There from the very beginning

From the 2025/2026 winter semester onwards, Otto von Guericke University will be offering a Bachelor’s degree programme in Educational Sciences with a specialisation in Social Pedagogy. The programme has a duration of six semesters and is designed to equip students with the specific skills required for social, inclusive and education-focused career paths.

Elisa Falke has been part of the programme from the very beginning. The 21-year-old is currently in her second semester of the Bachelor’s degree. “I had actually planned to study psychology,” she explains. “However, I had trouble finding a study place at university and then had to change direction quite spontaneously.”

Whilst searching for a suitable degree program, she came across what was then a new Bachelor’s study program. “I actually didn’t come across this study program very often anywhere in Germany,” recalls the 21-year-old. “As I’d like to pursue a career in education or social work, the Bachelor’s in Educational Sciences here in Magdeburg seemed like a good foundation for me.”

The study program is non-restricted. It therefore requires neither a minimum grade threshold nor an entrance exam. For Elisa Falke, Educational Science is a multifaceted subject. “Almost every aspect of society has an educational dimension, which is why you have to engage with politics, the media and AI, economics, history, social dynamics and numerous other topics,” she explains. “I would still say, however, that the main focus in the first few semesters is on various aspects of education, socialisation and learning. In my opinion, this makes sense as a way of establishing a foundation in educational science.”

The bachelor’s student still remembers her first few days very well. “I was definitely really excited and felt completely overwhelmed by the organisation. I would have loved to have printed out the campus map and memorised it from top to bottom,” says the 21-year-old with a smile. “In my first lecture, I realised just how serious the whole thing was. When the first academic terms and theories were introduced, it dawned on me that sooner or later I’d have to learn, apply and understand all this material. Nevertheless, I eventually settled into university life quite well.”

The first exam period was also a challenge for Elisa Falke, as she’d initially underestimated the workload. “I had to tackle both assignments and exams,” explains the bachelor’s student. “Whilst preparing, I initially assumed that with educational topics, there wasn’t much room for misunderstanding or misrepresentation. But in fact, the exams and assignments were very demanding, and in the end I still had to study a lot and invest a great deal of time and concentration.”

Nevertheless, the 21-year-old remains optimistic. Her takeaway from the exam period: “Start early enough to go over the lecture material and allow plenty of time for studying.”

For Elisa Falke, a typical week at university is currently actually rather quiet and self-directed. “I suppose I’ve just revealed myself to be a stereotypical student,” she says with a laugh. “I get up at 10 o’clock and stroll to uni, coffee in hand. Typically, I’m actually only on campus for one or two hours a day. I do the rest of my assignments and revision either in the library, at home or sometimes in a café. As I attend quite few lectures or seminars per semester, I can also spend a relatively large amount of time outside university,” says the bachelor’s student.

In her spare time, Elisa Falke is a singer with the UniBigBand Magdeburg. “I’ve been a member there since I started my degree. We rehearse every week and perform at special occasions such as Christmas or the end-of-semester celebrations,” explains the student. “I’ve also recently joined the UniBigBand Council, which is responsible for organising performances and trips. However, I still need to gain a lot of experience and understand how things work before I feel ready for the role.”

The student already has specific plans for the future. “My current plan is to do a Master’s in ‘Applied Sexual Sciences’ after completing this Bachelor’s degree,” says Elisa Falke. “After that, I’d like to work as a sex educator or go on to gain an additional qualification as a pregnancy conflict counsellor. In any case, I want to champion sex education, self-determination and freedom, and in doing so support people as they explore their sexuality and identity. It is very important to me that we engage more actively with ourselves and our sexual needs, boundaries and desires, and in doing so counteract the taboo surrounding these topics,” the 21-year-old concludes.

Applicants for all non-restricted study programs at the University of Magdeburg – such as Education Studies with a specialisation in Social Pedagogy – can apply until 15 September.