Adult Education
Adult Education
Welcome to the Adult Education Program at Penn State: one of the leading international programs in the study and practice of adult teaching and learning! As the oldest program of study in the Department of Learning and Performance Systems, Penn State's Adult Education Program has been ranked in the top three university programs around the world for over two decades, in terms of its research productivity* and scholarly contributions (measured by faculty/student publications in top ranking, peer-reviewed journals).
More recently, our Adult Education Program was ranked second internationally (among more than 50 programs in a dozen countries), based on the decade of scholarly publication from 1993 to 2002*. Such work is typically the fruit of extended, creative collaboration between our program faculty and our doctoral students. The diverse backgrounds and interests of our doctoral students and faculty mentors have consistently generated articles on varying issues and topics such as adult teaching and learning, HRD and workplace learning, civic engagement and democratic participation, adult and family literacy, and distance education. Newly emerging areas of interest and publication from our program include aspects of lifelong learning within a rapidly changing, globalized world.
We welcome your interest in our program! Adult Education is a diverse field of practice, research and scholarship that fosters an understanding of the different ways in which adults learn and different ways they may be helped to learn—whether on their own, in groups, in the community, or in organizational settings.
Students of Adult Education develop their ability to teach adults, plan adult learning experiences, guide communities in capacity-building, foster learning for advocacy and action, as well as conduct research regarding the teaching and learning of adults in these settings and beyond. Our students provide leadership through scholarly and hands-on activities in a wide variety of positions across the field of education, and around the world! Please click on the following link to view dissertations directed by Adult Education faculty.
We offer the following degrees:
Our M.Ed. via the World Campus
Our D.Ed. doctoral degree is offered in two locations: at the University Park campus and at Penn State Harrisburg.
Our Ph.D. doctoral degree is offered on the University Park campus only and requires full-time residency.
Related Academic Programs:
Certificate Program in Medical Adult Education at Penn State Harrisburg.
Adult Education courses are also offered in the evening at many Penn State Continuing Education locations across the state. For further information, please visit http://www.outreach.psu.edu/adult-learners/
For those students interested in pursuing a dual-title degree program, please see The College of Education's Comparative and International Dual Title Degree Program.
Adult Education Program
314 Keller Building
University Park, PA 16802
For More Information Contact: Courtney Robison, cjr24@psu.edu, (814) 863-2596.
*Rachal, J.R. & David, W.W.V. (2005, May). Institutional and individual publication productivity in selected adult education journals, 1993-2002. The Canadian Journal for the Study of Adult Education, 19(1), 1-20.
