Bachelor in English

Bachelor in English is one of 3 English-taught Education programmes at bachelor’s level in the register, offered by 3 institutions. 3 of them list an annual fee for students from outside the EU, EEA and Switzerland; this programme lists EUR 1,453 a year. 3 are at a public university, where EU, EEA and Swiss students pay no tuition within the standard duration plus two semesters. The same programme title is offered at 3 institutions, so compare the content, campus and requirements before you choose.

This is the English subject within the Bachelor's Programme Secondary School Teacher Training (General Education) at the University of Innsbruck. It is a teacher training degree, not a standalone English degree. You combine it with a second subject or a specialisation. The programme is run jointly by several institutions: KPH Edith Stein, Universität Mozarteum, PH Tirol, PH Vorarlberg and LFU Innsbruck, with programme coordination at Innsbruck.

What you study

The subject training has three strands. Language work comes first: Listening/Speaking I and II, Reading/Writing I and II, and Language Awareness I. Linguistics follows with Introduction to English Synchronic Linguistics and Introduction to English Phonetics and Phonology. Literature is covered by Introduction to British and Postcolonial Literary Studies and Introduction to American Literary Studies. Alongside this you take the Basics of Educational Science, including School as an Educational Institution and Role of the Teacher (a lecture and a proseminar) and Teaching Practice I, called Dealing with the Challenges as a Teacher at School. The degree also covers subject didactics, general education science and pedagogical-practical training.

How the programme is organised

Full-time study. The standard duration is 6 semesters and 180 ECTS credits, with a workload of 1,500 real hours per academic year, which equals 60 ECTS credits (one credit is 25 hours). The first semester starts with the Studies Induction and Orientation Stage (STEOP): School as an Educational Institution and Role of the Teacher, Introduction to English Synchronic Linguistics, and Introduction to English Phonetics and Phonology. Until you finish the STEOP you may take courses worth up to 22 ECTS credits. The page gives a recommended course sequence for full-time students starting in the winter semester, and it is not compulsory. A Latin supplemental examination is required before the first diploma examination if you did not complete at least 10 credit hours of Latin at a higher-level secondary school; it may not be your last examination.

Who it suits

People who want to teach English in secondary schools. Graduates qualify for all secondary schools: Neue Mittelschule, Polytechnische Schule, academic secondary schools, and intermediate and higher technical and vocational schools. The programme also meets the requirements for teaching in intermediate and higher schools in South Tyrol, though South Tyrolean students have specific prerequisites and should contact the Office for South Tyrolean Affairs. You should be ready to work on your own language skills, since the qualification is teaching English and handling spoken and written forms confidently. The training in literary science and text analysis prepares you to choose texts for pupils' competence level and pass on reading strategies.

Admission, language and next steps

You need a secondary school completion certificate or equivalent, plus language certificates. The language of instruction is German. Applications go online through the University of Innsbruck, and the admission procedure is regulated in the university bulletins; the programme page links to the details. From the winter semester 2026/2027, admission may only be granted under the new curriculum. The bachelor's is the first part: graduates are admitted to the corresponding master's programme and can provisionally start teaching service in their subject in secondary schools while completing the induction and orientation phases. At a public university, EU/EEA and Swiss students pay no tuition within the standard duration plus two semesters; other students pay a fee per semester.

Graduates of the bachelor’s programme in Teacher Training for Secondary Schools in the subject of English will be able to design learning processes in English lessons in a competent and creative way and play a leading, advisory and evaluating role. They will be able to apply their skills acquired during their studies in such a way that they enable the learners to express themselves adequately in the English language with regard to the situation, the learners’ age and according to their level of achievement. The primary qualification is teaching the English language. This implies a confident and adequate handling of verbal and written forms with regard to the pupils’ age and the respective situation.

There is no central application portal in Austria: you apply to the institution, here University of Innsbruck. For most bachelor’s programmes at public universities the general application period ends on 5 September for the winter semester and on 5 February for the summer semester. The dates are earlier for applicants from outside the EU/EEA and for programmes with an entrance procedure, so confirm the exact date on the programme page. Entrance examination, as the register states it: Admission procedure. Entry requirements and language tests are set by the institution, so start from the official programme page. Our guides cover tuition fees, the student residence permit and housing.