Environmental Geography and Professional Education

Environmental geography examines the relationships between human societies and the natural world, studying the physical processes that shape landscapes, the ecological systems that sustain life and the ways in which human activity has altered both. It bridges the natural and social sciences, developing skills in fieldwork, environmental analysis, GIS and spatial data, climate science, ecological assessment and environmental policy. Combining this with professional education, the preparation to become a secondary school teacher, creates a degree with a dual purpose: deep subject knowledge in one of the most relevant disciplines of our time, alongside the pedagogical training and classroom experience needed to share that knowledge with the next generation.

At the University of Stirling, this four-year full-time programme qualifies you as a secondary school teacher in four years, with extensive classroom experience built into the degree. The programme includes a year abroad, giving you an international perspective on both environmental geography and educational practice. You will develop rigorous subject knowledge in physical geography, environmental science, sustainable development and environmental management, alongside the professional skills of lesson planning, differentiated teaching, assessment and classroom management.

Stirling's Teacher Education programme has a strong reputation for producing reflective and effective teachers, and the combination with environmental geography positions you particularly well to teach a subject of growing importance in the curriculum.

Graduates of this programme are eligible to apply for registration with the General Teaching Council for Scotland and to teach geography in Scottish secondary schools. Career paths include teaching at secondary level, further development into promoted posts and leadership roles, environmental education and interpretation, and work in outdoor and environmental education. The environmental geography subject knowledge also opens paths in environmental consultancy, conservation and public sector environmental roles for those who follow a different career direction after graduation.