Childhood Education Schools and Programs in Spain

Childhood Education Studies in Spain

Childhood education (educación infantil) is the first stage of the Spanish education system, for children from birth to six years, organised in two cycles: up to age three and from three to six. Studying it in Spain means preparing for one of several jobs: infant teacher in a school, early years educator in a nursery (escuela infantil), or a public teaching post won through a competitive exam. Each has its own qualification, so the first step is to choose the route.

Three routes into the profession

• Bachelor's degree for infant teachers: infant teaching is a regulated profession, so the degree (grado en Educación Infantil, also called Magisterio or Maestro en Educación Infantil) follows national requirements: 240 ECTS credits over four years, including a teaching placement (Practicum) in infant schools. Graduates are expected to reach C1 level in Spanish and, where relevant, in the region's other official language.
• Higher vocational qualification (FP): the Técnico Superior en Educación Infantil is a 2,000-hour higher FP course. The Ministry of Education describes it as the qualification for working as an early years educator with children aged 0 to 3. Graduates can continue to a university degree and may have some modules recognised.
• Public teaching posts (oposiciones): to teach in a state school, infant teachers must pass a competitive exam for the teaching corps. Candidates need the teaching degree and, as a general rule, Spanish or other EU nationality; those without Spanish nationality must show adequate knowledge of Spanish.

Where to study it

The Ministry's Register of Universities, Centres and Degrees (RUCT) returns 83 records for degrees in infant education, under several names and including some being phased out. Examples among the schools in our directory:

• Centro Universitario Cardenal Cisneros (Alcalá de Henares), affiliated with the Universidad de Alcalá: a 240-credit, four-year degree taught in Spanish, with an English-taught option and a blended option; the centre lists a price of 4,020 € plus 1,015 € in university enrolment fees
• Florida Universitària (Catarroja, Valencia), whose degrees are awarded through the Universitat de València; it also runs an adaptation course to the degree for holders of older teaching diplomas
• Universidad CEU Cardenal Herrera, Universidad Francisco de Vitoria, Universidad de A Coruña and the online Universidad Internacional de La Rioja (UNIR), all with the degree listed in the RUCT

In the Basque Country, the RUCT lists the degree at the Universidad del País Vasco/Euskal Herriko Unibertsitatea and the Universidad de Deusto. Several regions teach partly in their co-official language.

The FP qualification is also offered by training centres, sometimes blended or online. Formas Almería teaches it blended or online through a partner centre, with exams in Almería, and Edisur Multimedia in Granada runs an early years educator course in person or online, with a 370-hour placement in a partner company, for which it asks for the Bachillerato or equivalent, or the FP higher-level entrance test. Exam preparation centres such as Churruca Formación in San Sebastián prepare candidates for the infant teaching oposiciones, whose syllabus has 25 topics; in the Basque Country candidates also need a Basque language profile.

Some schools in our list, such as Colegio Villa de Griñón near Madrid, teach the infant stage itself, from the nursery years; they are relevant for families moving to Spain rather than for future teachers.

Admission and recognition

Students with a secondary school qualification from outside Spain usually apply to UNEDasiss, the UNED service that assesses international students' records for access to Spanish bachelor's degrees. Teachers trained abroad need homologación of their degree to work as infant teachers in Spain, because the profession is regulated; a declaración de equivalencia only certifies the academic level of a degree. Official master's degrees have 60, 90 or 120 ECTS credits; Cardenal Cisneros, for example, offers a master's in Atención a la Diversidad y Apoyos Educativos (support for diverse learners).

Careers

Degree holders work as infant teachers in state, state-funded (concertado) and private schools. Holders of the FP qualification work as educators in the first cycle (0 to 3), in programmes for children at social risk and in leisure activities for children under six.

Frequently asked questions

Do I need a university degree to work with young children in Spain?

To work as an infant teacher, yes: the four-year degree in Educación Infantil. To work as an early years educator with children aged 0 to 3, the 2,000-hour higher FP qualification is the usual route.

Can I study childhood education online?

Yes. Some universities, such as UNIR, teach the degree online, Cardenal Cisneros has a blended option, and some training centres offer the FP qualification blended or online. The degree always includes a teaching placement in schools.

Can a non-EU citizen work as a teacher in a Spanish state school?

As a general rule, the competitive exams for state teaching posts are open to Spanish and other EU nationals. To work as an infant teacher with a foreign degree, you also need its homologación.

Are there degrees taught in English?

A few. Cardenal Cisneros offers its infant teaching degree with teaching in English, but most programmes are taught in Spanish or a co-official language.