Adult and Continuing Education Leadership
Degree Program
Mission Statement
Distinct Values of Our Program
What Makes Our Program Unique?
Graduate Study
Focus Areas
Degree ProgramThe degree program with a concentration in adult and continuing education leadership prepares students for positions of leadership in a wide range of postsecondary programs, including vocational and technical education, university extension, continuing education, training and human resource development, adult basic education, adult literacy, and community education.

One of the greatest needs of our time is that of providing educational opportunities for adults to participate in continuous and lifelong learning. To meet this need, adult and continuing education organizations are being challenged to use new technologies, innovative methods, and alternative approaches as they seek to reach wider audiences. Inclusive continuing education is crucial if adults are to understand and influence the dramatic changes in the world in which they live.

The increasing inter-relatedness and inter-dependency of political, social, and economic forces, the increasing pressure for continuous improvements in quality along with reduced cycle times, the accelerating tempo of scientific and technological innovation, changing patterns of living resulting from shifting demographics, and the pervasive influence of mass communications, are examples of some of the factors that have wide implications for adult education.

The nature and scope of adult education is as wide and varied as the need and interests of the people it serves. It may range from adult basic education to the understanding of international affairs, from vocational training to professional development, from discussions of the Great Books to labor-management relations. Whatever the interest or need, adults turn to continuing education as the means of solving their problems and building their futures.

Adult education institutional methods are equally diverse. These include correspondence study, distance learning, video and teleconferencing, apprenticeship, on-the-job training, on-line and performance support systems, classes, discussion groups, conferences, lecture series, informal meetings, and community development networks. Techniques used include "live" or mediated lectures, panels, forums, demonstrations, discussions, and simulations. Activities may extend over a few days, as in the case of some workshops and conferences, or may continue over extended periods of time with mixed methods and a variety of participants.

Nearly all educational agencies and institutions recognize or assume some responsibilities for adult education. In addition to schools, colleges, universities, and other educational institutions, most museums, libraries, industrial organizations, labor unions, professional societies, military establishments, hospitals, religious organizations, trade associations, state and local governments, prisons, and a host of political, charitable, social health, civic, ethnic, and other community organizations, carry on adult education programs. This vast expansion of programming calls for a corresponding expansion in trained leadership. Interesting and challenging career opportunities are open to those who would like to work with adults.

Among the skills desirable in the adult educator are those needed to plan, develop, and implement a variety of educational programs to meet the broad spectrum of adult needs for education in today's dynamic and complex society. The career adult educator should have broad intellectual interests, deep personal concern for solving human and social problems, and thorough understanding of effective methods for teaching and working with adults. These skills and abilities can be developed by engaging in a program of professional training.

It is estimated that today's need for adult educators exceeds 100,000 full-time positions, and is growing. Relatively few persons are available who hold graduate degrees in adult education. There is a definite trend among major adult educational agencies to fill vacant positions with professional adult educators who have acquired advanced degrees in the field.

Students who undertake graduate study in adult education at UWM can usually be grouped in one of two categories: those with experience in the field who desire greater understanding of principles, theory, philosophy, and methodology, and those with little or no experience in adult education seeking to move into the field.


Mission StatementThe Department of Administrative Leadership contributes to the development of competent, inquiring educational leaders, particularly for service in urban metropolitan areas. These leaders require advanced preparation to meet the broad spectrum of learning needs that exist in today's dynamic and complex society.


Distinct Values of Our Program

• We value and prize adult learners and their quest for transformational learning opportunities.
• We strive to provide quality teaching and to produce research that meet learners' needs, yet stimulate critical thinking and provide a foundation for life-long learning.
• We are committed to the creation and dissemination of new knowledge.

What Makes Our Program Unique?

• We share a "student first" attitude that places emphasis on the interests and learning needs of students.
• We are flexible in our approach to students' assignments and course work, yet we strive for academic excellence and the development of highly competent, confident and successful professionals.
• We strive to assist students in connecting theory to practice.

Graduate Study

The graduate courses taken by each student are recommended on the basis of the student's undergraduate preparation and the nature of the student's particular interest or adult education responsibility.

The adult education graduate program for full-time or part-time students includes the following:
(1) Academic study based on the knowledge of the social sciences and educational research applicable to adult education

(2) An academic program designed around the special interest, training and problems of students, and the organizations in which they work or hope to work, either in the U.S.A. or abroad

(3) Utilization of the resources of the other schools and divisions of the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee and the community and cultural resources of metropolitan Milwaukee in development of each student's program, and

(4) Provisions for supervised field intern experience where appropriate.

Focus Areas"Focus areas" in adult and continuing education have been developed around core competencies and skills integral to professional adult educators' roles. Focus areas address the needs of those wishing to develop expertise in:

• Administration and Program Development
• Vocational and Technical Education
• Human Resources and Workforce Development
• Educational Technology and Instructional Design for Adults

In addition, a customized focus area allows students to tailor programs to fit specialized interests, e.g., adult literacy, higher education administration, student services, etc.