Special Needs Education (Bachelor of Arts, B.A.)
The Special Needs Education with Focus on Sign Language Pedagogy and Hearing & Communication programme provides you with a fundamental knowledge of education, psychology and sociology, as well as skills in German sign language.
Please choose
- Major Field
- Primary school
Table of Contents
At a glance
Course structure and content
The program provides theoretical knowledge in general special education and inclusive education, psychology, sociology, medicine, and counseling, as well as cultural studies perspectives like disability studies and gender studies. In addition, you will focus on two selected areas of special education: seeing, mental development, language, or emotional and social development.
Furthermore, you will acquire theoretical and practical knowledge in selected special needs education areas.
Special Needs Education subject areas
With one enhancement focus:
(1) Seeing
(2) Mental developement
(3) Hearing and Communication
(4) Physical and motoric developement
With two enhancement focuses:
(5) Learning/emotional and social developement
(6) Language/emotional and social developement
You choose two of these following enrolment for the core subject.
Special Needs Education as major field of studies (113 CP)
Modules if you choose two Special Needs Education subject areas with one enhancement focus (1-4):
Mandatory modules (82 CP)
Module | Description | Size |
| 1 | Introductory Phase | 5 CP |
| 2 | Fundamentals of Special Needs and Inclusive Pedagogy | 7 CP |
| 3 | Sociological Fundamentals | 5 CP |
| 4 | Psychological Fundamentals | 5 CP |
| 5 | Introduction to Enhancement Focus I | 5 CP |
| 6 | Introduction to Enhancement Focus II | 5 CP |
| 7 | Theoretical Fundamentals and Current Issues of Enhancement Focus I | 5 CP |
| 8 | Theoretical Fundamentals and Current Issues of Enhancement Focus II | 5 CP |
| 9 | Diagnostic Fundamentals | 8 CP |
| 10 | Didactic Fundamentals of Enhancement Focuses I+II | 7 CP |
| 11 | Counselling and Cooperation | 5 CP |
| 12 | In-Depth Study (Enhancement Focus I) | 5 CP |
| 13 | In-Depth Study (Enhancement Focus II) | 5 CP |
| 15 | Graduation Phase (incl. Bachelor’s Thesis) | 10 CP |
Mandatory elective modules (15 CP)
Three of the following modules must be completed:
Module | Description | Size |
| 14.1 | Cross-disciplinary Extension | 5 CP |
| 14.2 | Major and multiple disability | 5 CP |
| 14.3 | Media Pedagogy and Multimedia Teaching Design, taking into account the specific learning requirements of pupils with disabilities | 5 CP |
| 14.4 | Rehabilitation Technique | 5 CP |
| 14.5 | Supported Communication | 5 CP |
| 14.6 | Communication with Sensual Impairments | 5 CP |
| 14.7 | In-Depth Study Special Needs Diagnostics | 5 CP |
| 14.8 | Free In-Depth Study in Special Needs Education | 5 CP |
Modules if you choose one or both of Special Needs Education subject areas with two enhancement focuses:
Mandatory modules (87 CP)
Module | Description | Size |
| 1 | Introductory Phase | 5 CP |
| 2 | Fundamentals of Special Needs and Inclusive Pedagogy | 7 CP |
| 3 | Sociological Fundamentals | 5 CP |
| 4 | Psychological Fundamentals | 5 CP |
| 5 | Introduction to Enhancement Focus I | 5 CP |
| 6a | Introduction to Enhancement Focus IIa | 5 CP |
| 6b | Introduction to Enhancement Focus IIb | 5 CP |
| 7 | Theoretical Fundamentals and Current Issues of Enhancement Focus I | 5 CP |
| 8a | Theoretical Fundamentals and Current Issues of Enhancement Focus IIa | 5 CP |
| 8b | Theoretical Fundamentals and Current Issues of Enhancement Focus IIb | 5 CP |
| 9 | Diagnostic Fundamentals | 8 CP |
| 10a | Didactic Fundamentals of the Enhancement Focuses | 7 CP |
| 11 | Counselling and Cooperation | 5 CP |
| 12 | In-Depth Study (Enhancement Focus I) | 5 CP |
| 15 | Graduation Phase (incl. Bachelor’s Thesis) | 10 CP |
Mandatory elective modules (10 CP)
Two of the modules 14.1 - 14.8 have to be completed.
Special Education as the major field of study with major subject at the Berlin University of the Arts (103 CP)
In this special case, the major field of study is reduced by 10 CP in favour of the second subject.
If two Special Needs Education subject areas with one enhancement focus are chosen, only one module (5 CP) from the above-mentioned overview "mandatory elective modules" must be completed in addition to the mandatory modules (82 CP).
If one or both special needs education specialisations with two enhancement focuses are chosen, the above-mentioned mandatory modules (87 CP) must be completed. The mandatory elective modules are not applicable.
Teacher training modules (16 CP)
Educational Sciences (11 CP), Language education (5 CP), see www.amb.hu-berlin.de, no. 57/2024
Special features
The Department of Rehabilitation Sciences at Humboldt-Universität can look back at a successful tradition spanning more than 100 years. Through B.A. and M.A. courses, it provides special needs educators with basic and extra-occupational training for the teaching profession, as well as for fields adjacent to and outside of schools. In addition to these educationally oriented subjects, we also offer the Interpreting Language of Gestures degree programme. In teaching and research, we offer all special education subject areas (education of people with behavioural disabilities, education of people with learning disabilities, education of people with language/speech disabilities, education of the physically disabled, education of the mentally disabled, Education of the Blind and the Visually Impaired and Sign Language Pedagogy and Audio Pedagogy) as well as overall, connecting interdisciplinary fields (psychology, sociology etc.). The department maintains intensive, regular contact with universities in Europe and beyond. These international connections also give rise to regular trips abroad for students.
As a student, you should enjoy working with children and young people with disabilities or at risk of disability, be flexible, and have strong communication and cooperation skills. An interest in educational work in a classroom setting, with small groups and individual students, as well as in counseling tasks, is an advantage. Previous experience in special education and/or inclusive education is not mandatory, but is definitely recommended in order to determine for yourself whether this work is a long-term career option for you. Keep in mind that special education teachers increasingly work in inclusive contexts in a variety of professional settings.
Subject-specific admission and enrolment rules
Career opportunities & prospects
This degree qualifies you to continue your teaching degree with a Master of Education in Special Education, as well as for support roles in schools, like teaching assistant or school integration assistant.
Study and examination regulations
Dr. Wachtel, room 505, Tel. +49 30 2093-66708, sfb-sopaed-iss-gym-bs@hu-berlin.de
Contact information for the faculty
Department of Rehabilitation Sciences
Institutsgebäude, Georgenstraße 36, 10117 Berlin