History and Politics and Professional Education

History and politics studied alongside a professional education qualification is a programme that takes two rigorous academic disciplines and combines them with the practical formation needed to become a secondary school teacher. History develops the ability to interrogate the past through its sources, to construct well-evidenced arguments, and to understand how events and processes have produced the world we inhabit. Politics examines how power is organised and exercised in modern societies, how governments make decisions, and what ideas about justice, liberty, and democracy have shaped political life.

Together, they provide an exceptionally strong foundation for teaching in secondary schools.

This four-year, full-time programme at the University of Stirling leads simultaneously to an honours degree and to qualification as a secondary school teacher, eligible to teach history and modern studies in Scottish schools. You will develop academic expertise in both disciplines while also building the pedagogical skills, classroom experience, and professional understanding needed for effective teaching. The year abroad gives you additional breadth of perspective that enriches both your academic formation and your eventual classroom practice.

The programme is designed to develop teachers who bring genuine scholarly knowledge and intellectual passion to their subject.

Graduates are qualified to register with the General Teaching Council for Scotland and to take up teaching posts in secondary schools. History and modern studies teachers are in steady demand in Scottish schools, and the combination of strong academic preparation and substantial classroom experience that the Stirling programme provides typically makes graduates competitive applicants for teaching posts. Further professional development, including routes toward pastoral leadership, department leadership, and senior management within schools, is available to graduates who wish to build careers in educational leadership.