Pre-service professional programmes are criticized for lack of quality and relevance for future professional work (Heggen, 2008; Smeby & Vågan, 2008). Graduates from professional bachelor programmes are confronted by increased demands for theoretical knowledge and practical skills. There have been a call for a stronger research orientation of these programs, but many have been sceptical to this orientation and it has been argued that it is detrimental to the vocational aim of these courses (Heggen, Karseth, & Kyvik 2010).  In the literature on professional education and training significant attention has been paid to the quality of educational programs, pedagogical strategies as well as how to link theory and practice (Benner, Sutphen, Leonard, & Day, 2010; Schön, 1987).

The point of departure for this paper is that simple dichotomies between theory and practice are inadequate to understand the challenges of professional education (Grimen, 2008). Professional competence is based on practical synthesis including ‘knowing that’ as well as ‘knowing how’ (Ryle, 1949). Related perspectives are developed as the basis for the comparative studies of professional programmes organised by the Carnegie Foundations (Sullivan, 2005).  “Coherence” and “program coherence” (Grossman, Hammerness, McDonald, & Ronfeldt, 2008) are considered appropriate to focus these challenges. Coherence is not just a way to develop practical synthesis and reduce the gap between theory and practice; it is also an important way to encourage the development of theoretical as well as practical aspects of professional competence. Learning implies development of meaningful connections to what is already known and experienced. Individuals bring something to situations, “that enables them to think, interact and perform” (Eraut, 2004, p. 202). Moreover, a trajectory perspective implying a dynamic and longitudinal perspective on professional learning (Eraut, 2010) may also be emphasised.

In the paper we will explore the relationships between students’ experienced coherence and the development of professional competence in terms of theoretical knowledge and practical skills. We will examine the impact of three types of coherence on acquired theoretical knowledge and practical skills: (a) Biographical coherence: pre-enrolment experience, (b) Program coherence: the extent to which theoretical and practical parts of curriculum are integrated in teaching and placement respectively, and (c) Transitional coherence: the relationship between learning outcome in professional education and learning outcome the first years as newly qualified professional. We focus on four professional groups: primary school teacher, pre-school teachers, nurses and social workers

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