The Faculty of Teacher Education of the University of Zagreb is the leading institution for educating primary school and preschool teachers in the Republic of Croatia. The Faculty operates at three locations, with the main branch in Zagreb and local branches in Petrinja and Čakovec, totaling approximately 3,000 students. The Faculty has three departments: Teacher Education Studies, Preschool Education Studies and Educational Studies. At the Department of Teacher Education Studies, students enrol into the program for the education of primary school teachers. This course lasts five years, which is 10 semesters (300 ECTS), after which students obtain a degree in Master of Primary Education. At the end of the course, the teachers can conduct classes in all subjects during the first four grades of primary school, as well as English and German as a foreign language if they opted for the language course of study at the time of enrollment. The course for preschool teachers lasts three years, which is six semesters (180ECTS), after which students acquire the title of “Baccalaurea/Baccalaureus”. As opposed to the course for primary education teachers, which is a university course and therefore has a mores scientific orientation, the education for preschool teachers is a professional course. In other words, at the moment, it is not possible for these students to continue their education at Master or Doctoral level.
