Help Shape the Future—with the ESD Teacher Training Certificate Program
Do you want to not only teach about future-oriented topics but also actively promote them? The Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) Teacher Training Certificate Program gives you the expertise to do just that. Here, you’ll learn how to make complex ecological, social, economic, and political issues understandable—and empower your students to act responsibly.
The program combines academic foundations with practical subject-specific teaching methods and ideas for school development. You’ll develop the skills to effectively integrate ESD into your classroom and help shape schools as places of learning for sustainable development.
A particular advantage: The program was developed jointly by several Bavarian universities and is closely coordinated. As a result, you’ll benefit from a diverse range of courses, some of which can be taken flexibly and independent of time and location. You can also take courses at the partner universities and tailor your studies to your individual needs. Participating universities include Bamberg, Bayreuth, Eichstätt-Ingolstadt, and Regensburg—with Augsburg expected to join in the future.
Prepare your teacher training program for the future—with ESD!
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Duration of Study / Number of Semesters 3
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Credit points 45
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Modules 3
Degree: 1. State Exam
Format: In-person - online - hybrid
Fees: Semester Tuition
Start: Enrollment is possible every semester starting in the Winter Semester 2026/2027*
*The introduction of the elective course is planned for the Winter Semester 2026/2027, subject to the completion of final procedural steps during the Summer Semester 2026.
Structure
The ESD elective comprises a total of nine courses and is worth 45 ECTS credits. It is divided into three modules:
In the core module ‘Theoretical Foundations of ESD’, students acquire fundamental knowledge of ESD.
The advanced module ‘Subject-Specific Pedagogical Approaches to ESD and School Development’ focuses on various subject-specific and pedagogical approaches, as well as cross-curricular aspects, school development models and processes for ESD.
In the concluding project module, ‘Design and Action Competences for ESD’, design and action competences relating to sustainability issues are fostered among pupils within the respective subject lessons. Furthermore, knowledge of school development processes with regard to ESD is expanded upon and reflected upon. Finally, as part of the preparation for the theoretical and practical components of the state examination, a sustainability project is carried out by an interdisciplinary team.
Content and courses
The postgraduate programme in Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) for teacher training at special schools, primary schools, lower secondary schools, upper secondary schools and grammar schools equips you to plan, implement and further develop educational processes relating to sustainability in a well-founded manner. You will engage with key environmental, social and economic challenges and reflect on their significance for schools and teaching.
There is a particular focus on linking theory and practice: you will develop your own teaching and school projects and reflect on their implementation from an academic perspective.
Added value:
- the diverse academic backgrounds and school types represented by the students (inter-faculty course offering) enable students to think and work in an interdisciplinary manner
- taking sustainability aspects into account in your own role as a citizen (sustainability)
- The modules in this supplementary subject have an international focus (national and international mobility, English-language modules/vhb courses)
- Implement high-quality ESD in future teaching and within the school
A typical study plan:
Admission and enrolment
Under Section 111 of the LPO I, the First State Examination in an educational qualification may be taken either before obtaining a teaching qualification – at the same time as sitting the First State Examination for the teaching profession – or after obtaining a teaching qualification. The supplementary programme in Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) can therefore be completed either alongside one’s main degree programme or as part of a subsequent extension of one’s studies.
Enrolment in the supplementary subject ESD takes place via SPUR.
Further information on the ESD elective module
Who is the ESD elective aimed at?
- Initial eligibility: all teacher training students at the University of Regensburg
- Subsequent eligibility: successful completion of the second state examination for a teaching post in state schools
What are the benefits of taking ESD as an optional subject?
During your degree, you will acquire:
- A sound understanding of the concepts and theories of sustainable development
- In-depth insights into the fundamentals and teaching methods of ESD
- Skills for analysing global and local transformation processes
- Abilities to develop sustainability-focused teaching concepts
- Knowledge of school development based on a ‘whole-school approach’
- Creative and practical skills to promote sustainability skills among pupils
How and when can I register?
Enrolment for the ESD elective module takes place via SPUR.
Contact
Dr Johanna Weselek
Academic Councillor
- E-mail address: erweiterungsfach-bne(at)ur.de (opens your email program)
- Location: Sedanstraße 1, Room 207
