The University of Erfurt
The University of Erfurt is a public university for the arts and humanities with a particular focus on cultural and social sciences. Founded in 1379 as the oldest university on current German territory, it has made a name for itself since reopening its doors in the year 1994 because of the quantity and quality of its academic achievements in the fields of education, religion, and other key disciplines and institutes. All curricula, including those for teacher training, have been accredited as best-practice models for the implementation of the Bologna system.
On its attractive campus not far from the capital city’s downtown area, the University of Erfurt encourages direct communication among all members and facilitates an intense period of study as well as interdisciplinary research, including at the international partner schools. Not only this but also the mentoring system, a required general education program, and an integrated career orientation program make the University of Erfurt a model to others. It offers students from Thuringia, other German states, and countries around the world a variety of degree programs at the bachelor, master, Ph.D., and post-doctoral levels. UE graduates are in demand both in Germany and abroad for positions in the public service, primary and secondary schools, special education schools, trade unions and non-governmental organizations, the media and cultural institutes, churches, businesses, politics, and last but not least, in international academia and research.
Key Research Foci: "Education" and "Religion"
The University of Erfurt is characterized by its specialization in teaching and research in two particular areas: education and religion. In the education specialization, the University of Erfurt offers first-rate teacher education programs for primary and secondary schools in the basic subject areas, in the subject-specific didactic courses (taught almost exclusively by professors), and in a number of other disciplines, including German, foreign languages, history, ethics, art, mathematics, music, Protestant and Catholic religion, social studies, and physical education. In cooperation with the University of Applied Sciences Erfurt, the University of Erfurt is currently developing a joint degree program for teaching in primary schools (including pedagogy for full-day schooling). Lifelong learning processes and diversity constitute an area of teaching above and beyond the teacher education programs, particularly in the following programs: Education (B.A. and M.A. [in planning]), Special Needs and Integral Education (M.A.), Teaching, Learning, and Training Psychology (B.A.), Psychology (M.A.), and Children’s and Youth Media Studies (M.A.). Research on the topics of teaching, learning, and media socialization is combined under the heading “Children’s Minds” and has produced a variety of research initiatives on “Media Socialization and Communication”, “Language Fluency”, “Early-childhood Learning”, “Decision-making Skills”, “School and Lesson Planning”, and “Knowledge Construction throughout Life”.
In the religion specialization, the University of Erfurt offers first-rate degree programs in Religious Studies (B.A. and M.A.), Catholic Theology (B.A., Magister Theologiae), and religion in the context of teacher education. The religion curriculum is supplemented by spring schools, summer schools, and other courses taught and attended by international scholars. In terms of research on academic topics in religion, the University of Erfurt is one of the top locations, drawing fellows from around the world and earning the label “exemplary” in the 2010 Science Council study. The Interdisciplinary Forum on Religion combines research on religious issues with that of other disciplines. In recent years, the UE’s religion specialization has been awarded considerable research grants, including the joint project funded by the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research called “Mobilization of Religion in Europe”, the DFG (German research funding organization) research group “Religious Individualization in Historical Perspective”, and the externally-funded Theological Research Seminar.
Other key academic areas and institutes
Besides the previously mentioned areas of specialization, the University of Erfurt successfully conducts teaching and research in many other key disciplines. In the fields of communication and economics, law, and social science, the university admits only the top applicants in a competitive qualification procedure. In line with its profile, the UE’s course offerings comprise a wide range of humanities, cultural studies, and social studies topics. All degree programs at the bachelor level are thus arranged in a polyvalent manner and permit those holding a Bachelor of Arts degree to choose between a teacher education (Ma.L.) or an academic, practically-oriented, or continuing education master program. In addition to a number of the degree programs in our key fields, the continuing education program at the Willy Brandt School of Public Policy is characterized by its international focus.
The Erfurt Ph.D. and Postdoctoral Program (EPPP) promotes and cultivates young researchers in all areas of the University of Erfurt. With the Max Weber Center for Advanced Cultural and Social Studies and the Gotha Research Center for Cultural and Social Studies, the University of Erfurt possesses two highly renowned institutes designed to conduct research activities and promote young researchers in their respective fields.
