The article is devoted to the problem of training qualified teachers, who meet the requirements of the modern labor market. Special attention is paid to the development of professional competence of students in the process of their studies at the university. The correlation of the key concept of "professional competence" is considered. In the educational process, the competence approach is recognized as dominant through the creation of pedagogical conditions and situations that contribute to the formation of a certain competence in the student. The study of stylistics is an important component of the philological education of the future journalist, in addition to the actual theoretical knowledge, it is aimed at the formation and further development of students' practical skills that allow them to be successfully realized in the future professional sphere. The study of stylistics at the university is based on interdisciplinary connections; important attention is paid to the choice of optimal educational technologies, effective organization of independent work of students in academic and extracurricular time. During mastering the course, students also develop general cultural and professional competencies aimed at developing critical thinking, the ability to think logically, independently acquire new knowledge and skills with the help of information technology and integrate knowledge from various fields. Keywords: professional competence, journalism, special competencies, competence model, stylistics, functional styles.