Record numbers at MSH: Health professions in the teacher training boom!

Record numbers at MSH: Health professions in the teacher training boom!

The need for qualified teachers in the health professions in Germany is constantly growing. Skilled workers are urgently needed, especially at healthcare schools and public vocational schools. This development is reflected in the record numbers recorded by the MSH Medical School Hamburg in its new range of courses. In the winter semester of 2025/26, over 70 new students began their training in the medical education (B.A. and M.Ed.) and health and nursing education (M.A.) courses - a new high in the university's history. MSH reports that the great interest in these courses shows how much health professionals value the value of an educational qualification.

Prof. Dr. Britta Wulfhorst, Vice Rector for Studies and Teaching, expressed her delight at the ongoing development of the study programs at the MSH. These programs combine scientific foundations with practical teacher training. Graduates of the degree programs are prepared to meet current requirements for didactic professionalism, digitalization, inclusion and interprofessional collaboration. This contributes to the fact that they are usually taken on immediately into school service.

Successful teacher training in Germany

The MSH looks back on 15 years of successful teacher training for health professions. Since the first bachelor's cohort in 2010, the range of courses has continually developed to meet the changing requirements of the education system. This adaptability is crucial because teachers today not only have to teach, but also educate, advise and actively participate in the further development of schools. BMFTR highlights that teachers have been accompanying students in a formative phase of development for more than a decade. The ongoing social changes bring new tasks for the education system and place high demands on teacher training.

The “Teacher Training Quality Offensive” was an important project to reform universities in Germany, which took place from 2015 to the end of 2023 with the participation of the federal and state governments. The aim of this offensive was to improve the educational process and teacher training. In this context, not only was the quality of training strengthened, but the reputation of teacher training was also promoted. A total of 92 projects from 72 universities were supported, with a significant investment of 500 million euros by the BMBF.

Current requirements and standards

The demands on teachers have increased continuously in recent years. Teachers should not only have specialist knowledge, but also acquire methodological and didactic skills. The Conference of Ministers of Education and Cultural Affairs (KMK) has developed standards for teacher training that have been implemented in training since 2005/2006. These standards cover the areas of teaching, educating, assessing and innovating and have been revised several times to address current challenges such as inclusive teaching and digital education.

Teachers must be able to prepare students for social challenges such as climate change and democracy education. Digital media is playing an increasingly central role, which is why the integration of appropriate skills into training is essential. These developments are not only relevant for general schools, but also for vocational schools, where prospective teachers have to learn practical connections between school and business.