One degree program – a wide range of career opportunities! Saxony is breaking new ground in the training of specialists by combining academic engineering studies with studies in teacher training for vocational schools. In a one of a kind collaboration model, TU Dresden, the University of Applied Sciences Zwickau, Mittweida University of Applied Sciences and Zittau/Görlitz University of Applied Sciences have developed the Engineering Education degree program and launched a website with detailed information at www.ingenieurpaedagogik-sachsen.de. In this way, the Free State of Saxony and Saxony's universities are addressing the shortage of skilled workers in industry and the teacher shortage in vocational schools.

The goal is to provide potential students with the best possible overview of the opportunities this program offers.

Engineering Education merges studies in engineering with pedagogical content. Having completed six or seven semesters of study, graduates of the program will be qualified to work as engineers in the technical field or to work in technical training and further education. After graduating with a Bachelor of Engineering, students have the option of going straight into an advanced teacher training course at TU Dresden and taking the State Examination to become a vocational school teacher.

© Dirk Hanus / WHZ

On completion of the subsequent practical training phase and the second State Examination, graduates can be employed as teachers in the Saxon civil service. The SchulAQ (School Assistant in Training) program allows students to work in schools in Saxony after completing their Bachelor's degree while simultaneously completing their teacher training.

Minister of Science Sebastian Gemkow remarked: “The Engineering Education degree program is an additional building block in the Free State’s strategy to respond to the shortage of skilled workers in essential fields. There will be an urgent need for teachers at vocational schools and specialists in technical professions throughout Saxony in the coming years. By combining both courses, prospective students do not have to choose one or the other career path from the outset. Students are therefore extremely flexible and also excellently qualified.”Prof. Michael Kobel, Vice-Rector Academic Affairs at TU Dresden, explained: “TU Dresden, together with three universities of applied sciences, is responding to the demand for teacher training in the regions of Saxony with its commitment to the new study model. The need is especially high in the industrial and technical fields of teaching. With a wide range of subjects, TU Dresden is one of the leading universities in Germany for teacher training at vocational schools.”

The Bachelor’s degree program in Engineering Education can be studied at the Universities of Applied Sciences in Zwickau, Mittweida and Zittau/Görlitz with different subject specializations. Students can choose two specializations from the courses offered at the universities: Machine and Metals Technology or Mechanical Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Physics, Computer Science, Textile Engineering/Textiles and Economics. This technical content is supplemented by pedagogical content with a pronounced practical focus. The educational science and didactic courses are offered across all universities under the specialist responsibility of TU Dresden.

Prof. Jörg Matthes, Dean of the Faculty of Engineering Sciences at Mittweida University of Applied Sciences: “Studying Engineering Education at a university of applied sciences offers students a unique opportunity to combine two things: their passion for engineering and their enthusiasm for sharing that passion with young people. They will study technical subjects with real-world applications while learning the fundamentals of teaching at the same time. By combining a sound technical education with pedagogical skills, our graduates are ideally prepared to train the next generation of skilled workers and technicians as committed engineering educators. At the same time, this genuine engineering certification opens up direct entry into industry as well as a wide range of career paths in science and education.”

Engineering Education is also ideal for specialists working in the technical field who have professional experience without a university entrance qualification and wish to develop their professional skills. This degree program offers specialists with a technical education the opportunity to gain further qualifications as well as entry into higher salary brackets.

For more information on the new degree program (in German), please visit: www.ingenieurpaedagogik-sachsen.de

Contact

Claudia Keller
Marketing OptLA
Westsächsische Hochschule Zwickau
University of Applied Sciences
Tel.: +49 375 536 1745

This measure is financed by tax revenue on the basis of the budget adopted by the Saxon Parliament. (Free State of Saxony, Projekt OptLA – Technical Teacher Education Option).