The Department of Teacher Education, Aarhus, VIA University College came into existence in 1989 through a merger of two independent colleges of education. The department houses 150 employees and approx. 1,600 students and is situated at Troejborgvej 82 close to the centre of Aarhus.
The Department of Teacher Education, Aarhus, educates teachers for the Danish comprehensive school (municipal school combining primary and lower secondary education) as well as teachers of adult education. The duration of the teacher education is four years during which there are several periods of mandatory teaching practice in local comprehensive schools.
Students take four main subjects during their teacher education, and pedagogical studies are offered throughout the four-year period. During the final semester, students write a bachelor paper focusing on one of their four main subject areas. In this paper, theory is combined with practice as this is done in close cooperation with the pedagogical subjects. Furthermore, experience from various teaching practice periods is included.
Many contacts at home and abroadThe Department of Teacher Education, Aarhus, emphasises the importance of maintaining contacts to comprehensive schools, colleges and universities in the local area as well as in Europe and the rest of the world.