master's program at the University of Kassel comprises two years of full-time study and 120 ECTS credits are awarded. Achievements from the "WBSP DaFZ" can be credited on application.
The certificate is positively evaluated as proof of qualification or is often made a prerequisite for employment, for example at adult education centers, language schools and educational institutions in adult education. The Central Agency for German Schools Abroad strongly recommends that applicants obtain a DaF certificate - but it can also be a certificate from another university, the Goethe-Institut or other providers - in order to improve their chances of being hired. These certificates are always advanced or further training certificates, for many teaching purposes these certificates are completely sufficient, and on the basis of these certificates many teachers in the school sector in Germany receive a teaching permit for DaF/DaZ or are employed in corresponding courses.
The "WBSP DaF/DaZ" certificate is assessed for teacher graduates or teachers in the teaching profession in the state of Hesse with the subject German to the extent of their studies of a teaching profession subject and entitles them to an extension examination in German as a foreign language (teaching qualification) upon application. Teachers of other subjects may have to fulfill further requirements; details are available on request from the Hessian Teachers' Academy - Examination Office Kassel - Rothwestener Str. 2 - 14, 34233 Fuldatal. A one-hour oral examination must be taken as part of this extension examination.
Recognition for work as a teacher in integration courses (teacher qualification) is generally possible with the continuing education certificate, as it corresponds to the completion of a university postgraduate or supplementary course in German as a foreign language (DaF/DaZ). Further individual requirements may need to be clarified with the BAMF.
In addition to the university certificate as proof of your further education, proven teaching experience in German as a foreign language is important for many jobs. It is therefore essential that you acquire this if you do not already have it. This is also an advantage for course participation.
The requirements for a job at a university cannot be described here in a generally valid form, as much depends on the profile of the position and the institutional framework conditions. However, if you are seeking employment at a university abroad, for example, it may be advantageous to aim for a Master's degree in addition to the university certificate, which is a training course that takes longer than the continuing education courses but is more widely recognized abroad.
If the admission requirements are met, it is possible to first complete the "DaFZ continuing education program" (WBSP DaFZ) and later switch to the Master's degree program in DaFZ. In this case, credits from the WBSP can be recognized on application, so that the Master's degree course is shortened. You can find information on the Master's program here.
It is a further education certificate that conveys important skills for many teaching purposes and is often completely sufficient for teachers in the school sector to obtain a teaching permit for GFL/German as a foreign language or to be employed in corresponding courses.
The "WBSP DaF/DaZ" certificate is assessed for teacher graduates or teachers in the teaching profession in the state of Hesse with the subject German to the extent of their studies of a teaching profession subject and entitles them to an extension examination in the subject German as a foreign language (teaching qualification) upon application. Teachers of other subjects may have to fulfill further requirements; details are available on request from the Hessian Teachers' Academy - Examination Office Kassel - Rothwestener Str. 2 - 14, 34233 Fuldatal. A one-hour oral examination must be taken as part of this extension examination.
Recognition for work as a teacher in integration courses (teacher qualification) is generally possible with the continuing education certificate, as it corresponds to the completion of a university postgraduate or supplementary course of study in German as a foreign language. Further individual requirements may need to be clarified with the BAMF.
If you are interested in teaching integration courses, we recommend that you contact the language course provider or the BAMF directly to find out about the admission requirements for teaching integration courses. You can obtain information at: www.bamf.de/DE/Infothek/Lehrkraefte/lehrkraefte-node.html
General information at
www.goethe.de/z/50/commeuro/deindex.htm
Global descriptions of the levels at
www.goethe.de/z/50/commeuro/303.htm
Both are also available in print:
"Common European Framework of Reference for Languages: teaching, learning, assessment". Council of Europe - Council for Cultural Cooperation, Munich: Langenscheidt, 2004
"Common European Framework of Reference for Languages: teaching, learning, assessing. Accompanying volume". Council of Europe - Council for Cultural Cooperation, Stuttgart: Klett, 2020
The implementation of the optional descriptions for the levels for GFL lessons is described on CD-Rom: "Profile Deutsch", Glaboniat et.al., Munich: Langenscheidt, 2005 (ISBN 3-468-49463-7)