International Programmes 2024/2025

German as a Foreign and Second Language German as a Foreign and Second Language

Bielefeld University • Bielefeld

Degree
Bachelor of Arts
Teaching language
  • German
Languages

Courses are held in German.

Programme duration
6 semesters
Beginning
Winter and summer semester
Application deadline

International applicants: 15 January for the summer semester and 15 July for the winter semester

Tuition fees per semester in EUR
None
Joint degree / double degree programme
No
Description/content

The Bachelor's programme consists of the following modules:

  • Didaktik und Methodik / Theory and Practice of Language Teaching (seminars/lectures, classroom observation)
  • Angewandte Linguistik / Applied Linguistics (seminars/lectures)
  • Kulturalität und Sprache / Language and Culture (seminars/lectures)
  • Zweit- und Fremdsprachenerwerbsforschung / Second and Foreign Language Acquisition Research (seminars/lectures)
  • Sprachpraxis / Language Practice (seminars)

Profil 1: Theorie und Praxis des Unterrichts Deutsch als Fremd- und Zweitsprache / Profile 1: Theory and Practice of Teaching German as a Foreign and Second Language

  • Sprache und Kultur im Kontext von Beruf, Politik und Gesellschaft / Language and Culture in the Context of Policy and Society (seminars)
  • Sprachlehr- und -lernwissenschaften / Language Teaching and Learning Sciences (seminars/projects)
  • Praktikum/Internship – DaF/DaZ unterrichten, Kulturmittlung – Teaching GFL/GSL, Cultural Mediation (seminar, internship)
  • Bachelorarbeit / Bachelor's thesis
  • Individueller Ergänzungsbereich / Individual studies

OR

Profil 2: Theorie und Praxis der Kulturmittlung / Profile 2: Theory and Practice of Culture Mediation

  • Sprache und Kultur im Kontext von Beruf, Politik und Gesellschaft / Language and Culture in the Context of Policy and Society (seminars)
  • Kulturstudien / Cultural Studies (seminars/projects)
  • Praktikum/Internship – Kulturmittlung, DaF/DaZ unterrichten/ Cultural Mediation, Teaching GFL/GSL/ (seminar, internship)
  • Bachelorarbeit / Bachelor's thesis
  • Individueller Ergänzungsbereich / individual studies

OR

Profil 3: Ansätze und Vermittlung von Fach- und Berufssprachen / Profile 3 Approaches to and Teaching of Technical and Professional Languages

  • Sprache und Kultur im Kontext von Beruf, Politik und Gesellschaft / Language and Culture in the Context of Policy and Society (seminars)
  • Fach- und Berufssprachen / Technical and Professional Languages (seminars)
  • Praktikum/Internship – DaF/DaZ unterrichten, Kulturmittlung – Teaching GFL/GSL, Cultural Mediation (seminar, internship)
  • Bachelorarbeit / Bachelor's thesis
  • Individueller Ergänzungsbereich / Individual studies
Course organisation

Courses take the form of lectures, seminars and tutorials.
Independent work as well as active participation in academic discourse is expected and encouraged.

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Integrated internships

Practical experience inside or outside of Germany is part of the programme. Programme advisers will assist students with finding an appropriate internship.

Course-specific, integrated German language courses
Yes
Course-specific, integrated English language courses
No
Tuition fees per semester in EUR
None
Semester contribution

Since Bielefeld University does not charge tuition fees, every student only has to pay a social fee. The social fee includes the contribution to the social ticket for free public transport in the city and area of Bielefeld and on regional trains and buses in North-Rhine Westphalia for the whole semester.

The current semester contribution is approximately 300 EUR.

Costs of living

Costs for studying in Germany are relatively high due to the living expenses.

  • Rent in a room in student halls of residence or a private student hall, in a room or flat comes to approx. 280 EUR per month.
  • The expected costs for student health insurance and other medical fees are about 80 EUR per month.
  • Depending on your lifestyle, you might spend about 150 EUR on food each month.
  • Altogether, monthly costs for food, clothes, leisure activities, social fees, travel expenses, telephone bills, and the other mentioned expenses add up to approx. 850 EUR.

There are several ways of cutting expenses in Bielefeld. For example, it is possible to rent a room in a student residence for about 230 EUR, and a meal at the student canteen (Mensa) costs only about 2.60 EUR.

Funding opportunities within the university
No
Academic admission requirements

Equivalent to German "Abitur"

Language requirements

Good knowledge of German is required and must be documented with

  • A TestDaF certificate with at least level TDN 4 in all four exam parts, or a total of 16 with at least TDN 4 in the exam part “Writing”
  • A Goethe Certificate C2 ("Großes Deutsches Sprachdiplom")
  • A DSH certificate ("Deutsche Sprachprüfung für den Hochschulzugang ausländischer Studienbewerber") with a result of DSH-2 or DSH-3, or equivalent
  • A Telc C1 Hochschule.

https://www.uni-bielefeld.de/international/come-in/studium/studium-mit-abschluss/sprachkenntnisse/index.xml

English reading skills are required.

Application deadline

International applicants: 15 January for the summer semester and 15 July for the winter semester

Submit application to

Apply via the online portal.

For further information about the application to the Master's programme, please use the following link: www.uni-bielefeld.de/bewerbung.

 

Possibility of finding part-time employment

Basically, with your residence permit (stamp in your passport), you will receive a work permit for 120 work days per year. This allows you to work 120 full days (eight hours per day) or 240 half days (up to four hours per day). This condition must be noted expressly in the passport by the authorities.

Accommodation

Please try to secure accommodation in Bielefeld as early as possible. In Bielefeld, a broad range of accommodation options can be found at affordable prices. Students residences are run by the public "Studierendenwerk" or private organisations, and shared flats are very common.

Offers of accommodation can be found online by following the links below:

The International Office supports students who are searching for accommodation.

Career advisory service

Career planning is a step-by-step development and clarification process that requires individual strategies. Based on a strengths- and resource-oriented approach, we support you in developing your own career prospects.

Depending on your needs, our Career Service at Bielefeld University will accompany you throughout the entire process or in individual steps.

https://www.uni-bielefeld.de/themen/career-service

Support for international students and doctoral candidates
  • Welcome event
  • Buddy programme
  • Accompanying programme
  • Cultural and linguistic preparation
  • Visa matters
  • Help with finding accommodation
  • Support with registration procedures
  • Specialist counselling
General services and support for international students and doctoral candidates

At PunktUm, our German Learning Centre, we offer a comprehensive range of academic support programmes that are designed to meet the needs of international members of the Bielefeld University. These include the Academic Mentoring Programme for Master's students, the Peer Mentoring Programme for Bachelor's students, and semester-long workshops designed to help all students and researchers with academic writing. We also offer individual consultations on academic writing in German as a Foreign Language (DaF) or German as a Second Language (DaZ).

The International Office provides an orientation programme for all international members of Bielefeld University, including degree seekers (BA and MA), double degree students, Erasmus/cooperation students, doctoral students, scholars, interns, and refugees/preparing applicants. Example of activities include Café International, campus tour, introductions to digital services and administrative procedures.

Bielefeld University

University location

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