History and Professional Education

History and professional education is a degree that combines deep engagement with the past with direct preparation for a career in secondary school teaching. History as a discipline trains you to investigate evidence, understand change over time, evaluate competing interpretations, and communicate complex ideas clearly. These are precisely the intellectual capacities that make a great teacher, and a programme that integrates subject-matter expertise with professional training gives you both the knowledge to inspire students and the pedagogical skills to teach them well.

At the University of Stirling, this four-year full-time programme qualifies you as a secondary school teacher of history in Scotland. You will develop a thorough grounding in history, studying periods, themes, and approaches that span the national and international curriculum, while simultaneously developing your understanding of how young people learn, how to plan and deliver effective lessons, and how to support learners with diverse needs and backgrounds. A year abroad is available, which can enrich your own historical perspective and your awareness of how education is approached in different national contexts.

Extensive classroom experience is built into the programme, with placements in secondary schools throughout, meaning you enter the profession with genuine teaching practice behind you.

Graduates are eligible to register with the General Teaching Council for Scotland, and the combination of subject expertise and professional qualification gives you a strong basis for a teaching career in Scottish secondary schools. History teachers are in sustained demand, and the analytical and communication skills the degree develops are also valued in education leadership, curriculum development, and a range of related professional roles. Some graduates go on to postgraduate study in historical or educational research, building expertise that supports careers in academia or policy.