Special Education, Motor and Cognitive Domain
Master Degree
Ano Letivo 2025/2026

Course Overview

The purpose of this master's degree is to promote specialised training in Special Education (Decree-Law 95/97 of 23 April), capable for responding to the demands of inclusive education that is being implemented in different educational contexts, in accordance with the current Portuguese legal framework, Decree-Law 54 of 2018 of 18 July.
Based on the principles of inclusive education, the master's degree aims to train students to become competent, reflective and interventional professionals, capable of critically analysing educational situations, with a view to planning and evaluating contextualised and socially significant learning opportunities, through which all children and young people can develop their learning potential with their peers. It also aims to foster the construction and development of scientific knowledge and know-how that will enable master's students to contribute to the construction of inclusive educational environments, identifying and eliminating barriers to learning, in line with the Profile of Students Leaving Compulsory Schooling and the use of participatory methodologies.
It also seeks to contribute to the development of cooperation and dialogue skills with and between the many actors involved in the children's educational process (families, head teachers, school management, Multidisciplinary Support Teams for Inclusive Education, Early Intervention Teams and other professionals) with a focus on building an Inclusive School.

Organic Unit: School of Social Sciences

DGES Code: 0604/6293

Duration: 4 Semesters/120 ECTS credits (66 required and 6 optional in curricular units)

Language: Portuguese

Regime: Presencial

CNAEF Areas:

Education science (142)

Study Plan

A3ES Accreditation

Career Prospects

Pre-school teachers and primary and secondary school teachers with a certificate from the 1st year of the course can be considered specialised in Special Education and are qualified to teach in recruitment group 910.
The accreditation process by the Scientific-Pedagogical Council for Continuing Education is renewed every year in accordance with Decree-Law 95/97 of 23 April. The Master's degree offers the possibility of progression in the teaching career.

Other professionals: The master's degree contributes to the professional development of psychologists, speech therapists, occupational therapists, physiotherapists or psychomotor therapists who work in educational settings and are part of early intervention teams or resource centres for inclusion.

Specific Entry Requirements

The target audience are pre-school teachers and primary and secondary school teachers. Psychologists, occupational therapists, speech therapists and psychomotor therapists who work in Resource Centres for Inclusion or Early Intervention Teams are also considered.