Requirements

Relevant bachelor's degree programmes at the University of Innsbruck:

• Bachelor's Programme Secondary School Teacher Training (General Education) Subject: Geography and Economic Education (2026W)

• Bachelor's Programme Secondary School Teacher Training (General Education) Subject: Geography and Economics (2015W)

Proof of general university entrance qualification:

The general university entrance qualification for admission to a Master's degree programme must be proven by the completion of a relevant Bachelor's degree programme, another relevant degree programme of at least the same higher education level at a recognised domestic or foreign post-secondary educational institution or a degree programme defined in the curriculum of the Master's degree programme.

In any case, the Bachelor's degree programme in Secondary Teacher Education (General Education) at an Austrian university or university college of teacher education is considered to be an eligible degree programme. The teaching subjects or specialisations chosen in the Master's degree programme must be the same as in the Bachelor's degree programme on which admission is based. The Rectorate decides on the existence of another relevant degree programme in accordance with § 64 para. 3 UG.

Supplementary examinations (maximum 30 ECTS credits) may be prescribed to compensate for significant subject-related differences and must be completed by the end of the Master's degree programme. The Rectorate may determine which of these supplementary examinations are a prerequisite for taking examinations provided for in the Master's degree programme curriculum.

As part of the proof of general university entrance qualification, the completion of the following core areas as part of the completed Bachelor's degree programme is examined:

• At least 95 ECTS-Credits in subject-didactics and subject-didactics for Geography and Economics (subject to change)
• At least 40 ECTS credits from educational science fundamentals (subject to change)

Recommended Course Sequence

The exemplary course sequence given below is recommended for full-time students beginning their study programme in the winter semester. The table shows one possible course sequence for the bachelor's programme and is not compulsory. Delays resulting from repeated examinations are not taken into account.

The standard duration of the study programme is 4 semesters or 120 ECTS-Credits, whereby according to the Universities Act of 2002, a workload of 1,500 (real) hours per academic year must be fulfilled, corresponding to 60 ECTS-Credits (one ECTS-Credit is equivalent to a workload of 25 hours).

Course Sequence (incl. Education Studies)

Qualification profile and competences

The Secondary School Teacher Training Programme (General Education) qualifies its graduates as teachers in the selected subjects of general education / specialisations for all secondary schools (Mittelschule, Polytechnische Schule, Academic Secondary Schools,  Intermediate and Higher Technical and Vocational Schools). This study programme also meets the requirements for teaching in intermediate and higher schools in the South Tyrol. In the Master’s programme the knowledge and skills acquired in the Bachelor’s programme is broadened and deepened. Graduates are able to solve problems of teaching in secondary schools in an innovative and creative way. They are able to independently deal with scientific or artistic topics resp. with regards to contents and by using appropriate methods. They are able to participate in expert discourse and to independently acquire more specialist, subject-didactical and pedagogical knowledge and to implement it in their teaching.

Graduates of the Master's programme in Geography and Economics Education have specialised knowledge in the field of geography and economics (with special emphasis on secondary school curricula) and are able to establish cross-references within and outside the subject. They can develop sophisticated, innovative and transformative teaching concepts based on the complex challenges of the 21st century, integrating climate education, financial education, democracy education, value education and peace education as integral parts of teaching into practice-oriented approaches.

Expected learning outcomes

Graduates of the Master's programme in Geography and Economics Education have synthetic and integrative skills and are thus able to think in a networked way at the interfaces between business, society and the environment. They can design learning processes that promote not only subject-specific knowledge, but also action and judgement skills in the sense of education for sustainable development (ESD).

Future prospects: Occupational fields and career opportunities

The Master’s Programme Secondary School Teacher Training (General Education) qualifies for teaching at secondary schools. Based on the Bachelor’s Programme, the graduates acquire the competences needed for teaching in a way to meet the educational requirements of a developing school and society. 

With the qualifications acquired during the Master’s Programme, further job opportunities in the fields of the respective study programme and in the field of education, such as social and youth work or adult education, open up.

Extension Programme

Through an extension programme (third subject, UG §54b), a third (or additional) subject can be added to a registered or already completed

• teaching diploma programme (phasing out; 9 semesters) or
• a Bachelor’s/Master’s degree programme in secondary school teaching (general education) or
• a three-year Bachelor’s degree programme for upper secondary school (“Hauptschule”/”Mittelschule”).

Further information is available here: https://www.uibk.ac.at/de/lehrerinnenbildung/studium/infos/erweiterungsstudium_3_fach/

In addition, other extension programmes ranging from 32 ECTS credits to 60 ECTS credits may also be completed (this does not lead to a teaching qualification in Austria!). Admission to the extension programme requires admission to, or the successful completion of, a selected degree programme.

Further information is available at:

• Extension Programme Mountain Regions

Information on the examination regulations including assessment and grading

Examination regulations

The examination regulations are an integral part of the curriculum, detailed information can be found under the section Examination regulations.

Forms (in German only)

• Examination Records (in progress)
  Note: After successfully completing the final examination of the master's program, the completed “examination record” must be submitted to the examination office.
• Examination Records (Basics of Educational Science)
• Application for the Master's Thesis
• Assesment of the module: Preparation of the Master's Thesis
• Cover Sheet for the Master's Thesis
• Application for Admission to the third and fourth repetition of a course examination

Forms and Guideline for submitting the Master's Thesis (valid since 01.11.2023)

Recognitions

Recognition of exams AND Supplementary Sheet

Basics of Educational Science

Recognition of exams AND Supplementary Sheet

Interdisciplinary Competences and Individual Choice of Specialisation

Recognition of exams AND Supplementary Sheet | Contact: wahlmodule-master-la@uibk.ac.at

Contact and Information

Examination Office
Location Innrain 52d

Authorised representative for pedagogical and practical school training and educational science foundations (from 01.04.2025) 
Andreas Schreier, BA MA PhD

Authorised representative for subject training and didactics
Mag. Dr. Gertraud Meissl

Dean of Studies (from 01.03.2024)
Univ.-Prof. Dr. Markus Ammann

Informations for students from South Tyrol* 
Office for South Tyrolean Affairs
*For students from South Tyrol, there are special requirements if they want to teach in South Tyrol.

Informations for students with disabilities
Disability Office

Information about the Programme (in German only)

• General Information from the Faculty of Teacher Education
• Administrative Procedure - Graduation
• Guidlines for electronic submission and puplication of academic theses and Instructions from the ULB