Professional education refers to vocational programs (e.g., engineering education) as well as programs that lead to credentialing professions (e.g., teacher education and healthcare education) as well as education leading to an artistic degree. Doctoral education is also accommodated within SPETS' focus, as are internal professional development efforts for teachers and researchers working in higher education.

Within SPETS, current research is conducted on the conditions of the university and higher education, on research and teaching, supervision, and learning, on education policy and digitization. Within the SPETS arena, several important and current knowledge deficits in society have been identified for which new research is needed.