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". 

The prerequisite for admission to the degree program is a general higher education entrance qualification or a higher education entrance qualification for a university of applied sciences, a subject-specific higher education entrance qualification, a qualification recognised as equivalent or a study qualification as a professionally qualified applicant without a higher education entrance qualification in accordance with section § 11 of the Gesetz über die Hochschulen im Land Berlin (Berliner Hochschulgesetz – BerlHG) / Law on Higher Education Institutions in the State of Berlin (Berlin Higher Education Act - BerlHG).  

Applicants choose their desired major 'Protestant Religious Education' or 'Diaconia' as part of their application. 

When choosing the major 'Diaconia', the following has to be additionally submitted: 

• proof of at least twelve weeks of full-time practical training in a social work, pedagogical or nursing field of work with a diaconal or church institution (practical training carried out with a designated non-profit organisation is also recognised). (Note: Compulsory internships that have been completed within the framework of study programs or training courses that are eligible for recognition cannot be counted as practice-related prior training!) 

and 

• either have successfully completed the Bachelor's degree program in Social Work at the EHB or the Bachelor's degree program in Childhood Education at the EHB or have obtained a comparable degree by the beginning of the semester at the latest in each case        

or 

• a successful completion of a vocational training as a state-recognised educator or state-recognised curative education nurse must be available or must have been completed by the start of the semester and proof must be provided of an introductory propaedeutic course for the degree program 'Protestant Religious Education & Diaconia, major in Diaconia' or a comparable preparatory course of study totalling 30 ECTS credits. 

 
With their application, the applicants for the specialisation 'Diaconia' each submit an application for receiving credits for one’s module examinations according to the requirements of the examination regulations for the Bachelor's degree program 'Protestant Religious Education & Diaconia'. For these applicants, receiving credits for the study and examination achievements for modules to the extent of 120 ECTS credit points is sought on the basis of existing equivalence lists in each case, in order to be able to reduce the period of study by up to four semesters according to the requirements of the study regulations. 

• Applications are currently possible for the winter semester (start of studies October 1st). 

• Last application deadline for the respective winter semester: July 15th 

• For professionally qualified applicants according to section § 11 BerlHG: April 1st 

Applications are made via the online application portal of the EHB within the application period – please note the information listed in the application portal. 

After registering as an applicant and entering the details of the application process online, print out the 'Application for Admission', complete it and attach the required documents. An application submitted via the online application portal of the EHB alone is currently not yet valid. The application for admission must be submitted to the EHB with the required documents by the application deadline. The date of receipt of the application for admission with all the required documents at EHB is decisive, not the date of the postmark. 

The online application is currently not valid for professionally qualified applicants without Abitur (high school diploma) according to section § 11 BerlHG as well as for applicants who would like to apply for a higher semester. Application documents for professionally qualified applicants without Abitur according to section § 11 BerlHG will be available in the download area as of the beginning of February. Applicants who would like to apply for a higher semester should contact the Admissions Office directly.