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Career Paths in Education

School Education, Professional Training, Adult Education, Education for Sustainable Development, Environmental Education

Knowing where I stand and where I can go is the starting point of my education. The educational process is often metaphorically described as a “journey.” Travel educates. Certain travelogues are part of the educational canon and are as informative as they are entertaining. And geographers are the masters of travel knowledge. But of course, they have much more knowledge to offer too, knowledge which others can find exciting, meaningful, potent.

In recent years, environmental education has emerged as a new domain for education-oriented geographers. What is “environment” in the first place? How is the sustainability of development measured? The fundamental knowledge is part of the bachelor’s curriculum. Geography students learn how to make this knowledge understandable to others from their peers in the schoolteacher training program (both methodology and didactics). From there, they can deepen their knowledge in the master’s program or by means of other professional training. Graduates of the schoolteacher training program (Lehramtsstudium) have the most flexibility for their professional development in the future, with career entry being possible with either a bachelor’s or master’s degree.

  • Possible Tasks

    • You develop educational and teaching concepts tailored to specific target groups, which includes selecting suitable teaching materials and testing new learning and teaching methods.
    • You organize activities that accompany lessons, such as excursions and museum trips. For example, you guide visitors through nature reserves and design an environmental education program.
    • You organize high-profile events and plan environmental projects.
    • In adult education, you lead (human) geography events and activities, give lectures, and organize and conduct seminars.
    • As the head of a department or division, you identify training needs and plan the curriculum of classes and activities accordingly. You are also responsible for recruiting, supervising, and directing teaching staff, as well as advising staff interested in pursuing further training.
    • As an education coordinator, you coordinate the educational activities of a local government, provide input for new offerings, and network with education stakeholders.
    • You broker knowledge and skills that enable people to reflect on their individual, societal, and ecological situations, make their own decisions, and influence societal processes in a constructive manner.

  • Industries and Occupations

    • Non-profit environmental organizations
    • Federal Agency for Nature Conservation
    • Environmental agencies
    • State agencies for environmental and nature conservation
    • State agencies for agriculture and plant conservation
    • Water management agencies
    • Waste management agencies

  • Job Boards and Professional Associations

At a glance