BA (Hons) / BSc (Hons) Education (Secondary)

Program Overview

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BA (Hons) / BSc (Hons) Education (Secondary)

Overview

Choose our BA (Hons) / BSc (Hons) Education (Secondary) degree and learn from world-leading academics and outstanding teachers who have strong partnerships with local schools. This gives you access to cutting-edge practice and research throughout your secondary teaching degree.

Our pioneering approach to professional education gives you time to develop as a secondary school teacher. With our four year teaching degree, you’ll be able to grow in confidence and critically reflect on your skills. The course gives you a more personalised learning experience than the Professional Graduate Diploma in Education (PGDE) route of only one year.

You'll gain a research-informed degree, making you well equipped to enter the world of secondary education from the day you graduate. In the Research Excellence Framework (REF) 2021, 100% of our research impact and environment in Education was classed as world leading or internationally excellent.

We also deliver chemistry and physics teaching courses in collaboration with Forth Valley College.

Top reasons to study with us

• We're ranked top 5 in Scotland and Top 15 in the UK for Education (The Complete University Guide 2025)
• We give you time to develop your skills as a teacher over four years – instead of a traditional one-year course
• Placements throughout the degree allow you to enhance your teaching skills and put theory into practice in a live teaching environment.

Professional accreditation

We’re accredited by the General Teaching Council for Scotland (GTCS), which means that you can apply for provisional registration as a secondary teacher as soon as you graduate.

Entry requirements

Year 1 entry – Four-year honours

Entry requirements for all BA / BSc (Hons) Education courses except Chemistry, Physics and Physical Education:

• SQA Highers ABBB
• GCE A-levels BBB
• IB Diploma 30 points
• BTEC (Level 3) DDM

Physical Education:

• SQA Highers AAAB
• GCE A-levels BBB
• IB Diploma 32 points
• BTEC (Level 3) DDM

The following English and Mathematics entry requirements apply for all specialisms:

• Higher English (C) or GCSE English Language and English Literature (C/4) or Communications 4 and Literature 1
• Mathematics or Application of Mathematics National 5 (C), Intermediate 2 (C), Standard Grade (2), GCSE (C/4) or equivalent.

There is a preference for a Higher or A Level in the subjects(s) you wish to teach. There are additional requirements for some subjects:

• Essential subjects
  • Column one lists specialisms, column two lists the essential subjects for each specialism
  • Specialism | Additional essential subjects
  • Biology | To include SQA Higher (B), A-level (B) or equivalent in Biology/Human Biology, Chemistry, Geology, Mathematics or Physics.
  • Environmental Geography | To include SQA Higher (B), A-level (B) or equivalent in Biology/Human Biology, Chemistry, Environmental Science, Geography, Geology, Mathematics or Physics.
  • French and Spanish (combined) | To include SQA Higher (B), A-level (B) or equivalent in one of French or Spanish.
  • Mathematics | To include SQA Higher (B), A-level (B) or equivalent in Mathematics.

Essential subjects must have been taken within the last five years to ensure your required subject knowledge is current. Recent work experience can be taken into consideration in place of a formal qualification.

Widening access students

Widening access students may be eligible for an adjusted offer of entry. To find out if this applies to you go to our widening access pages.

Care-experienced applicants will be guaranteed an offer of a place if they meet the minimum entry requirements. Wherever possible, this will be for the specific course applied for, but this may not always be possible on courses with high demand and limited places, or where intake numbers are strictly controlled by the Scottish Government, for example, Secondary Education with Physical Education. In these circumstances, the University will endeavour to offer an interview or a place on an alternative course in a related subject.

Other Scottish qualifications

• Scottish HNC/HND Year one minimum entry - Bs in graded units.
• Access courses University of Stirling access course - for mature students only. You must pass the course with 50% or above.
• SWAP access course - for mature students only.
• Foundation Apprenticeships Considered to be equivalent to 1 Higher at Grade B

Other qualifications

• English, Welsh and Northern Irish HNC/HND Merits and Distinctions
• English, Welsh and Northern Irish access courses Access to Higher Education - 60 credits, minimum 45 at QCF Level 3, pass at 60% or above.

International entry requirements

View the entry requirements for your country

Advanced entry

Advanced entry is not available for this course.

Additional information

Entry to the course is also subject to an interview and a criminal record PVG (Protecting Vulnerable Groups) check.

Course details

You’ll follow a course of eight semesters (four years), to gain an Honours degree in Professional Education (Secondary). Alternatively, seven semesters (three and a half years) leads to either a General degree or to a Bachelors degree in Professional Education. General degree students may only be able to qualify in one teaching subject.

Semesters 1 – 2

You’ll take the following core modules:

• Education: Purposes, Principles and Practice
• Education: Learning and Teaching

You can take part in serial days during year 1. These will be organised by the university and will involve spending time in school.

Semesters 3 – 6

You’ll take a range of core and advanced modules in Education, including a range of teaching skills in your chosen subjects. You’ll also go on two school placements, one lasting six weeks and one lasting 10 weeks (with three days in school and two at university), between Semesters 3-4 and 5-6. Physical Education students will take part in an additional four-week placement.

Semesters 7 – 8

Semester 7 includes a 10-12 week placement, as well as supplementary taught classes.

In Semester 8 you’ll complete an Enquiry into Practice that’s closely related to your placement, as well as doing further study in your teaching subject.

Modules

The module information below provides an example of the types of course module you may study. The details listed are for the academic year that starts in September 2025. Modules and start dates are regularly reviewed and may be subject to change in future years.

Teaching

Our Secondary Education degree is taught through seminars, lectures and workshops. You’ll also have the opportunity to go on school placements to get practical teaching experience.

Fieldwork

Fieldwork and learning for sustainability are embedded within the Geography course at Stirling. Students will develop skills and confidence through participation in field trips and work on campus with Grounds for Learning and local school groups. Students gain first-hand experience of the cognitive benefits of fieldwork as well as the equally important social, emotional and health benefits.

Assessment

Assessment is by continuous assessment. School experience placements are supported by school-based teachers and University of Stirling tutors. There are no examinations in Education.

Work placement opportunities

School work placements are an integral part of this course, culminating in a 10-12 week secondary school experience where you can teach your chosen subjects.

Study abroad

If you intend to teach Modern Languages in a school after you graduate, you must fulfil residence requirements in a country where that language is spoken. For eligible students, this means applying for an English Language Assistantship via the externally-administered British Council scheme. Students should note that this is a competitive scheme and that the British Council is responsible for its eligibility criteria. It is the student’s responsibility to check these criteria (via the British Council website) and to discuss any potential problems both with staff in Education and with the French/Spanish Programme Director. Students should note that taking two languages from Beginners' level where those languages are core to the programme is pedagogically inadvisable. Any student wishing to go down that route will need the written permission of both the French and Spanish Programme Directors or their appointed representative before being allowed to do so.

If your specialism covers other subjects, you’ll also have the option of studying abroad for a semester.

Fees and funding

Fees and costs

Fees and costs for each Secondary Education course

• Professional Education (Secondary) and:
  • English Studies
  • English Studies and Religion
  • French
  • French with Spanish
  • History
  • History and Politics
  • History and Sociology
  • Mathematics
  • Philosophy and Religion
  • Sport, Physical Education
• Scottish students £1,820*
• Students from England, Wales, Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland £9,250**
• International (including EU) students £17,200
• Professional Education (Secondary) and:
  • Biology
  • Environmental Geography
• Scottish students £1,820*
• Students from England, Wales, Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland £9,250**
• International (including EU) students £21,300

• This tuition fee is set by the Scottish Government and may be subject to change.

** This tuition fee may be subject to change depending on guidance provided by the UK Government.

Professional Education (Secondary) can also be combined with Chemistry or Physics.

Funding

See what funding opportunities and loans are available to help you with tuition and living costs.

• Students from Scotland
  • Find funding opportunities for Scottish students.
• Students from England, Wales, Northern Ireland and Republic of Ireland
  • Eligible students will automatically receive our Undergraduate Welcome Scholarship, Undergraduate Merit Scholarship, and our Honours Year Scholarship, which are worth between £1,000 and £9,250.
• International students
  • Eligible international students will automatically receive a scholarship worth between £8,000-£30,000 over the duration of your course. Find funding opportunities for international students.

Cost of living

If you’re domiciled in the UK, you can typically apply to your relevant funding body for help with living costs. This usually takes the form of student loans, grants or bursaries, and the amount awarded depends upon your personal circumstances and household income.

International (including EU) students won’t normally be able to claim living support through SAAS or other UK public funding bodies. You should contact the relevant authority in your country to find out if you’re eligible to receive support.

Find out about the cost of living for students at Stirling.

Payment options

We aim to be as flexible as possible, and offer a wide range of payment methods - including the option to pay fees by instalments. Learn more about how to pay.

After you graduate

The majority of our Secondary Education graduates enter the Scottish Teacher Induction Scheme (TIS), which guarantees you employment for one year as a newly qualified teacher in a Scottish Local Authority school.

Alternatively, you may choose to continue your education with a postgraduate degree, or carry out doctoral research, leading to the award of a PhD.

Teacher Induction Scheme

Participation in the Teacher Induction Scheme (TIS) is not compulsory, and some students may choose to follow the alternative Flexible Route – which is less structured and may better suit their personal circumstances.

Students from Scotland, the rest of the UK and the Republic of Ireland who are studying at a Scottish Higher Education Institution are eligible to join the TIS.

Students from other countries are ineligible for the TIS scheme but can follow the Flexible Route to complete probationary service if they plan to teach in Scotland following their studies.

Read the Scottish Government’s detailed guidance regarding students and the Teacher Induction Scheme.

Companies we work with

We work in close partnership with Local Authorities, schools, Education Scotland and GTCS. This helps to ensure we support you throughout your studies, so you can become an effective educator. A number of teachers are seconded to us from local schools to provide practical and up-to-date experience and knowledge.

Over the past several years we have noticed that the students and probationer teachers coming from the University of Stirling are better and better prepared for their role as teachers. You clearly have an excellent course with excellent lecturers in place.

Deputy Head Teacher Pupil Support, Alloa Academy

Discover Uni

Discover Uni provides official data on each university's undergraduate courses, including satisfaction scores from the National Student Survey, details of graduate jobs and salaries, and other key information for prospective students.

• 72% of students were satisfied overall with their course.
• 81% of students say teaching staff have supported their learning well.
• 81% in work or doing further study 15 months after the course.

For more official course information visit Discover Uni

Flexible study

Are you interested in more than one of our courses? You might not have to choose between them. Here at Stirling, we believe in choice and offer more than 170 course combinations.

Education (Secondary) can be combined with any of the following courses:

• Biology
• English Studies
• English Studies and Religion
• Geography - Environmental Geography
• French
• French and Spanish and Latin American Studies
• History and Politics
• History
• History and Sociology
• Mathematics
• Philosophy and Religion
• Sport

For a combined honours degree where the two subjects have different entry requirements, you will usually be asked to meet the higher entry requirement.

Find out more about degree flexibility and how you can take combined courses.

Related courses

• BA (Hons) / BSc (Hons) Education (Primary)
• BA (Hons) Professional Education (Secondary, Chemistry or Physics)
• BA Teaching Qualification for Further Education (TQFE) - in-service
• BA Teaching Qualification for Further Education (TQFE) - pre-service
• BSc (Hons) Environmental Geography and Outdoor Education
• BSc (Hons) Environmental Science and Outdoor Education