Being artistically and creatively active and having a secure job are not mutually exclusive. Quite the contrary. The teacher training courses in Art and Design and Technology and Design at the Department of Fine Arts and Design at the Mozarteum University are living proof of this. Students here immerse themselves deeply in the world of artistic self-discovery and practice while also receiving pedagogical training. The future direction also opens up new opportunities: ‘I hope that the new curriculum will encourage more people to choose the wonderful and interesting subject of art and design, and that the shortening of the programme will make it easier for me to combine my second subject with art and design,’ says student Dajana Martin hopefully.
In autumn 2026, a new curriculum will come into effect for both the bachelor's and master's degree programmes in ‘Secondary School Teaching (General Education) Development Network Cluster Mitte’. As unwieldy as the terminology may sound, the aim is to adapt the curriculum for future teachers to current needs and challenges. Socially relevant topics such as diversity, inclusion, gender, democracy, digitalisation, artificial intelligence, media literacy, globalisation and mobility will be given appropriate space and will ensure cross-disciplinary skills. For example, the critical examination of topics such as sustainability and resource management, as well as reflection on how we can shape the future and consciously influence our environment, are at the heart of the subject of technology and design. ‘I am delighted that there are now courses on the subject of inclusion. This makes the programme more practical and encourages future teachers to see heterogeneity as an opportunity and to develop an inclusive mindset,’ says Felix Breitfuß, a student in his ninth semester. In the subject of art and design, newly designed courses will combine the areas of art practice, specialist sciences and subject didactics in a decidedly interdisciplinary manner. German as a second language, language education and inclusive pedagogy will also be part of the compulsory curriculum from autumn 2026.
One of the key changes in the new curricula is the reduction of the bachelor's degree programme from four to three years. This will enable future teachers to gain practical experience more quickly – both through internships at schools and by entering the profession directly. In the first years of the programme, greater emphasis will therefore be placed on subject didactics, i.e. the pedagogical tools of the trade, in order to prepare young teachers as well as possible for their work. In return, some subject-specific and artistic-creative teaching content will be moved to the Master's programme, which will continue to last four semesters.
‘As I expect to complete my bachelor's degree before the curriculum change, the new system will only affect me at master's level. However, the credit transfer options give me the opportunity to enter the profession earlier. In general, I notice that the new curriculum has been designed to be more practice-oriented, which is definitely an advantage,’ sums up Jennifer Klein.
Teacher training in Austria is organised into four clusters. Six universities and four teacher training colleges in Upper Austria and Salzburg offer joint training under the name ‘Entwicklungsverbund Cluster Mitte’ (Development Network Cluster Centre) as part of a study plan/curriculum for secondary general education. At the Mozarteum University, music and instrumental music are offered as teacher training courses alongside art & design and technology & design.
Training at the Department of Fine Arts and Design is by no means new at the Mozarteum and can look back on a tradition spanning almost 50 years. It is a small, refined setting with numerous excellently equipped workshops, creating an almost family-like atmosphere with great permeability and accessibility between the classes of sculpture, photography, graphic art and painting, as well as technical and textile design.
‘What I particularly like is the individual support, especially in the practical area,’ says student Jennifer Klein. Felix Breitfuß adds: "I really appreciate my studies because they offer the opportunity to gain an insight into a wide variety of creative fields. From the loom to the potter's wheel to the welding machine, you can immerse yourself in a fascinating world where you can set your own priorities and develop your own design practice in addition to didactic skills.
In addition, the new curriculum takes into account a long-standing demand: more interdisciplinarity and the linking and coordination of the teaching areas ‘art/design practice’, ‘subject didactics’ and ‘subject sciences’. "Creativity means solving problems. In a time of multiple crises, it is more important than ever that students learn to deal with problems creatively and respond to issues with imagination and vision. In particular, the internal university links and exchanges with other creative, artistic and performing arts subjects at the Mozarteum University contribute positively to finding transdisciplinary solutions. The subject of technology and design is based on a design approach that empowers students and, later on, school pupils to help shape the world," as Corina Forthuber, Professor of Technology and Design, affirms.
‘I particularly like the fact that you can develop your own artistic approach and deepen and specialise in various disciplines. You can exchange ideas with fellow students and thus broaden your own perspective,’ says student Dajana Martin.
Bernhard Gwiggner, visual artist, chair of the curriculum committee and associate professor of sculpture, expresses his enthusiasm for his subject as follows: ‘It has the potential for self-realisation and appeals very directly to students in their being, with their creative potential and essence, and that is a very special quality.’ The programme offers a comprehensive view of the entire visual world and enables intensive, contemporary experiences of the world and of oneself, thus broadening horizons and raising awareness. ‘The spectrum on offer is very broad, with sculpture, photography, graphic design and painting studios, as well as metal, wood, plaster, ceramics and paper workshops, tailoring, textile printing, weaving, dyeing, a digital photo studio, and computer and printing labs, including 3D printing,’ Gwiggner continues. Individual and small group lessons, first-class workshop equipment and spacious studios, collaborations with regional cultural providers, excursions, numerous performance and exhibition opportunities, and a wide range of events offer a modern learning environment in which visions and possibilities take shape.
(First published in Uni-Nachrichten / Salzburger Nachrichten on 13 December 2025)
