Skip to content

Studies & Degrees in Secondary Teacher Training (ESO, Bachillerato, FP and Languages)

In Spain, teaching in secondary schools is a regulated profession. A subject degree alone is not enough. Anyone who wants to teach in compulsory secondary education (ESO), Bachillerato, vocational training (FP) or official language teaching must also hold an official master's degree that certifies pedagogical and didactic training. Its full name is long, usually Máster Universitario en Formación del Profesorado de Educación Secundaria Obligatoria y Bachillerato, Formación Profesional y Enseñanzas de Idiomas. Universities shorten it to "Máster en Profesorado" or MAES.

The requirement comes from Real Decreto 1834/2008, and the content of the degree is fixed nationally by Orden ECI/3858/2007. The programme is therefore very similar at every university. What differs is the list of specialisations, the number of places, the price and the mode of study.

What students learn

The master's does not teach the subject itself. Students arrive with a degree in mathematics, history, biology, a language or another field, and learn how to teach it to adolescents and adults. The ministerial order sets three compulsory modules:

  • Generic module, 12 ECTS credits: learning and personality development, educational processes and contexts, and society, family and education
  • Specific module, 24 ECTS credits: complements to the discipline, teaching and learning of the chosen subjects, and teaching innovation and an introduction to educational research
  • Practicum, 16 ECTS credits: teaching practice in a school in the chosen specialisation, including the master's thesis (Trabajo Fin de Máster)

Each student enrols in one specialisation, which corresponds to a teaching specialism of the secondary teaching corps. At the Universidad de Granada, for example, the list includes Biology and Geology, Mathematics, Physics and Chemistry, Music, Physical Education, Educational Guidance, Health Processes and Foreign Language, the last one with separate routes for English, French and Chinese.

Qualification, duration and credits

The degree is an official university master's of 60 ECTS credits, which universities schedule as one academic year. Unlike many other master's degrees, it is designed to be taught face to face. The order requires at least 80% of the credits to be taught on site, and that always includes the practicum. Universities that teach only at a distance must still guarantee that the practicum takes place in person.

Admission

Two national requirements apply on top of the general rules for master's admission:

  • Proof of competence in the chosen specialisation. Applicants take a test designed by the university, unless they hold a university degree that corresponds to the specialisation.
  • Proof of a foreign language at CEFR level B1.

Applicants with a foreign degree should read the university's own rules. The Universidad de Granada states that the degree does not need to be recognised (homologado) to enter the master's, but the documents must be legalised or carry an apostille. If the degree was taken abroad in a language other than Spanish, the applicant must also prove a command of Spanish. For the school placement, Granada requires a certificate showing no record of sexual offences in Spain.

Places are limited and applications follow regional calendars. In Andalusia, pre-registration and the allocation of places are handled centrally by the Distrito Único Andaluz.

Where to study it

All 22 schools listed for this subject in our directory are in Spain. They include public and private universities in cities such as Granada, Murcia, Jaén, Cádiz, Seville, Valencia, Madrid and Santiago de Compostela. Teaching is in Spanish. For the Foreign Language specialisation, Granada asks for a high level in the language of the chosen route.

Size and range vary a lot. The Universidad de Granada offers 15 specialisations (20 routes) in Granada, Ceuta and Melilla, with 999 places for new students. The Universidad de Murcia offers 19 specialisations and 370 places. The Universidad Isabel I, an online university, also lists a master's in secondary teacher training.

Fees depend on the region and on whether the university is public or private. As a reference, the Universidad de Granada published a public price of €12.62 per ECTS credit for 2024-2025.

Careers

The master's qualifies graduates for the regulated professions of teacher of ESO and Bachillerato, of vocational training and of language teaching. In public schools, these subjects are taught by civil-servant teaching corps, whose specialisms are set in Real Decreto 1834/2008. The master's is a condition for teaching, not a guarantee of a post. Graduates also use the training in private schools, adult education, educational guidance and training companies.

The qualification is defined by Spanish law for the Spanish school system. Students who plan to teach in another country should check that country's own rules for teacher certification.

Frequently asked questions

Do I need this master's to teach in a Spanish secondary school?

Yes. Real Decreto 1834/2008 requires an official master's degree that certifies pedagogical and didactic training in order to teach in ESO, Bachillerato, vocational training and language teaching.

How long does the master's take?

It has 60 ECTS credits, which universities such as Granada and Murcia teach in one academic year. The practicum and the master's thesis together account for 16 of those credits.

Can I study it online?

Only in part. As a general rule at least 80% of the credits must be taught on site, and the school practicum is always done in person, also at distance universities.

Can I apply with a degree from outside Spain?

It depends on the university. The Universidad de Granada accepts foreign degrees without official recognition if the documents are legalised or apostilled, and asks for proof of Spanish when the degree was taught in another language.