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Studies & Degrees in Teacher Training for Musical Education

Teacher training for music education prepares primary school teachers who also teach music. Students learn everything a general primary teacher learns, and add music theory, singing and choir work, instruments used in the classroom, movement and dance, listening, and the methods for teaching music to children. In Spain primary education covers the ages 6 to 12.

The subject name comes from an older Spanish qualification, Maestro, especialidad de Educación Musical. Today it is not a separate degree. It is a specialisation (mención) inside the bachelor's degree in primary education.

Qualifications and levels

Primary school teaching is a regulated profession in Spain and requires an official bachelor's degree (grado) that meets the requirements of Order ECI/3857/2007.

  • Bachelor's degree (grado). The Grado en Educación Primaria has 240 ECTS credits and takes four years. Teaching practice (Practicum) takes place in primary schools recognised as training centres.
  • The music specialisation. Universities may offer specialisations (menciones) of 30 to 60 ECTS credits within the degree. Music is one of them. Applicants should ask the university in which year the specialisation is chosen, how places are assigned and whether prior musical knowledge is expected.
  • Language levels. By the end of the degree students should have reached CEFR level C1 in Spanish (and in the co-official language of the region where there is one) and B1 in a foreign language.
  • Master's degrees. Official master's degrees in Spain have 60, 90 or 120 ECTS credits. Graduates use them to go deeper into music education or educational research.

The rules for state school teachers (Royal Decree 1594/2011) accept several qualifications for the Music speciality: a primary education degree that includes a specialisation in music, a bachelor's degree in the field of music, the former Maestro, especialidad de Educación Musical qualification, and higher music qualifications, among others.

Where to study it

Our directory lists 10 schools for this subject, all of them in Spain. They are public universities and university teacher training colleges. Not every faculty of education offers the music specialisation every year, so the list of specialisations on the university's own degree page is the place to check.

Some examples from the directory: the Universidad de Murcia teaches a four-year, 240 ECTS Grado en Educación Primaria and lists Educación Musical among the specialisations for the 2026-27 academic year. The Universidad de La Laguna lists music education among the six specialisations of its primary education degree, next to attention to diversity, English, French, physical education and curricular innovation. The Escuela Universitaria de Magisterio Fray Luis de León in Valladolid lists music education among the specialisations its students can take.

Teaching is mainly in Spanish. In regions with a co-official language, part of the degree and of the school placements may be in that language.

Careers

Graduates work as primary school teachers and as the school's music teacher. In state schools, music must be taught by a teacher who holds the Music speciality. Teachers with this speciality teach music and may also teach the general primary areas. The speciality is obtained by passing the selection process for the Cuerpo de Maestros, the body of state school teachers. Private and publicly funded private schools hire directly.

Other common jobs are in municipal music schools, choirs, after-school music programmes and educational projects of orchestras and cultural centres. Each employer sets its own requirements for those posts.

Teaching is regulated country by country. A graduate who wants to teach outside Spain has to ask the education authorities of that country how the Spanish degree is recognised.

Frequently asked questions

Is there a separate degree in music teaching for primary schools in Spain?

No. Music is a specialisation (mención) of 30 to 60 ECTS credits inside the four-year Grado en Educación Primaria.

How long does the degree take?

The Grado en Educación Primaria has 240 ECTS credits and takes four years of full-time study, including teaching practice in schools.

Can a musician with a music degree teach music in a Spanish primary school?

Royal Decree 1594/2011 lists a bachelor's degree in the field of music and higher music qualifications among those accepted for the Music speciality of state school teachers. The post itself is obtained through the selection process for the Cuerpo de Maestros, so candidates should read the conditions of each regional call.

Which language level does the degree expect?

The degree is designed so that graduates reach CEFR level C1 in Spanish and B1 in a foreign language. Entry language requirements are set by each university.