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Studies & Degrees in Secondary Education

Secondary education is the stage of schooling between primary school and higher education. It usually begins at age 11 or 12 and ends at 16 to 18, and in most countries its first part is compulsory. On this page the term covers two things: schools that teach at secondary level, which international families and exchange students look for, and university programmes in secondary education, which train the teachers who work in those schools.

Students of secondary education as a university subject combine an academic discipline, such as mathematics, biology, history or a language, with pedagogy: how adolescents learn, how to plan and assess lessons, how to manage a classroom and how to support pupils with different needs. Every programme includes supervised teaching practice in a school.

The secondary stage in three systems

  • Spain. The education act (Ley Orgánica 2/2006) divides secondary education into a compulsory and a post-compulsory part. Compulsory secondary education (ESO) has four years, normally followed between the ages of 12 and 16. Its certificate gives access to the Bachillerato, which has two years, and to intermediate vocational training (FP de grado medio).
  • England. The national curriculum places secondary pupils in key stage 3 (years 7 to 9, from age 11) and key stage 4 (years 10 and 11). During key stage 4 most pupils work towards national qualifications, usually GCSEs, taken at 15 to 16.
  • United States. High school generally covers the 9th to the 12th grade, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). Each state sets its own rules.

Qualifications for teaching at secondary level

The route into the profession is regulated nationally, so the qualification should be chosen for the country where the graduate wants to teach.

  • Spain. Teachers in ESO and Bachillerato need a university bachelor's degree (grado) or equivalent, plus postgraduate pedagogical training. That training is the official Máster Universitario en Profesorado de Educación Secundaria, which has 60 ECTS credits. Applicants must show command of the speciality they want to teach, and a foreign language at CEFR level B1 has to be accredited. At least 80% of the credits, including the school placement (Practicum), must be taken in person. Florida Universitària in Catarroja (Valencia) teaches this master's, an official degree of the Universitat de València, on campus in one year.
  • 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. Many courses add a Postgraduate Certificate in Education (PGCE), but the government's Get Into Teaching service states that a PGCE is not required to be a qualified teacher in England.
  • United States. High school teachers typically have at least a bachelor's degree, and public school teachers must hold a state-issued certification or licence. Many states require a major in a content area such as mathematics or science. At Eastern Connecticut State University, for example, the Secondary Education concentration is taken alongside a major in biology, English, mathematics, earth science or history, leads to certification in grades 4 to 12 and ends with a full semester of student teaching. All states also offer an alternative route for people who already have a bachelor's degree.

Where to study it

Our directory lists 353 schools under secondary education: 229 in the United States, 77 in Spain, 10 in the United Kingdom, 7 in Canada, 4 in Australia, 3 each in Germany and Portugal, 2 each in Peru and Poland, and one each in Jordan, the Philippines and Singapore.

The list contains two kinds of institution. The first are secondary schools, including boarding schools that receive pupils from abroad: Columbia International College in Hamilton, Canada, a boarding high school and university preparatory school; Shoreless Lake School in Totana (Murcia), an American boarding school authorised in Spain as a foreign school; or Lincoln School in Providence, Rhode Island, which teaches up to grade 12. The second are universities and colleges with teacher education programmes, such as Eastern Connecticut State University, Penn State, Florida Atlantic University, Florida Universitària and the Universität Duisburg-Essen.

The language of instruction is that of the country, except in international and foreign-curriculum schools. Families choosing a secondary school abroad should ask which curriculum and leaving qualification the school offers and how that qualification is recognised for university entry at home. Future teachers should ask whether the programme leads to the licence or status required in the country where they plan to work.

Careers

Most graduates become subject teachers in lower or upper secondary schools. The Spanish master's also qualifies for teaching in vocational training and in language teaching. Eastern Connecticut State University lists further options such as special education teacher, administrator, curriculum design, tutor and educational consultant.

In the United States, the BLS counts about 1.1 million jobs for high school teachers in 2025. It projects little or no change in employment from 2025 to 2035, but still about 63,500 openings each year, most of them to replace teachers who leave the occupation.

Frequently asked questions

What ages does secondary education cover?

It depends on the country. In Spain, compulsory secondary education runs from 12 to 16 and is followed by two years of Bachillerato or vocational training. In England, secondary school starts at 11 and pupils take GCSEs at 15 to 16. In the United States, high school covers grades 9 to 12.

What do I need to teach in a Spanish secondary school?

A bachelor's degree or equivalent and the official 60 ECTS master's degree in secondary teacher training. Holders of a foreign degree should ask the university how their degree is accepted for admission to the master's.

Is a PGCE required to teach in England?

No. What is required in most schools is qualified teacher status (QTS). A PGCE is an additional academic qualification that many training courses include.