Course details

Course objectives

The Master's Degree in Pre-School Education and Primary Education aims to develop a broad, in-depth and articulated set of knowledge and skills, namely: • to confer professional qualifications for teaching in Early Childhood Education and Primary Education; • to provide knowledge on relevant scientific, pedagogical and didactic content, in close articulation with pedagogical practice, for the teaching-learning process in Early Childhood Education and Primary Education; • to contribute to the development of pedagogical intervention practices within Early Childhood Education and Primary Education; • to develop research and reflection skills on pedagogical practices; • provide an understanding of the reference curricular documents, namely, the Curricular Guidelines for Pre-School Education, the Pedagogical Guidelines for Nursery Schools, the Student Profile at the End of Compulsory Schooling, the Essential Learning (1st Cycle of Basic Education) and the National Strategy for Education for Citizenship; • contribute to the construction of knowledge about educational contexts and teaching functions, including professional ethics.

School

ESE - Escola Superior de Educação

Study mode

presencial - DayTime

Learning objectives and skills to be developed

The course aims to qualify teachers for teaching in Early Childhood Education and the 1st Cycle of Basic Education with knowledge and skills that allow them to: • intervene in educational contexts at the level of Early Childhood Education and the 1st Cycle of Basic Education; • analyze complex educational situations and develop research in education; • apply theory to practice, from a professionalizing perspective; • develop means of reflection, responsibility, specialization (expertise) and professional ethics within the scope of teaching practice; • actively participate in school institutions, particularly with regard to school management.

Career opportunities

Professional qualification for teaching as Childhood Educator and Elementary School Teacher - 1st cycle, in all areas of Pre-School Education and 1st cycle of Basic Education.

Course coordinator

Elisabete Maria Xavier Vieira Gomes

Mariana Abrantes de Oliveira Pinto Alte da Veiga

Recognition of prior learning

Recognition of prior learning is carried out in accordance with the Academic Regulations of the Polytechnic Institute of Setúbal.

Admission and entry requirements

All those wishing to obtain a professional qualification to teach in Pre-School and the 1st Cycle of Basic Education.
Applicants for the cycle of studies leading to a Master's degree in Pre-School and Primary Education, in accordance with Decree-Law no. 9-A/2025 of 14 February, may be those who cumulatively meet the conditions set out in points 1 and 3, or those who cumulatively meet the conditions set out in points 2 and 3 below:
1. Hold a Bachelor's degree in Basic Education from a Portuguese Higher Education Institution or, when from other institutions, prove it through a degree recognition process, in accordance with Decree-Law no. 66/2018.
2. Hold a Bachelor's degree from a Higher Education Institution in Portugal or, when from other institutions, proven through a degree recognition process, in accordance with Decree-Law no. 66/2018 and meet the minimum training credit requirements, in accordance with the wording of article 4 of Decree-Law no. 9-A/2025 and the corresponding annex.
3. Have an oral and written command of the Portuguese language and a command of the essential rules of logical and critical argumentation, obtained by passing a test with one of the following characteristics:
Documentary test: having passed all the Curricular Units (CUs) in Portuguese Language, Portuguese Linguistics and Portuguese Didactics (a minimum of 20 ECTS) or equivalent CUs, at any Higher Education Institution (for this purpose, the certificate of qualification is considered to be detailed).
Written or oral exam: taken within two years prior to the date of application, at a higher education institution.

The information provided does not replace consultation of the Directorate-General for Higher Education (DGES) website and/or the application page.

Qualification requirements

20 course units successfully completed

Legal framework and accreditation

Despacho n.º 3621/2022 de 25 de março