Teacher Training for Primary Education Schools and Programs in Spain

Teacher Training for Primary Education Studies in Spain

Primary school teachers (maestros de Educación Primaria) teach children from 6 to 12 years old. In Spain this is a regulated profession: according to the ministerial order that sets the requirements for the degree, the Education Act makes the profession of Maestro en Educación Primaria a regulated profession that requires the corresponding official bachelor's degree (grado). The degree is taught at public and private universities and at teacher training colleges attached to universities.

What you study

The order lists the skills every programme must cover, starting with the curriculum areas of primary education, how they relate to each other, how they are assessed and how each is taught. Programmes also cover classroom management, educational psychology, the organisation of schools and working with families. The Universidad de Murcia describes the aim of its degree as the initial training of teachers able to work in primary education (6 to 12 years).

How the degree is organised

The bachelor's degree in Primary Education (grado en Educación Primaria or grado en Maestro en Educación Primaria) has 240 ECTS credits, normally over four years. No degree may use the name "Graduado en Educación Primaria" unless it meets the conditions of the order. Teaching practice (the Practicum) takes place in person in primary schools recognised as training centres, across the three cycles of primary education, supervised by university lecturers and by accredited primary teachers.

Universities can add specialisations (menciones) of 30 to 60 ECTS credits. These are how students qualify for subject roles in schools. At the Universidad de Murcia, for example, students can choose menciones in Music Education, English, French, Special Educational Needs (Pedagogía Terapéutica) and Hearing and Language (Audición y Lenguaje). Double degrees are common: ESCUNI in Madrid offers Primary and Early Childhood Education together, the Universidad de Alcalá combines Primary Education with Humanities, and the Universidad de Vic combines Sport Sciences with a Primary Education degree with a Physical Education specialisation.

Language requirements

By the end of the degree, students should reach level C1 in Spanish and, where it applies, in the region's other official language, plus B1 in a foreign language. In Catalonia, Valencia, the Balearic Islands, Galicia or the Basque Country, this means that the regional language is part of the degree. Some universities teach groups in English: the Universidad de Alcalá has a separate English-taught version of the degree on its Guadalajara campus, where the degree is offered in Spanish, English and French.

Admission

Students who finished secondary school outside Spain usually apply first through UNEDasiss, the UNED service that assesses international students' academic records and runs the tests needed to enter a Spanish bachelor's degree. They then apply to each university within its own deadlines. Demand at public universities can be high: the Universidad de Murcia offers 280 first-year places and had a cut-off mark of 9.77 for the 2025-26 academic year. The Universidad de Alcalá offers 150 places.

Where to study it in Spain

Our directory lists 37 schools for this subject. Madrid has the most, followed by Bilbao, Murcia, Valencia, Valladolid and Oviedo. Examples include public universities such as the Universidad de Salamanca, the Universitat de València, the Universidad de Zaragoza, the Universidad de Oviedo and the Universidad de Santiago de Compostela, and private universities such as the Universidad Pontificia Comillas, the Universidad de Deusto and the Universitat Internacional de Catalunya. Several teacher training colleges specialise in this field, among them ESCUNI and CES Don Bosco in Madrid, the Escuela Universitaria Fray Luis de León in Valladolid, the Escuela Universitaria CEU de Magisterio in Vigo and Begoñako Andra Mari in Bilbao.

Recognition of foreign qualifications

Because primary teaching is regulated, a foreign teaching degree must be homologated before you can work as a maestro in Spain. The Ministerio de Ciencia, Innovación y Universidades lists "Maestro/a en Educación Primaria" among the professions eligible for homologation, which gives access to a regulated profession in Spain. Applications are made only online, through the ministry's electronic office.

Careers

Most graduates teach in public or private primary schools; posts in public schools are filled through each region's competitive exams. The Universidad de Alcalá also lists teaching in private academies, hospitals, prisons and NGOs, educational research, publishing, and teaching Spanish as a foreign language.

Frequently asked questions

How long does it take to become a primary school teacher in Spain?

The official bachelor's degree has 240 ECTS credits and usually takes four years, including teaching practice in primary schools.

Can I study primary education in Spain in English?

Partly. Some universities offer English-taught groups, such as the Universidad de Alcalá, but students must still reach C1 in Spanish by the end of the degree.

What is a mención?

A specialisation of 30 to 60 ECTS credits within the degree, for example in English, music, physical education or special educational needs.

Can I teach in Spain with a foreign primary teaching degree?

Only after homologation. Primary teaching is a regulated profession, and the ministry lists it among the professions eligible for homologation.