Higher Education and Adult Learning*

Actively engaging adult learners requires a unique set of skills and a broad understanding of adult development. The Higher Education and Adult Learning specialization was created specifically to improve the competencies of adult educators. Whether you teach at a community college or provide training for adults in a school district or corporate setting, this specialization has the versatility to meet your professional goals.

This curriculum is uniquely designed to teach research skills within content-specific courses, allowing you to immediately apply knowledge to practice. The combination of core content, research skills, and your final doctoral study project leads to your development as an innovative and critical thinker who is prepared to examine, experiment, and reflect on practices that empower adults to be lifelong learners.

Completion Requirements

• 54 minimum semester credit hours
  • Foundations course (6 sem. cr.)
  • Applied Research (6 sem. cr.)
  • Core courses (24 sem. cr.)
  • Project Study (6 sem. cr.)
  • Doctoral study intensive (a minimum of 12 sem. cr.)
• 1 face-to-face residency
• ePortfolio

Estimated time to completion: 3 years, depending on individual progress. For a personalized estimate of your time to completion, call your enrollment advisor at 1-866-492-5336.

Course Code	Course Title	Credits
	Semester 1
EDUC 8100	Foundations: Higher Education and Adult Learning	6
	Semester 2
EDUC 8101	How Adults Learn: Theory and Research	6
	Semester 3
EDUC 8102	Applied Research in Education	6
	Semester 4
EDUC 8103	Designing and Assessing Learning Experiences	6
	Semester 5
EDUC 8104	Facilitating Adult Learning	6
	Semester 6
EDUC 8105	Adult Learning: Trends, Issues, Global Perspectives	6
	Semester 7
EDUC 8106	Project Study: Research in Practice	6
EDUC 8080	Doctoral Study Companion
	Semester 8
EDUC 8090	Doctoral Study Intensive	6
	Semester 9
EDUC 8090	Doctoral Study Intensive	6

Course Descriptions