The origins of the current Master’s Degree in Psychopedagogy in Spain are closely linked to the historical evolution of the discipline and to legislative changes that reshaped the structure of university studies with the implementation of the European Higher Education Area (EHEA), also known as the Bologna Process.
1. Historical Origins of Psychopedagogy
Psychopedagogy as a field of knowledge has roots dating back to the 19th century, with the convergence of pedagogy and scientific and experimental psychology. In Spain, the first indications of a psychopedagogical approach (educational guidance and intervention) emerged between 1882 and 1936, a period marked by the creation of the Pedagogical Museum and a growing interest in scientific research applied to education.
2. Development in the Second Half of the 20th Century
During the 1970s and 1980s, with the General Education Act (LGE) and the development of special education, educational guidance began to take shape within the public system. The first Psychopedagogical Guidance and Support Teams were created in different autonomous communities, such as Catalonia (1983) and the Valencian Community (1984), generating the need for specialised professionals in these roles.
3. The Degree in Psychopedagogy (1992–2010)
The key milestone preceding the current master’s programme was the creation of the Degree in Psychopedagogy in 1992 within the Spanish university system. This second-cycle qualification (following studies in Teaching, Psychology or Pedagogy) aimed to train guidance counsellors and specialists required in educational centres and other sectors.
The University of Valencia (UV) implemented the curriculum for the Degree in Psychopedagogy in the 1997–1998 academic year.
The resolution ordering the publication of the curriculum in the Official State Gazette (BOE) dates from 30 September 1997.
Subsequently, the curriculum was adapted to new regulations (Royal Decree 779/1998) and republished in the BOE in July 2000.
This degree was a second-cycle qualification designed for students who already held a first-cycle university qualification (such as a Teaching Diploma or degrees in Pedagogy/Psychology), and it lasted two academic years.
4. The Transformation to the European Higher Education Area (EHEA)
The direct antecedent of the current master’s programme is the discontinuation of the degree as a result of the restructuring of the Spanish university system to adapt to the Bologna Process.
Discontinuation of the Degree: With the enactment of Royal Decree 1393/2007, which established the new structure of official university education, the Degree in Psychopedagogy was not converted into an undergraduate degree (4 years / 240 ECTS).
Creation of the Official Master’s Degree: To ensure continuity in professional training and to comply with European guidelines, Spanish universities implemented the current Official Master’s Degree in Psychopedagogy. This is an official postgraduate qualification (typically 60 ECTS, one year) that enables graduates from related fields (primarily Primary Education, Early Childhood Education, Pedagogy and Psychology) to acquire the competences and qualification needed for psychopedagogical practice.
Thus, the master’s degree is the heir to a long tradition that sought to integrate psychology and pedagogy, initially consolidated as a degree and later reconfigured as postgraduate training to align with the European university framework.
