Program Overview
Master of Arts in Adult Education
Earn your Master of Arts in adult education from the University of the District of Columbia (UDC) to further your education, advance your career and strengthen your skills as an impactful educator.
Adult education is a diverse field of practice, research and scholarship that focuses on how adults learn and how to facilitate that learning. If you choose to pursue the adult education certificate program, you will learn to teach adults, plan adult learning experiences, guide communities in capacity-building and nurture learning for advocacy and action in a variety of settings.
While pursuing your degree, you will select and pursue one of the following concentrations:
- Adult basic education (literacy; teaching English as a second language; developmental/ remedial education; general equivalency diploma (GED) preparation; and workforce development and training)
- Human resource management and development
- Leadership and administration in adult education
- Health services
- Gerontology
With only six to 10 students in each class on average, you're sure to receive the hands-on learning you've been looking for among a close-knit group of peers. After completing the program, you'll be well-equipped to secure a rewarding career in education, non-profit, public or private organizations at the national or global levels.
Our versatile program was developed to cater to students with an undergraduate degree or higher looking to provide instruction, training, resources or other services to adults in academic or vocational settings. The program was also designed for those who are seeking credentials and licensure in adult education and learning, or who seek professional development in a variety of high-demand career positions or to continue their own education in a doctoral program.
Our program at UDC also reflects both local and national trends in adult education, aligning with the characteristics of andragogy (the theory and practice of educating adults). It is strategically designed to prioritize customization for specific learning needs through the use of self-directed learning strategies including academic plans and self-assessments. In addition, our program was built on several unique pillars including:
- Curriculum that accords with DC's Municipal Regulation and OSSE's Adult Educator Preparation Standards.
- An innovative design that embraces core principles of effective adult learning, placing students at the center of their education—a noteworthy shift from the traditional K-12 model.
- Framework promoting the continual building of practice, use of instructional technology, reflective thinking and research orientation.
- Diverse areas of concentration reflecting the emerging workforce and socio-economic labor market indicators for growth in the D.C. area.
- A graduate-level adult education program that is offered entirely online to better fit with your bust schedule.
- Option for those who have completed the graduate certificate program to transfer 21 of the 24 credits earned to the M.A. program, with only 15 credits of coursework remaining to earn the degree.
In addition to your degree, we are proud to offer featured resources and skill-based development. If you are a scholar-practitioner who requires a practicum site for your capstone requirement or an internship to gain experience in facilitating learning in adulthood, you'll receive the opportunity to partner with OSSE AFE and other WIC agencies at their sponsored IE&T adult education program providers, or at a UDC-approved site that may better meet your particular learning needs.