The university entrance examination at the University of Kassel

To apply for admission to the university entrance examination for the field of study Language and Cultural Studies or Pedagogy, courses of study for the teaching profession at elementary schools, secondary schools and special schools, please fill out the application for admission to the university entrance examination for professionally qualified persons . Please send this application together with

• your curriculum vitae,
• an officially certified copy of your most recent school report and vocational training certificates
• the complete proof of the type, duration and place of the professional activity,
• proof of further training (the amount of time spent must be evident) and
• a detailed statement of reasons

to the Registrar's Office of the University of Kassel by February 15 of each year at the latest.

University of Kassel
-Student Secretariat-
Mönchebergstraße 19
34109 Kassel

Information about the exams:

The examination consists of a written and an oral examination. In both examinations, the candidate should show that he/she is able to develop an approach to selected areas of the following subfields of pedagogy: General pedagogy: historical development of pedagogy, educational theories School pedagogy: didactics, teaching theories, school development Research and research methods in educational science and empirical educational research. 

• Written Examination
  The written examination consists of the completion of assignments on a relevant text dealing with a relevant topic in pedagogy. It should be shown that complex issues from one of the three sub-fields of pedagogy can be dealt with in a basic way by showing connections in content and elaborating central statements. The written work is to be used to check whether the candidate has the basic scientific propaedeutic competences that are necessary to master the study of pedagogy. This includes an adequate ability to express oneself in written language, with which the ability to abstract as well as the competence to reflect and analyze are expressed.
  
  
• Oral Examination
  In the oral examination, the candidate is to demonstrate, on the basis of selected topics from one of the three subfields of pedagogy, that he/she has the oral expressive ability necessary for success in the field of pedagogy. The candidate should demonstrate that he/she is able to deal with pedagogical topics in a scientifically propaedeutic manner. In the oral examination, the candidate should also be given the opportunity to demonstrate special job-related skills and abilities of the intended teaching profession, such as basic communicative and social skills. In addition, the candidate should present his/her motivation for taking up a teaching degree program.

For the field of study Linguistics and Cultural Studies, related fields of activity include, in particular, educational and professional activities at private and public cultural institutions. In addition, other educational and professional activities may also be recognized by the Examination Committee as related to the field of study of Linguistics and Cultural Studies. The closeness of the proven educational and professional activities to the field of study of linguistics and cultural studies must be stated in the application for admission and explained to the examination board upon request. Applicants who do not provide evidence of educational and professional activities in a field related to the field of study of linguistics and cultural studies must provide the examination board with evidence of successful completion of qualified continuing education courses in the field of study of linguistics and cultural studies.

The examination consists of a written examination in the form of a four-hour written test and a 60-minute examination interview. 

• Written examination:
  a) The first part of the written examination consists of an essay on a relevant subject. In particular, it should be shown whether a complex topic can be dealt with systematically and whether relevant connections can be shown. In addition, it is to be tested whether the candidate has the necessary written language skills for the study of the subject.
  b) In the second part of the written examination, basic knowledge of mathematics and English is tested.
  
  
• Oral examination:
  a) In the oral examination, the basic knowledge required for the subject studies as well as the necessary oral expression skills in German and English are tested on the basis of subject-relevant topics. For this purpose, the candidate submits a list of topics with five topic suggestions to the chairperson of the examination board at least two weeks before the examination date, which must be coordinated with the chairperson and approved by him/her. One topic proposal must relate to knowledge of German language and literature, for another English language knowledge must be necessary for explanation.
  b) If the examination is not conducted in German, the examination of the relevant expressive skills in German shall be replaced by the examination in the language specified for the examination. The regulations for determining the examination topics remain unaffected by this.

Procedure of the examination: 

1. Your application documents will be examined by the chairman of the examination board. You may be invited to a consultation via the email address you provided (vss. end of April/beginning of May).
   
   
2. The Examination Committee may waive the written examination if it is deemed unnecessary based on previous written performance during a guest study program, a continuing education program offered by the university, or based on prior education that is deemed by the Examination Committee to be comparably qualified and that includes written examinations. The written paper(s) should be submitted to the Examining Committee no later than mid-April.
   
   
3. You will receive by mail a notice of admission (vss. mid-May) with your examination date or your two examination dates if you are being examined in writing and orally.
   
   
4. The oral examination will take place vss. mid-June. If there is also a written exam, it will be no less than 7 and no more than 30 calendar days after the exam interview date.
   
   
5. Please submit your five proposed topics for the oral examination to the Chair of the Examination Committee no later than two weeks prior to the examination date.
   
   
6. Both parts of the examination must be passed in each case in order to pass the examination as a whole.