Studies & Degrees in Education
Education Study Programs
Education as a subject covers two things. One is teacher training: learning to teach children, teenagers or adults in schools. The other is the study of education itself, often called pedagogy or educational sciences: how people learn, how schools and education systems are organised, and how to design, manage and evaluate teaching. Most programmes combine theory with supervised practice in schools.
What students learn
Teacher-training programmes cover child and adolescent development, learning psychology, teaching methods for each school subject, classroom management, assessment, and inclusion and special educational needs. School placements are a fixed part of the degree. In Spain the practicum of the primary teaching degree takes place in primary schools recognised as training centres. Pedagogy and educational sciences degrees look more at educational guidance, curriculum design, adult and social education, training in companies and education policy. The Grado en Pedagogía of the Universidad de Navarra, for example, includes more than 500 hours of placements.
Qualifications and levels
Teaching is a regulated profession in most countries, so the route depends on where you want to work.
- Spain, pre-primary and primary. Teaching at these levels requires an official bachelor's degree (grado) in Educación Infantil or Educación Primaria. Both have 240 ECTS credits, which means four years.
- Spain, secondary. Teachers in compulsory secondary education, Bachillerato, vocational training and language schools need a subject degree followed by an official master's degree of 60 ECTS credits. Applicants must show a foreign language at CEFR level B1.
- Spain, vocational training (FP). The higher-level qualification Técnico Superior en Educación Infantil takes 2,000 hours and leads to work as an early-years educator with children aged 0 to 3.
- England. Qualified teacher status (QTS) is needed to teach in most primary, secondary and special schools. It can be obtained through undergraduate or postgraduate teacher training. A postgraduate certificate in education (PGCE) is a separate academic qualification that can carry up to 60 master's-level credits; it is not required for QTS.
- United States. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, public kindergarten and elementary school teachers typically need a bachelor's degree in elementary education, and public school teachers must hold a state-issued certification or licence.
- Master's and doctorates. Master's degrees in education cover areas such as educational leadership, special education, educational technology and research. Official master's degrees in Spain have 60, 90 or 120 ECTS credits. Doctorates lead to research and university teaching.
A teaching qualification from one country is not automatically valid in another. Before enrolling, ask the education authority of the country where you plan to teach how it recognises foreign qualifications.
Where to study
SpainExchange lists 535 active schools for education. The United States has 185, Spain 55 and the United Kingdom 37. Canada and Germany have 14 each, Australia 12, Argentina 9, Brazil 7, Mexico and Sweden 6 each, and Chile and New Zealand 5 each.
In Spain, examples are the Universidad de Navarra in Pamplona, whose Grado en Magisterio de Educación Primaria is an official degree of 240 credits taught in Spanish over four years, and CEU Andalucía near Seville. Abroad, the list includes OsloMet in Norway, whose Faculty of Education and International Studies trains teachers from kindergarten through upper secondary school and has seven bachelor's, nine master's and one PhD programme. It also includes The Ohio State University, the University of Michigan and San Diego State University in the United States, the University of Aberdeen in Scotland, Ghent University in Belgium and the University of the Fraser Valley in Canada. For distance study, the University of the Philippines Open University, established in 1995, has a Faculty of Education.
Teacher training is normally taught in the language of the school system it prepares for: Spanish and the co-official languages in Spain, English in the United States and the United Kingdom. The Grado en Pedagogía in Navarra is taught in Spanish and English.
Careers
Most graduates become teachers in pre-primary, primary or secondary schools. Others work as educational counsellors, special-needs teachers, school leaders, adult educators, company trainers, curriculum designers or education officers in public administration and non-governmental organisations.
Demand is high worldwide. UNESCO's global report on teachers states an urgent need for 44 million primary and secondary teachers by 2030, including an estimated 15 million in sub-Saharan Africa. In the United States, the Bureau of Labor Statistics projects little or no change in teacher employment from 2025 to 2035, but still expects about 99,400 openings a year for kindergarten and elementary school teachers and about 63,500 a year for high school teachers, mostly to replace people who leave.
Frequently asked questions
How long does it take to become a teacher in Spain?
Four years for pre-primary and primary teaching, through a 240 ECTS bachelor's degree. Secondary teachers need a subject degree plus an official master's degree of 60 ECTS credits.
Can I teach in another country with my degree?
Not automatically. Teaching is regulated nationally: England asks for qualified teacher status, and public schools in the United States ask for a state licence. Check recognition with the authority of the country where you want to work.
What is the difference between teacher training and pedagogy?
Teacher training prepares you to teach a class at a given school level. Pedagogy or educational sciences studies education more broadly and leads to guidance, training, management and research roles.
Is a PGCE required to teach in England?
No. The Department for Education states that you need qualified teacher status to teach in most schools and that a PGCE is not needed to be a qualified teacher, although many training courses award both.