Master in Preschool Education

The general objectives of the course take as reference the profile of professional performance defined by DL No. 241/2001 30 August, in conjunction with the DL 79/2014 of 14 May and other legislation relating to degrees and diplomas of higher education. Thus, the master is organized as a course of qualification for teaching in the field of preschool education, aiming the training of educators able to develop intentional and quality practices. The course ins also intended to enable future early childhood educators to intervene in early education settings, especially in Nursery.
The masters in EPE includes four training components: The component of general education (FEG), with 12 ECTS, aims the further development of knowledge, skills and attitudes relevant to the intervention in contexts of Childhood Education (including nursery), including the relationship with the community and the analysis and participation in the development of education policy and teaching methodologies. The training component in the teaching area (FAD), with 9 ECTS, includes aims at strengthening scientific training in the areas of content areas of pre-school education. The component of specific didactic (DE), with 27 ECTS focus on knowledge, skills and attitudes related to the domain in which it is intended to give qualification for teaching (ECE). Finally, supervised teaching practice (PES), with 42 ECTS, accomplished via CU that includes the professional in-service training, aims the development of effective educational intervention competencies, through the mobilization of scientific and pedagogical knowledge (developed in 1st cycle bachelor and in the other training components of this SC), which are considered as essential to the conduct of intentional educational processes. This component is developed in a model that includes and articulates the in-service training with seminars for analysis and reflection on the practices. It also aims the development of research skills, which are intended to be integrated by the future preschool teachers as an inherent dimension of their identities and professional performances.

Under the current legal framework on professional qualifications for teaching (Decree-Law No. 79/2014 of 14 May, as amended), can apply for access to this Master’s degree programme, for the academic year 2025/2026:

1. Holders of a degree in basic education; and

2. Holders of other bachelor’s degrees, provided that they meet the minimum credit requirements set out in the Annex to Decree-Law No. 9-A/2025 of 14 February, i.e. a bachelor’s degree that awards credits from the cycle of studies leading to the bachelor’s degree, distributed among the training components as follows:

a) Teaching and specific didactics: a minimum of 90 credits. The credits of the teaching component are distributed as follows
– 20 to 30 credits in Portuguese;
– 20 to 30 credits in Mathematics;
– 20 to 40 credits in Natural Sciences and History and Geography of Portugal;
– 18 to 25 credits in Artistic and Physical Education.
b) Pedagogical component: 10 to 20 credits.

3. To comply with the provisions of Article 17 of the same Law, candidates must provide documentary evidence of their oral and written command of the Portuguese language and of their knowledge of the basic rules of logical and critical reasoning, as specified in the application form.

Professional Status: Early childhood educators
Employment opportunities: Kindergartens, child care centres and other educational settings for small children.

Portuguese

Taking into account the general objectives of this course, the master in PE and the corresponding professional qualification for teaching at this level of the educational system is granted to those who present: Generic skills and knowledge in the field of early childhood education, to support the development of quality teaching practices and the adoption of an investigative attitude and of critical analysis of reality; Scientific and teaching knowledge in the content areas of pre-school education, and the ability to promote its interdisciplinary articulation; Skills favorable to the adoption of integrated practices, sustained in age-appropriate children’s pedagogy skills; Ability to identify the impact of various educational settings and of community contexts in which they belong, and skills for collaborative work and networking; Skills and attitudes of lifelong learning, notably in self-oriented processes.

The Master Diploma in Preschool Education grants qualification to continue studies in a PhD Degree.