Education

Education Division comprises academic colleagues (teaching, research and scholarship) and research colleagues in a variety of different areas within education. We work alongside postgraduate students at doctoral level and master’s level, as well as students studying to become teachers in schools and colleges. We are committed to social justice and are host to the University’s Access to Degree Studies programme, which provides an alternative route to Higher Education for interested students.

The education department at Stirling undertakes research in many areas, including social justice, digital technology, curriculum making, professional learning, leadership and governance, children’s rights and participation, educational linguistics and learning for complex futures. Previously funded research has focused on promoting teachers’ in-depth professional learning to sustain system-wide change that addresses the aims of the Scottish Attainment Challenge (SAC) and identifying issues in the support of early career professionals within the induction phase.

We are passionate about education and want to attract, work with and teach like-minded people.

Access courses

Education Division hosts the University’s Access to Higher Education. This represents the only campus-based part-time pathway to degree studies in the Forth Valley area. The three Access courses (nursing, science and gateway routes) are for anyone who hopes to study an undergraduate degree course, but has few or no formal qualifications and has been out of full-time education for more than three years.

Successful completion of the course guarantees a place on a degree course at the University of Stirling.

Undergraduate study with us

Initial teacher education: Students complete concurrent undergraduate 4-year degrees in primary or secondary school teaching, where they learn to teach their subject alongside degree-level study in their specialist area.

We also offer a route to chemistry or physics teaching with our 2 year+ 2 year programme, taught in collaboration with Forth Valley College (FVC). In this newly-launched route to science teaching, students complete two years study at FVC before coming to Stirling to learn how to teach their subject.

All our Primary and Secondary Education degrees are accredited by the General Teaching Council for Scotland (GTCS).

Social Sciences undergraduate courses

Postgraduate study with us

Teaching qualifications in further education

These qualifications, which are accredited by the General Teaching Council for Scotland (GTCS), provide formal qualifications for those who are considering a lecturing career in a college or similar organisation (pre-service qualification) and those who are already teaching (in-service qualification).

The courses are currently only open to students domiciled in the UK.

PGDip Tertiary Education with Teaching Qualification (Further Education) - pre-service

PGCert Tertiary Education with Teaching Qualification (Further Education) - in-service

Doctor of Education

This doctoral route provides students with a taught grounding in educational research followed by further refinement of research skills in the crafting of a body of academic research and thesis creation. Study full-time or part-time and broaden your career opportunities.

Doctor of Education (EdD)

Masters in Research

Students are given the opportunity to build towards a future in educational research with our Masters course. Study full-time or part-time and broaden your career opportunities.

MRes Educational Research

MSc Professional Education and Leadership

Postgraduate students from schools and beyond are supported to develop professional learning and leadership practices at all levels in a supportive, flexible, creative and challenging learning environment.

MSc Professional Education and Leadership

MSc Educational Leadership (Specialist Qualification for Headship)

Students wishing to become school Head Teachers (Into Headship) and already in post (In Headship) are supported to develop professional learning and practice in educational leadership with our GTCS accredited part-time Masters courses.

MSc Educational Leadership (Specialist Qualification for Headship)

Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL)

Our in-person and online courses draw on in-depth practice from across the TESOL sector so that graduates leave Stirling with the knowledge and practical classroom skills to be a confident teacher.

MSc Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL)

MSc Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL) (Online)

MSc Education

Students will learn about and reflect on all things education in our recently-launched Masters in Education. Engaging with the material in this one-year full-time Master’s will advance students’ understanding of both UK and international education and allow specialisation in some of the most important fields in education.

MSc Education

Research

The education department at Stirling undertakes research in many areas, including social justice, digital technology, curriculum making, professional learning, leadership and governance, children’s rights and participation, educational linguistics and learning for complex futures. Previously funded research has focused on promoting teachers’ in-depth professional learning to sustain system-wide change that addresses the aims of the Scottish Attainment Challenge (SAC) and identifying issues in the support of early career professionals within the induction phase.

We are passionate about education and want to attract, work with and teach like-minded people.

Research in Education Practice / Theory