diff --git a/backend/db_construct.sql b/backend/db_construct.sql
index 6f3ccfab..30744372 100644
--- a/backend/db_construct.sql
+++ b/backend/db_construct.sql
@@ -1,8 +1,8 @@
-CREATE TYPE role_options AS ENUM ('student', 'teacher', 'admin');
+CREATE TYPE role AS ENUM ('STUDENT', 'TEACHER', 'ADMIN');
 
 CREATE TABLE users (
 	uid VARCHAR(255),
-	role role_options NOT NULL,
+	role role NOT NULL,
 	PRIMARY KEY(uid)
 );
 
diff --git a/backend/project/models/user.py b/backend/project/models/user.py
index cd892a91..8fc167c5 100644
--- a/backend/project/models/user.py
+++ b/backend/project/models/user.py
@@ -19,4 +19,4 @@ class User(db.Model):
 
     __tablename__ = "users"
     uid: str = Column(String(255), primary_key=True)
-    role: Role = Column(EnumField(Role))
+    role: Role = Column(EnumField(Role), nullable=False)
diff --git a/backend/project/utils/authentication.py b/backend/project/utils/authentication.py
index 241aee2f..4d1ff2a1 100644
--- a/backend/project/utils/authentication.py
+++ b/backend/project/utils/authentication.py
@@ -11,7 +11,7 @@
 
 from project import db
 
-from project.models.user import User
+from project.models.user import User,Role
 from project.models.course import Course
 from project.models.project import Project
 from project.models.submission import Submission
@@ -62,9 +62,11 @@ def return_authenticated_user_id():
     
     if user:
         return auth_user_id
-    role = 'student'
+    
+    # Use the Enum here
+    role = Role.STUDENT
     if user_info["jobTitle"] != None:
-        role = 'teacher'
+        role = Role.TEACHER
     
     # add user if not yet in database
     try:
@@ -89,7 +91,7 @@ def is_teacher(auth_user_id):
                         "url": f"{API_URL}/users"}, 500
     if not user: # should realistically never happen
             abort(500, "A database error occured")
-    if user.role == 'teacher':
+    if user.role == Role.TEACHER:
         return True
     return False
 
diff --git a/backend/tests/conftest.py b/backend/tests/conftest.py
index 67313ba0..55c564c2 100644
--- a/backend/tests/conftest.py
+++ b/backend/tests/conftest.py
@@ -6,7 +6,7 @@
 from project.sessionmaker import engine, Session
 from project.db_in import db
 from project.models.course import Course
-from project.models.user import User
+from project.models.user import User,Role
 from project.models.project import Project
 from project.models.course_relation import CourseStudent,CourseAdmin
 from project.models.submission import Submission
@@ -34,10 +34,10 @@ def db_session():
 def users():
     """Return a list of users to populate the database"""
     return [
-        User(uid="brinkmann", role='admin'),
-        User(uid="laermans", role='admin'),
-        User(uid="student01", role='student'),
-        User(uid="student02", role='student')
+        User(uid="brinkmann", role=Role.ADMIN),
+        User(uid="laermans", role=Role.ADMIN),
+        User(uid="student01", role=Role.STUDENT),
+        User(uid="student02", role=Role.STUDENT)
     ]
 
 def courses():
diff --git a/backend/tests/endpoints/conftest.py b/backend/tests/endpoints/conftest.py
index 54d6b833..a094e6cc 100644
--- a/backend/tests/endpoints/conftest.py
+++ b/backend/tests/endpoints/conftest.py
@@ -6,7 +6,7 @@
 from zoneinfo import ZoneInfo
 import pytest
 from sqlalchemy import create_engine
-from project.models.user import User
+from project.models.user import User,Role
 from project.models.course import Course
 from project.models.course_share_code import CourseShareCode
 from project import create_app_with_db
@@ -46,7 +46,7 @@ def valid_user():
     """
     return {
         "uid": "w_student",
-        "role": 'student'
+        "role": Role.STUDENT
     }
 
 @pytest.fixture
@@ -73,10 +73,10 @@ def valid_user_entries(session):
     Returns a list of users that are in the database
     """
     users = [
-        User(uid="del", role='teacher'),
-        User(uid="pat", role='teacher'),
-        User(uid="u_get", role='teacher'),
-        User(uid="query_user", role='admin')]
+        User(uid="del", role=Role.TEACHER),
+        User(uid="pat", role=Role.TEACHER),
+        User(uid="u_get", role=Role.TEACHER),
+        User(uid="query_user", role=Role.ADMIN)]
 
     session.add_all(users)
     session.commit()
@@ -127,7 +127,7 @@ def app():
 @pytest.fixture
 def course_teacher_ad():
     """A user that's a teacher for testing"""
-    ad_teacher = User(uid="Gunnar", role='teacher')
+    ad_teacher = User(uid="Gunnar", role=Role.TEACHER)
     return ad_teacher
 
 @pytest.fixture
@@ -177,7 +177,7 @@ def client(app):
 @pytest.fixture
 def valid_teacher_entry(session):
     """A valid teacher for testing that's already in the db"""
-    teacher = User(uid="Bart", role='teacher')
+    teacher = User(uid="Bart", role=Role.TEACHER)
     session.add(teacher)
     session.commit()
     return teacher
@@ -204,7 +204,7 @@ def valid_course_entry(session, valid_course):
 def valid_students_entries(session):
     """Valid students for testing that are already in the db"""
     students = [
-        User(uid=f"student_sel2_{i}", role='student')
+        User(uid=f"student_sel2_{i}", role=Role.STUDENT)
         for i in range(3)
     ]
     session.add_all(students)
diff --git a/backend/tests/endpoints/user_test.py b/backend/tests/endpoints/user_test.py
index a249c8e2..e93f8357 100644
--- a/backend/tests/endpoints/user_test.py
+++ b/backend/tests/endpoints/user_test.py
@@ -11,7 +11,7 @@
 import pytest
 from sqlalchemy.orm import sessionmaker
 from sqlalchemy import create_engine
-from project.models.user import User
+from project.models.user import User,Role
 from project.db_in import db
 from tests import db_url
 
@@ -24,12 +24,12 @@ def user_db_session():
     db.metadata.create_all(engine)
     session = Session()
     session.add_all(
-            [User(uid="del", role='teacher'),
-             User(uid="pat", role='teacher'),
-             User(uid="u_get", role='teacher'),
-             User(uid="query_user", role='admin')
-             ]
-        )
+        [User(uid="del", role=Role.TEACHER),
+         User(uid="pat", role=Role.TEACHER),
+         User(uid="u_get", role=Role.TEACHER),
+         User(uid="query_user", role=Role.ADMIN)
+         ]
+    )
     session.commit()
     yield session
     session.rollback()
@@ -117,12 +117,12 @@ def test_get_one_user_wrong_authentication(self, client, valid_user_entry):
     def test_patch_user(self, client, valid_user_entry):
         """Test updating a user."""
 
-        if valid_user_entry.role == 'teacher':
-            new_role = 'admin'
-        if valid_user_entry.role == 'admin':
-            new_role = 'student'
+        if valid_user_entry.role == Role.TEACHER:
+            new_role = Role.ADMIN
+        if valid_user_entry.role == Role.ADMIN:
+            new_role = Role.STUDENT
         else:
-            new_role = 'teacher'
+            new_role = Role.TEACHER
 
         response = client.patch(f"/users/{valid_user_entry.uid}", json={
             'role': new_role
@@ -132,17 +132,17 @@ def test_patch_user(self, client, valid_user_entry):
     def test_patch_non_existent(self, client):
         """Test updating a non-existent user."""
         response = client.patch("/users/-20", json={
-            'role': 'teacher'
+            'role': Role.TEACHER
         })
         assert response.status_code == 403 # Patching is not allowed
 
     def test_patch_non_json(self, client, valid_user_entry):
         """Test sending a non-JSON patch request."""
         valid_user_form = asdict(valid_user_entry)
-        if valid_user_form["role"] == 'teacher':
-            valid_user_form["role"] = 'student'
+        if valid_user_form["role"] == Role.TEACHER:
+            valid_user_form["role"] = Role.STUDENT
         else:
-            valid_user_form["role"] = 'teacher'
+            valid_user_form["role"] = Role.TEACHER
         response = client.patch(f"/users/{valid_user_form['uid']}", data=valid_user_form)
         assert response.status_code == 403 # Patching is not allowed
 
@@ -155,4 +155,4 @@ def test_get_users_with_query(self, client, valid_user_entries):
         # Check that the response contains only the user that matches the query
         users = response.json["data"]
         for user in users:
-            assert user["role"] == 'admin'
+            assert user["role"] == Role.ADMIN
diff --git a/backend/tests/models/user_test.py b/backend/tests/models/user_test.py
index 652c79ff..3433c7c9 100644
--- a/backend/tests/models/user_test.py
+++ b/backend/tests/models/user_test.py
@@ -3,14 +3,14 @@
 from pytest import raises, mark
 from sqlalchemy.orm import Session
 from sqlalchemy.exc import IntegrityError
-from project.models.user import User
+from project.models.user import User,Role
 
 class TestUserModel:
     """Class to test the User model"""
 
     def test_create_user(self, session: Session):
         """Test if a user can be created"""
-        user = User(uid="user01", role='student')
+        user = User(uid="user01", role=Role.STUDENT)
         session.add(user)
         session.commit()
         assert session.get(User, "user01") is not None
@@ -21,14 +21,14 @@ def test_query_user(self, session: Session):
         assert session.query(User).count() == 4
         teacher = session.query(User).filter_by(uid="brinkmann").first()
         assert teacher is not None
-        assert teacher.role == 'teacher'
+        assert teacher.role == Role.TEACHER
 
     def test_update_user(self, session: Session):
         """Test if a user can be updated"""
         student = session.query(User).filter_by(uid="student01").first()
-        student.is_admin = True
+        student.role = Role.ADMIN
         session.commit()
-        assert session.get(User, "student01").is_admin
+        assert session.get(User, "student01").role == Role.ADMIN
 
     def test_delete_user(self, session: Session):
         """Test if a user can be deleted"""