Program Overview
Graduate Certificate in Adult Education
Advance your teaching career with a graduate certificate in adult education from the University of the District of Columbia! As you participate in small classes (6-10 students on average) and advance using the cohort model, you will not only receive a personalized learning experience, but you'll have the opportunity to build personal and professional relationships sure to last a lifetime.
This versatile program is designed for students with an undergraduate degree (or higher) seeking:
- To provide training, instruction, resources and other services to adults in academic and vocational settings
- Credential or licensure in adult education and learning
- Professional development for a variety of high-demand career positions in public, private, non-profit, higher education or corporate America
- Meet the rigorous requirements to transition into a doctoral program
The graduate certificate program is co-sponsored by OSSE AFE to provide credentials and professional development to academic and vocational instructors, administrators and staff in their sub-grantee programs that offer integrated education and training to adult learners in the District.
UDC offers the only graduate-level adult education program in the region with a strong hands-on component, designed to provide you with the education and experience you need to excel in your teaching career.
Not only is our curriculum strategically aligned with DC's Municipal Regulation and OSSE's Audit Educator Preparation Standards, but it's innovative design embraces core andragogy (adult education) principles of effective adult learning, placing students at the center of their education (a significant shift from the traditional K-12 model).
Through its application framework, our program will help you learn to:
- Build your practice.
- Implement the use of instructional technology.
- Apply reflective thinking.
- Engage in research orientation.
The adult education program consists of diverse areas of concentration reflecting the emerging workforce and socio-economic labor market indicators for growth across the District and the region. To ensure that you receive the tools needed to teach any and every kind of learner throughout your career, our faculty are proud to provide a nuanced learning environment for you and your peers.
Your academic opportunities don't stop there! After you have successfully finished the program, you will have the option of transferring 21 of the 24 credits earned to the M.A. program, leaving only 15 credits of coursework then remaining to earn your master's! Additionally, if you are a scholar-practitioner requiring a practicum site for your capstone requirement or an internship to gain experience in facilitating adult learning, you will have the opportunity to partner with OSSE AFE and other WIC agencies at their sponsored IE&T adult education program providers or at UDC-approved sites.