Psychopedagogy Schools and Programs in Spain

Psychopedagogy Studies in Spain

Psychopedagogy (Psicopedagogía) applies psychology to education. Psychopedagogues assess how students learn, support pupils with learning difficulties or special educational needs, advise teachers and families, and design guidance and attention-to-diversity plans. In Spain the field draws on educational psychology, educational innovation and, increasingly, neuroscience.

How Psychopedagogy is studied in Spain

Psychopedagogy is a postgraduate subject in Spain. It used to be a university degree (licenciatura); today it is taught as an official master's degree, the Máster Universitario en Psicopedagogía, which, in the words of the Universidad de Málaga, takes over from the former Licenciatura en Psicopedagogía. A search for "psicopedagogía" among bachelor's degrees in the ministry's Register of Universities, Centres and Degrees (RUCT) finds no records.

Under Royal Decree 822/2021, official master's degrees have 60, 90 or 120 ECTS credits. The psychopedagogy master's is usually a one-year programme: at the Universidad de Málaga it has 60 ECTS credits over two semesters, is taught face to face in Spanish and offers 60 places. Its content covers educational guidance, psychopedagogical intervention, attention to diversity and students with specific educational support needs.

Who can apply

The master's is designed for graduates in education and psychology. At the Universidad Complutense de Madrid, for example, it is open to graduates in Pedagogy, Psychology, Teacher Education (Magisterio) and Social Education, among others. Applicants who are not native Spanish speakers must show Spanish at CEFR level B2.

Students with a degree from outside the European Higher Education Area can enter an official master's degree in Spain without homologación, as long as the university checks that their degree is equivalent to a Spanish bachelor's degree and gives access to postgraduate study in the country where it was issued. Universities run their own admission processes and deadlines.

Where to study Psychopedagogy in Spain

A search for "psicopedagogía" among master's degrees in the RUCT returns 33 records, including renewed and older curricula. In our directory, Madrid has the most schools for this subject. Examples of universities with the official master's degree:

• Madrid region: Universidad Complutense de Madrid, Universidad de Alcalá and Universidad Internacional Villanueva
• Andalusia and Extremadura: Universidad de Málaga, Universidad de Sevilla and Universidad de Extremadura
• Castile and León and Galicia: Universidad de Valladolid, Universidad Pontificia de Salamanca and Universidad de A Coruña
• Catalonia and Valencia: Universitat de Barcelona, Universitat de València and Universidad Jaume I de Castellón
• Online: Universitat Oberta de Catalunya, Universidad a Distancia de Madrid (UDIMA), Universidad Internacional de La Rioja, Universidad Internacional Isabel I de Castilla and Universitat Internacional Valenciana

Teaching is in Spanish; in Catalonia, Valencia and Galicia part of a programme may be in the co-official language. The many online options make the master's accessible from abroad, but check where the work placement takes place.

Psychopedagogy and school guidance

Working as a guidance counsellor in Spanish public secondary schools is linked to a different master's. Teaching in secondary education, vocational training and official language schools is a regulated profession that requires the official teacher-training master's degree (60 credits). That master's has a specialisation in Educational Guidance (Orientación Educativa), which trains students to assess pupils' psychopedagogical characteristics and write the required reports. Students aiming for a public-school guidance post should check which master's their region requires.

Careers

The Universidad Complutense de Madrid lists careers in schools and in the community: support and advice for pupils with learning difficulties, psychopedagogical practices, guidance departments, attention-to-diversity coordination, careers guidance, adult education, mediation and conflict resolution, and research in psychopedagogical intervention.

Holders of a Spanish master's who want to work in another country should check its recognition rules. In Spain, holders of a foreign degree can ask for a declaration of equivalence (declaración de equivalencia), which certifies its academic level; homologación is only for regulated professions.

Frequently asked questions

Is there a bachelor's degree in Psychopedagogy in Spain?

No. Psychopedagogy is taught as an official master's degree, the Máster Universitario en Psicopedagogía, usually after a degree in Pedagogy, Psychology or Teacher Education.

How long is the psychopedagogy master's?

Usually one year. At the Universidad de Málaga it has 60 ECTS credits over two semesters.

Can I study Psychopedagogy online in Spain?

Yes. The RUCT lists the master's at several online universities, including the Universitat Oberta de Catalunya, UDIMA and the Universidad Internacional de La Rioja.

Do I need to have my degree recognised to enrol?

Not for a master's. Students with a degree from outside the European Higher Education Area can enrol without homologación if the university confirms that the degree is equivalent to a Spanish bachelor's degree.