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Welcome to the Lifelong Learning and Adult Education Program (LLAED)

Your degree can open doors worldwide to successful careers in faculty and administration positions at universities and colleges or to fulfilling leadership and research positions at government and public agencies, non-governmental organizations, churches or religious organizations, adult basic education programs, healthcare providers, international organizations, and community-based organizations.

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The Ph.D. is a research degree. Graduates pursue careers in research and scholarly work. Ph.D. students in the adult education program at Penn State share a common focus on ways in which Globalization and Lifelong Learning movements shape specific adult education practices - in the home, place of worship, workplace, community, and wider society.

 

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The D.Ed. is a practitioner’s degree geared toward students who intend to pursue careers in the professional practice of adult education. Graduates are qualified to provide leadership in one or more of the following domains of adult education practice: teaching and learning, curriculum and instructional design and development, program planning and administration, or curriculum and/or program evaluation. D.Ed. students receive greater and more extensive preparation than M.Ed. students, qualifying them to assume top-level leadership positions in practice domains.

 

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The M.Ed. in Lifelong Learning and Adult Education at Penn State is a practitioner’s degree. It is geared toward students who intend to pursue careers in the professional practice of lifelong learning and adult education. Graduates are qualified to provide leadership in one or more of the domains of lifelong learning adult education practice: teaching and learning, curriculum and instructional design and development, program planning and administration, curriculum and program evaluation, or lifelong learning and adult education in the health and medical professions.

 

The M.Ed. may be earned through Penn State’s World Campus. Most students earn their M.Ed. through part-time study over two to three years. However, full-time students online through World Campus may complete the degree within one academic year. Lifelong Learning and Adult Education online courses through the World Campus are taught using a blend of web technology, print, and other media to balance flexibility and interaction effectively.

 

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The Lifelong Learning and Adult Education minor is open to all interested graduate students. This minor may be combined with any graduate major at Penn State. Only courses in which the student earns a "C" or better may be counted toward the fulfillment of the requirements.

 

Students interested in pursuing a minor in Lifelong Learning and Adult Education will need to complete a minor application. Any time there is a change to the minor application, such as a student wishes to take a different course, a new application must be submitted to the program administrative assistant per the Graduate School requirement.

 

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Professional Postbaccalaureate Certificates:

 

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Concentration in Artificial Intelligence and Distance Education - offered through our Graduate World Campus program

  • A-I 801Foundations of Artificial Intelligence
  • A-I 804Ethics of Artificial Intelligence

  • ADTED 460 Foundations of Adult Education

  • ADTED 470 Foundations of Distance Education

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Develop your ability to reach adults, plan learning experiences, guide communities in capacity-building, foster advocacy and action, and conduct research in diverse settings. Students have the opportunity to work with faculty on research and outreach endeavors, co-author publications, and present at conferences around the world. Students can pursue a dual degree in Comparative and International Education and in Women's, Gender, and Sexuality Studies. Students can choose electives that match their interests. Many students in Adult Education opt to pursue a minor or dual-title degree in Comparative and International Education (CIED), the largest CIED program in the country. The CIED dual-title degree is available for both master's and doctoral students.

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