Preschool Education
Master Degree
Ano Letivo 2025/2026

Course Overview

The Master's Degree in Pre-School Education provides professional qualification for teaching in Pre-School Education, as a complement to the Degree in Basic Education. It is oriented towards the training of Early Childhood Educators with proven scientific and praxeological skills, with the ability to intervene in the ecology of childhood, especially in the education of children from 0 to 6 years old, and with a preparation that provides an investigative attitude, contributing to innovation in the field of pedagogical knowledge and educational practice in this age group. The Master's Degree seeks to promote the development of teaching performance competences contained in the General Performance Profile for Childhood Educators and Primary and Secondary School Teachers (DL 240/2001) and in the Specific Profile for Professional Performance of Childhood Educators (DL 241/2001), as well as to motivate solid educational training, with recourse to contributions from various areas of knowledge that will enable them to constantly question the challenges of a changing society and the role of the childcare worker. The UÉ offers students a rich scientific, cultural and professional environment supported by partnerships with quality early childhood education institutions.

Organic Unit: School of Social Sciences

DGES Code: 0604/6914

Duration: 3 Semesters/90 ECTS credits (75 required and 15 optional in curricular units)

Language: Portuguese

Regime: Presencial

CNAEF Areas:

Training for pre-school teachers (143)

The course's study plan is being reformulated to adapt to the recent change in the Legal Framework for Professional Qualification for Teaching (DL 9-A/2025, of February 14, which amends DL 74/2014, of May 14).

Study Plan

A3ES Accreditation

Career Prospects

Pre-school teacher (can work on public or private day cares or pre-schools, municipalities, after-schools' activities, hospitals, museums, libraries, toy libraries, child care centers, chilminding services).

Specific Entry Requirements

The specific conditions for admission to this cycle of studies are regulated by the provisions of nº 2 of Decree-Law nº 79/2014, of May 14th, in its current wording. Holders of a Bachelor's Degree in Basic Education or another degree that awards credits from the cycle of studies leading to a bachelor's degree, distributed across the training components in the following terms, may apply for the Master's Degree in Pre-school and Primary Education:
i) teaching areas and specific didactics area - minimum of 90 ECTS, 12 ECTS in the specific didactics area and 78 ECTS in the teaching area, namely, 20 ECTS in Portuguese, 20 credits in Mathematics, 20 ECTS in Natural Sciences and in History and Geography of Portugal and 18 credits in Art Education and Physical Education.
ii) general educational area - 10 ECTS.
The other specific conditions for entry into this cycle of studies are regulated in nº 7 and n.º 8 of article 18 of Decree-Law No. 79/2014, of May 14, in its current wording.
A general admission condition is oral and written command of the Portuguese language and mastery of the essential rules of logical and critical argumentation, in accordance with the legislation in force for this purpose. This condition will be certified by combining a written Portuguese language test with an interview. In both cases, the candidate must obtain approval. The written test and interview are mandatory for everyone, regardless of their previous training or professional situation. The application can also be made by presenting a certificate of approval, issued by another institution of higher education, in which the candidate has taken tests for this same purpose, considering the conditions set out in the legislation in force for this purpose. The written test and interview to assess Portuguese language proficiency will take place on April 7th (1st phase), July 9th (2nd phase) and September 10th (3rd phase) at a location and time to be announced.
In the application documentation, it is necessary to present the certificate of qualifications detailing the credits of each curricular unit, in order to verify compliance with the minimum ECTS of training established for entry into the Course, determined by the Legal Framework for Professional Qualification for Teaching in Pre-School Education and Basic and Secondary Education (Decree-Law nº 79/2014, of May 14th, in its current wording. ).