Online Education Secondary Degree :: Accredited Universities

Careers in Adult Education Are on the Rise
As businesses and organizations collectively tighten their belts, employers are adding more stringent hiring requirements for new employees, and corporations are placing a stronger emphasis on training in the workplace. Such actions have led to an increased need for qualified adult education professionals in community centers, higher education institutions, and corporate training centers.

To help meet this rising demand, Penn State World Campus has partnered with the College of Education to offer this online master's degree in adult education as well as an online graduate certificate in distance education. All of the credits you earn in the certificate program may be applied toward the requirements for the master's degree in adult education, upon your acceptance into that program.

Why Adult Education Online at Penn State?

In our program, students from diverse backgrounds and careers can come together to enhance their understanding of the unique needs of today’s adult learners and how they learn best. The courses are taught by the same world-renowned faculty who teach on campus. One of the faculty members who helped design the program is Professor Michael Moore, the founding director of the American Center for the Study of Distance Education and the founder and editor of The American Journal of Distance Education.

The curriculum covers a broad range of topics and allows you to pick concentrated areas of study, such as distance education, education technology, and family literacy. Each course focuses on preparing you to help adult learners build on their existing knowledge base and learn in a purposeful way.

Who Should Apply?

If you are a professional who is interested in working with adults in such fields as distance education, continuing professional education, adult and family literacy, corporate training, or education technology, this could be the program for you.

Please note that this program does not lead to initial teacher certification, however, this program may help you to renew your certification. Check with your state's Department of Education for exact requirements for recertification.

Career Opportunities for Graduates

Our graduates work in the following fields:

adult basic education
community education and organizing
adult and family literacy
professional and continuing education
distance education
human resource development
workplace learning
informal education
educational outreach
postsecondary education
religious education
social advocacy and action

Entry Requirements

For admission to the Graduate School, an applicant must hold either (1) a baccalaureate degree from a regionally accredited U.S. institution or (2) a tertiary (postsecondary) degree that is deemed comparable to a four-year bachelor's degree from a regionally accredited U.S. institution. This degree must be from an officially recognized degree-granting institution in the country in which it operates.

All applicants are expected to have earned a junior/senior grade point average of 3.0 or higher.

For admission to the Graduate School, an applicant must hold either (1) a baccalaureate degree from a regionally accredited U.S. institution or (2) a tertiary (postsecondary) degree that is deemed comparable to a four-year bachelor's degree from a regionally accredited U.S. institution. This degree must be from an officially recognized degree-granting institution in the country in which it operates.

All applicants are expected to have earned a junior/senior grade point average of 3.0 or higher.

Other Fees

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earning is a lifelong endeavor and trained specialists are needed to teach adult learners in postsecondary, community, and corporate settings. With coursework that is based in practice, yet grounded in current adult learning theory, the adult education and training master's degree prepares you to successfully plan and administer a wide range of training and educational programs.

Earn your adult education degree online and take your career to the next level as you become a more skilled adult educator and trainer in the following fields:

Adult basic education
Athletics coaching
Corporate training
Emergency medical services (EMS) education
English as a Second Language (ESL) instruction
Health education
Outdoor education
Many other fields involving adult learning

Entry Requirements

The adult education and training (M.Ed.) degree requires applicants to have the following:

- A bachelor's degree from a regionally-accredited institution

- GPA greater than 3.0

Applicants should submit

- Statement of purpose

- Current resume

- Three letters of recommendation

- TOEFL scores (only international applicants)

The minimum score for applicants is 80 on the internet-based test (550 on the paper-based test or 6.0 on the IELTS).

Other Fees

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Adult learners bring to class their own personal and professional experiences. They learn best through discussion, collaboration and practical application.

Our Master of Arts in Education/Adult Education and Training (MAEd/AET) degree program can help you develop the skills and expertise essential to working with adult learners in a corporate training, professional development, community college, non-profit or human services setting. The curriculum encompasses instruction in andragogical theory, the needs of adult learners, critical issues in adult learning, instructional design and strategies, assessment and the growing use of technology for successful learning in the 21st century.

The Master of Arts/Adult Education and Training (MAED/AET) program is designed for individuals interested in working with adult learners in areas such as corporate training, non-profit and community-based organizations, government, postsecondary education, and human services agencies. Learners develop competencies and expertise necessary to align education and training with strategic objectives and human services foundations across an enterprise with culturally diverse populations. Learners expand their knowledge in andragogical theory, instructional design and strategies, assessment of learning, delivering online learning, management and marketing, and technology integration. In addition, learners engage in practice through collaborative learning, social media, and community-based learning. Graduates will be able to serve adult students, colleagues, industries, and communities as expert educators and trainers.

Entry Requirements

- Have an undergraduate degree from a regionally accredited college or university, or have a comparable degree from a recognized institution outside the United States, and a cumulative GPA of 2.5 (on a 4.0 scale) as shown on the undergraduate degree posted transcript. The Master of Arts in Education/Adult Education and Training program will accept an undergraduate degree from a nationally accredited college or university.

- Provide verification of a minimum of three years of significant full-time, post-high school work experience. The Master of Arts in Education/Administration and Supervision program requires that work experience includes 18 months of instructional experience in a P–12 setting. (California residents require three years of instructional experience plus a current California credential). Please contact an Enrollment Representative to learn more about this requirement and any specific work experience requirements that may pertain to your state of residence.

- Be currently employed. If you are not currently employed, you must have access to an organizational environment that allows you to apply the concepts you learn in our courses.

- Be a citizen or permanent resident of the United States or hold an approved, valid visa, as all applicants to Master of Arts in Education programs must reside in the United States.

- Not have been expelled from a previous institution.

- Complete all required forms for admission and submit an official undergraduate degree posted transcript.

International applicants
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- Applicants without appropriate previous academic experience in an English language environment must pass the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL®), the Test of English as an International Communication (TOEIC®), the Berlitz® Online Proficiency Test, the Pearson Test of English Academic or the International English Language Testing System (IELTS®). Please contact an Enrollment Representative to learn more about this requirement if you are a non-native speaker of English.

- Applicants using international academic credentials entering a Master of Arts in Education degree program that leads to certification must use an approved foreign credential evaluation service. Please contact an Enrollment Representative to learn more about this requirement.

Other Fees

Books and supplies: $1,342

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The Masters of Science in Agricultural Education (online) is a program that can be completed entirely at a distance as there are no required on-campus courses or meetings. The program is designed for agriculture teachers in secondary and post-secondary settings, extension professionals, educators in public and private settings, and agricultural communicators. The flexibility of the program makes it possible for working professionals to obtain a master's while continuing to meet personal and professional responsibilities.

The curriculum is 30 semester hours and is flexible allowing you to create a program best suited to your needs, interests, and aspirations. You may choose to earn a specialization in agricultural extension education.

Entry Requirements

Applicants should have completed baccerealute degree in agricultural related field from a recognized institution.

English Communication Requirement: If English is not one of your primary languages you learned as a child (even if you are a US citizen), you must meet the English communication requirement in one of the following ways:
Students taking undergraduate courses should submit one of the following to the Office of Admissions: TOEFL score of 71 (iBT), 550 (PBT); IELTS score of 6.5 with no subscore below 5.5; SAT-Verbal score of 420 or ACT-English score of 16.

Other Fees

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The Master of Science (M.S.) in Business Education online degree program is designed for those engaged in teaching business concepts and studies in public, private and corporate educational institutions. The 30-credit program also assists individuals desiring initial or additional secondary teaching certification in business, computer and information technology. If you wish to pursue secondary teaching certification concurrently with this degree program, you should notify the Graduate Admissions Office of your intention to do so upon application.

Entry Requirements

Applicants must earned a bachelor's degree from an accredited institution.

International applicants
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Requires IELTS score of 6.5 or a comparable TOEFL score.

Other Fees

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