27 Adult and Higher Education Degrees Available

A Master of Science in Adult Education may qualify you to work in a variety of instructional settings. Colleges, universities, vocational schools, local community groups, remedial instruction programs, human resource departments, and other outlets work to educate adult students with different learning needs. Some adult students are seeking high school... equivalency credentials; others need help learning English or developing basic literacy. Still others are interested in career training and postsecondary study, but don't necessarily want a college degree. In any one of these scenarios, a relevant master degree may help you qualify to work as a staff trainer, teacher, administrator, program director, or consultant.

The curriculum for a master degree program in the adult education major may include a mix of theoretical studies, research, and practical instructional training. Common core classes might include: the history and philosophy of adult education, managing adult education, program planning for adult learners, gender and learning, community education, and multicultural issues. Teaching practicum and fieldwork in your area of concentration are also common requirements.

If you are working toward state teacher licensure, as a means to becoming a publicly employed educator, an approved master degree program may help you prepare for any state-required exams or help you meet necessary student teaching hours. Many master degrees in teaching are designed to accommodate the lives of working professionals — particularly those of aspiring teachers, who may be teaching under a preliminary license.

If your career plans involve college administration or working as an adult education program director, you may choose to take courses on organizational behavior, evaluation and supervision of school personnel, school law, retention strategies, management issues in higher education, and school finance. With a Master of Science in Education Administration, you may be qualified to assume a leadership role in managing student affairs, academic affairs, student recruitment and retention, finance and planning, institutional development, technological innovation, or policy analysis.

Research is an essential part of master-level studies in adult education. You should be prepared to conduct independent research on a topic related to your area of specialty. Your findings may need to be compiled into a thesis, which you will be asked to defend before a committee of advisors. Some students with higher education aspirations work to have their research published in peer-reviewed journals or presented at education conferences; these honors can be competitive advantages when applying for positions in academia.

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