English Studies and Professional Education

English studies and professional education is a degree designed to prepare you for qualification as a secondary school teacher of English in Scotland, combining a thorough grounding in English literature and language with the pedagogical training that professional teaching registration requires. English teaching is one of the most important secondary school disciplines, responsible for developing the reading, writing, and communication skills that underpin achievement across all other subjects, and good English teachers are consistently in demand.

At the University of Stirling, this four-year full-time programme leads to registration with the General Teaching Council for Scotland, qualifying you to teach English in Scottish secondary schools. You will study English literature across a range of periods and genres, developing the analytical and critical skills that the subject demands, alongside the pedagogical knowledge, curriculum design, assessment practices, and professional skills that effective secondary teaching requires. A year abroad broadens your academic and cultural perspectives.

Extensive school experience is built into the programme, giving you the sustained classroom time that develops confident, reflective teachers.

Graduates qualify as secondary English teachers and enter a profession with strong and consistent demand in Scotland. Many develop their careers through promoted posts as principal teachers, faculty heads, and senior management, while others pursue roles in English education beyond the classroom, including curriculum development, educational research, and teacher education. Postgraduate study in education, literacy, and English studies is available for those who wish to develop their expertise further after qualifying.