Applications for PhDs to teach in primary and secondary schools

The deadline for applications for Call ExtraordinaryCall for Selection and Recruitment of Teaching Staff for Preschool, Primary, and Secondary Education is September 26, at 6 p.m. This Call, which is also open to PhD holders who wish to join the teaching profession, aims to attract teachers to educational areas where there are a greater number of students without classes for extended periods.

To this end, PhD holders who meet the scientific requirements to teach in a given recruitment group, defined by the number of ECTS credits required, may apply with their own qualifications, even if they do not currently have the professional qualifications (pedagogical training) for teaching.

ECTS credits can be verified by means of a document issued by the higher education institutions awarding the degrees to be presented, which must include the ECTS credits for the diplomas in question. The number of ECTS credits required for each recruitment group is available in the annex to Decree-Law No. 80-A/2023.

To apply for Call ExtraordinaryCall , you must register on the SIGRHE platform, where the application is formalized.

Teachers selected under these conditions will be given a temporary contract and will have four years to obtain professional teaching qualifications through a master's degree in Education. Upon obtaining this qualification, their temporary contract will become permanent, and they will join the staff of the Ministry of Education, Science, and Innovation (MECI).

Professional qualifications can be obtained through in-service training or by completing a master's degree in teaching. Tuition fees for the master's degree in teaching can be supported through Studentships funded by the Ministry of Education, Culture, and Science (MECI).

Doctorate holders with their own qualifications can also apply for School Contracts, which are available throughout the academic year (Decree-Law No. 51/2024). School Contracts are temporary replacement contracts for a minimum period of 30 days, but may be extended until the end of the academic year. School Calls are available on the SIGRHE platform.

Through these temporary contracts, PhD holders can have their professional teaching experience in higher education recognized in their salary, with a maximum salary of €2,016.85 per month for candidates with a PhD who have six or more years of teaching experience.

If they do not hold a professional teaching qualification, PhD graduates placed in School Contracts will attend teacher training held at a school association training center, in conjunction with higher education institutions, for a minimum of 100 hours.

Please refer to the FAQs available on the DGAE website.