Studies & Degrees in Pedagogy
Pedagogy is the study of education itself: how people learn, how teaching is designed and how schools, training programmes and other educational services are organised and evaluated. The Universidad de Málaga describes it as the study of educational settings and processes both in the regulated system, from pre-school to university, and outside it, in family education, workplace training and support for people with different educational needs.
A pedagogy student is trained as an education specialist rather than as a classroom teacher of one subject. The Universidade de Santiago de Compostela states that its degree prepares professionals to analyse, design, implement and evaluate educational, training and guidance plans for different settings, institutions and people. Typical subjects are theory and history of education, didactics, developmental and educational psychology, sociology of education, research methods, educational guidance, special education, school organisation and educational technology.
Qualifications and levels
In Spain pedagogy is an official bachelor's degree, the Grado en Pedagogía, with 240 ECTS credits over four years. The Universidad Complutense de Madrid traces the discipline as a university subject in Spain back to 1904. Some examples from the universities' own pages:
- Universidad de Murcia: 240 ECTS credits, four years, taught in Spanish, 80 first-year places
- Universidade de Santiago de Compostela: four years, 70 places, taught in Spanish and Galician, with an 18-credit placement in the final year
- Universidad de Málaga: 240 ECTS credits, 130 places, taught in Spanish
- Universidad de Navarra: 240 credits, four years, taught in Spanish and English, 60 places and more than 500 hours of placements
Pedagogy is not a regulated profession in Spain, and the degree is not the teaching qualification for schools. Pre-school and primary teachers need the specific degrees that qualify for the profession of Maestro; secondary teachers need a bachelor's degree plus an official one-year teaching master's degree of 60 credits. Some universities combine both routes: the Universidad de Navarra offers a five-year double degree in Pedagogy and Primary Education.
After the bachelor's degree, official master's degrees of 60, 90 or 120 ECTS credits lead to specialisation, for example in educational guidance, psychopedagogy, e-learning or the management of schools, and then to a doctorate.
Other countries organise the subject differently. At Utrecht University in the Netherlands, Pedagogische wetenschappen is a three-year Bachelor of Science taught in Dutch, focused on children and young adults up to 21, and the university notes that most students continue to a master's degree. In Brazil the degree is a licenciatura, the type of degree that trains teachers; the Faculdade de Educação of the Universidade Federal de Goiás offers a Licenciatura em Pedagogia. Because the word covers different things, always check what the degree qualifies you to do in the country where you want to work.
Admission
In Spain no specific previous training is required beyond the general university entrance requirements, and the Universidade de Santiago de Compostela recommends a humanities and social sciences background. Students with foreign school qualifications should ask the university which access route applies to them. Most Spanish programmes are taught in Spanish, some with a co-official language or with part of the teaching in English.
Where to study
SpainExchange lists 38 active schools for pedagogy. Twenty are in Spain and six in Brazil; France, the United Kingdom, Germany, the Netherlands, Denmark, Canada, the United States, Guatemala, Colombia and Argentina have one each. In Spain the list includes the Universidad Complutense de Madrid, the Universidad de Granada, the Universidad de Málaga, the Universidad de Murcia, the Universidad de Oviedo, the Universidad de La Laguna, the Universidade de Santiago de Compostela, the Universidad de Navarra and the Universidad Pontificia de Salamanca. Abroad it includes Utrecht University, the University of Bremen, the Institut Catholique de Paris, the Universidade Federal de Goiás, the Universidad de Antioquia and the Universidad Austral.
Careers
The Universidad de Murcia groups the work of pedagogy graduates into three areas: the education system, schools and their communities; educational and training organisations and services; and professional and workplace training. Roles named by Spanish universities include:
- Educational adviser and trainer
- Personal, academic and family guidance counsellor
- Careers and employment adviser
- Designer of teaching materials and of technology-based learning programmes
- Training manager in companies and organisations
- Educational adviser in publishing houses, museums, libraries and the media
- Manager or specialist in social, educational and cultural services
Posts as a school guidance counsellor in the public system have their own entry requirements, so check them with the education authority of the region.
Frequently asked questions
Can I work as a school teacher with a pedagogy degree?
Not in Spain with that degree alone. Primary and pre-school teaching require the specific Maestro degrees, and secondary teaching requires a bachelor's degree plus a 60-credit teaching master's degree. In other countries the rules differ, so check locally.
How long does a pedagogy degree take?
Four years (240 ECTS credits) in Spain. At Utrecht University the bachelor's programme takes three years.
What is the difference between pedagogy and a teaching degree?
A teaching degree prepares for classroom work at a given school stage. Pedagogy looks at education as a whole: planning, guidance, evaluation, training and the design of programmes and materials, inside and outside schools.
Is pedagogy taught in English?
The Spanish programmes checked for this page are taught in Spanish, sometimes with a co-official language. The Universidad de Navarra teaches its degree in Spanish and English.