The Master's Degree in Preschool Education is a second-cycle course, with a total of 90 ECTS and a duration of three semesters. The course provides professional qualifications for teaching in Preschool Education, aiming primarily to train educators capable of developing intentional, high-quality practices and mobilizing knowledge and skills in Early Childhood Education.

1. Holders of a bachelor's degree in Basic Education; and 2. Holders of other degrees, provided they meet the minimum credit requirements, as defined in the annex to Decree-Law No. 9-A/2025 of February 14, i.e., a degree that awards credits for the cycle of studies leading to a bachelor's degree, distributed among the training components as follows: a) Teaching areas and specific teaching areas: minimum of 90 credits. Credits relating to the training component in the area of teaching are distributed as follows: - 20 to 30 credits in Portuguese; - 20 to 30 credits in Mathematics; - 20 to 40 credits in Natural Sciences and in History and Geography of Portugal - 18 to 25 credits in Art Education and Physical Education. b) Educational area: 10 to 20 credits. 3. In compliance with the provisions of Article 17 of the same legislation, in order to prove their oral and written command of the Portuguese language and their mastery of the essential rules of logical and critical argumentation, candidates must take a Portuguese language test (oral and written).

Organize the educational environment in the activity room, promoting active and meaningful learning for children. Mobilize knowledge of different pedagogical models of education in daycare and kindergarten, analyzing their relevance to educational activities. Design and develop educational experiences aligned with the Pedagogical Guidelines for Daycare (OPC) and the Curriculum Guidelines for Preschool Education (OCEPE), responding to children's needs and their holistic development. Plan, organize, and monitor the educational process in a daycare and kindergarten context, based on the OPC and OCEPE and in line with the organizational dimension of the Educator Profile. Provide contexts, environments, and opportunities for play and outdoor activities that encourage social interaction, autonomy, imagination, and discovery of the world. Mobilize knowledge and skills to respond to the characteristics and challenges of unique situations in teaching practice, considering the specificities of children and educational contexts. Develop interpersonal skills, critical and creative thinking, fostering continuous research processes.

Graduates in Basic Education or other fields that award credits toward a bachelor's degree, distributed across the training components, in accordance with Decree-Law No. 9-A/2025 of February 14 (Annex I referred to in Article 3 and Annex referred to in Article 4, paragraph 3). Candidates for kindergarten teachers, from recruitment group 100.

Demonstrate in-depth knowledge of the different areas and domains in the field of early childhood education. Demonstrate knowledge of active methodologies of reference in early childhood education for knowledge building, promoting autonomy, cooperation, creativity, and critical thinking; Plan, intervene, and evaluate, based on knowledge of the educational community and children, articulating different curricular knowledge and pedagogical models to monitor the effectiveness of pedagogical intervention and children's learning; Participate in scientific and cultural events and in the dynamics of the school and kindergarten, individually and/or as a team, with a view to problem solving, in an exercise of active and full citizenship and sustainable development; Reflect on their practices and those of their peers, in a dynamic of action research (action/reflection/action), in a process of self and hetero training; Respond to the challenges of diversity, with a view to education for all and for each individual.

Professional status: Early childhood educators. Career opportunities: Kindergartens, daycare centers, other childhood-related settings.