The University of Education, Freiburg (Pädagogische Hochschule Freiburg; PHFR) specialises in teacher training for primary and secondary levels. Suitably qualified students may study for doctoral and postdoctoral degrees. Various PhD programmes and a large number of other (European) research projects promote a wide range of young researchers. Accordingly the PHFR conducts varied educational research.

PHFR has around 300 staff members and approximately 5000 students. It was founded in 1962 and gained university status in 1971. Among the courses offered at the PHFR are teacher training for primary and lower secondary schools, European Teacher Training for primary and lower secondary schools, teacher training for Vocational Schools (media technology, business etc.), Bachelor of Arts in Health Education or German as a second language, Master of Arts in Educational Science or Psychology of Education. In addition to that there is general focus on adult education.

In its recent plan for the development and structure the University of Education, Freiburg has put into writing the following strategies: – Promoting young researchers: High-level educational research combined with systematic, structured promotion of young researchers is denoted as a long-term goal. – Developing degree programmes and university teaching: Science-oriented teacher education is central to university courses in Freiburg. Teaching degree programmes are focused on primary level to lower secondary level and are being extended to upper secondary level (e.g. degrees in technical subjects for vocational schools, as Joint Programmes in co-operation with the University of Applied Sciences in Offenburg). In addition, teacher education for upper secondary will be further extended at the University of Education, Freiburg, particularly in co-operation with the Excellence Universities of Konstanz and Freiburg. – Enhancing scientific professional development: The University of Education, Freiburg should play a major role as a partner for teacher professionalization in the second phase (postgraduate teacher training) and the third phase (in-service teacher education). In addition, it will become a relevant source for consultancy and research in educational fields of application, and create demand for in-service teacher education courses (e.g. quality representatives in schools).

Further, PHFR has already participated in a high number of research and development projects at national and international levels as coordinator and partner. Therefore, it can rely on many years of experience and highly qualified staff when it comes to EU projects, for example in the Programme for Lifelong Learning, Erasmus+, TEMPUS and the Research Framework Programmes. In addition, PHFR actively supports the goals of European integration in the education sector and lay the focus on internationalisation strategy. The university cooperates with a multitude of partner universities around the globe and wishes to strengthen and extend its ties with both European and non-European institutions.