Social Education

The aim of the doctoral study program in Social Pedagogy is to prepare students (doctoral candidates) for scientific work in an academic environment as well as for professional employment outside the educational sphere. At the academic level, graduates of the study program can independently define a scientific field, explain current trends and findings in the field, and apply research methods to phenomena of everyday social reality. A key aspect of the study program's content is its emphasis on anchoring scientific knowledge within an interdisciplinary context. On a non-academic level, graduates of the study program can apply the social skills they have acquired during their PhD studies through compulsory internships abroad and through the outputs they have produced, particularly in mandatory elective courses.

Practical training

The practical training of doctoral students is specifically tailored to the development of research and scientific skills and knowledge. This nature of practical training is reinforced by regular feedback and reflection under the supervision of supervisors and the guarantor of the study program. The study curriculum and study opportunities at the department include numerous practice-oriented activities. Doctoral students gain practical experience in teaching and outdoor courses as lecturers, through participation in departmental projects, or by organising educational events (such as the traditional Department Symposium) as organisers. Practical subjects also include the internationalisation subject "Research Internship Abroad" and compulsory elective subjects.

Graduates are primarily expected to find employment in academia, specifically in the field of social sciences. This field is represented by departments of social pedagogy or pedagogy at faculties of education, philosophy, natural sciences, and other faculties that teach pedagogical disciplines. Social pedagogues are prepared for educational, counselling, resocialization, planning, and organizational activities. We therefore expect graduates to find employment in various academic organizations and research (development) workplaces, including those in the fields of social counselling, leisure, management, the non-profit sector, ministries of education, justice, and the interior, as well as in school practice.