Protestant Religious Education & Diaconia

In Germany, the Christian religion is a formative cultural force, even though only 57% of the population still feel that they belong to a Christian community. Other religions are increasingly enriching national diversity. The study program enables students to competently and sensitively bring religion into conversations, to understand religious questions as such and to develop an understanding for the religious dimension of life in general. 

The study program provides students with pedagogical, human-scientific, diaconal and theological competences for the interpretation and didactic mediation as well as diaconal shaping of religion. This also includes reflecting on the conditions of our social framework. This includes dealing with interreligious topics as well as questions of social secularisation.

• Life-oriented introduction to theological thinking
• Acquisition of practical skills in psychology and sociology, communication and interaction
• Development of pedagogical professionalism with regard to schools, congregational work and diaconia
• Qualification for the didactic leadership of groups

In addition to the Bachelor's degree in "Protestant Religious Education & Diaconia" with a focus on Protestant religious education, it is possible to obtain a Bachelor's degree in "Social Work" and thus receive state recognition as a social worker in a second course which lasts four semesters. After a total of eleven semesters, graduates are qualified both for church educational work within congregations and schools as well as for work within the fields of social and denominational welfare work (diaconia).

The Religious Education major opens up a variety of professional opportunities in church-related fields of work, especially in congregations and schools:

• Congregational pedagogical work with children, youth, adults, senior citizens and the elderly
• Teaching religious education as a state-recognised teacher (after completion of the consecutive Master's degree in Protestant Religious and Community Education as well as practical school training)
• Parish ministry as an ordained parish pedagogue (after completion of the consecutive Master's degree in Protestant Religious and Parish Pedagogy and a second phase of practical training in Parish Pedagogy).

The major in Diaconia combines training in a state-recognised social profession (e.g. social worker, educator, curative education nurse) with a theological qualification and thus opens up a wide range of career prospects for our students:

• Congregational or supra-regional church work with children, youth, adults, senior citizens
• Pedagogical or social work in diaconal and social welfare institutions
• Leadership and management of social diaconal institutions and organisations (after completion of the Master's program "Management – Education – Diversity").

The Bachelor's degree program in Protestant Religious Education is made up of 31 or 33 modules. The modules are assigned to six study areas: Religious Education, Parish Pedagogy, Diaconia, Theology, Human Sciences as well as Science and Profession. The 1st semester introduces the study program and its subjects; the 2nd to 4th semesters serve to ensure the basic acquisition of competences; the 5th semester is a practical semester; in the 6th and 7th semesters, students further develop their competences on the basis of practical experience and complete the study program.

Please contact the head of the program or the professor for Diaconia regarding the special credit possibilities of a degree in social work or childhood education, training as an educator or becoming a curative education nurse.

• Bachelor graduates possess theological, religious education, diaconal and human science competences.
• They are able to deal with these contents in a discursive manner and are open to plurality, being able to shape and lead processes of understanding both didactically and diaconically.
• They have acquired skills regarding the humanities as well as social science research methods and can critically evaluate them. 
• They can integrate changes of perspective into their profession and answer questions on theology, religion and spirituality.

The program combines academic theory with practical learning experiences. During two orientation internships of 60 hours each, students get to know the professional fields of congregational pedagogy and school-based religious education. In a practical semester in the 5th semester, the acquired competences are tested, deepened and reflected upon in both professional fields for 12 weeks each.

Bachelor graduates can take the consecutive Master's degree programs "Protestant Religious and Community Education" or "Management – Education – Diversity" at the EHB. The Bachelor's degree with a focus on Protestant religious education gives graduates access to a four-semester second degree program at the EHB in "Social Work".