Master’s Degree in Adult Learning with Adult Disabilities Concentration
Now accepting applicationsDeadlines: March 15 for Summer and Fall semester entry; November 1 for Spring entry
The Teaching and Learning Department in the School of Education at Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU) is now accepting applications for the M. Ed. in Adult Learning with a focal area concentration in Adults with Disabilities.
The application form for admission to the program can be found on http://www.vcu.edu/graduate/ps/admission.html. Deadline for Summer and Fall semesters is March 15 for receipt of all application materials, and November 1 for Spring semester entry into the program. Prospective students should contact Dr. Terry Carter, tjcarter@vcu.edu or (804) 827-2628 for more information on the program, including the date and time of the next prospective student information session.
Overview of the Program
The M.Ed. in Adult Learning is a 39-credit hour program of study that prepares individuals for a broad range of positions related to the education of adult learners. The program is taught on the Virginia Commonwealth University Monroe Park Campus in a traditional face-to-face classroom format with small classes and personalized instruction. Class times are late afternoons and evenings, designed for students who are also working adults.
The M.Ed. in Adult Learning provides a three-course foundation in educational research, evaluation, and adult development. A strong core of seven courses related to the design, development, and delivery of adult learning programs and activities comprises the major portion of the curriculum. The emphasis is upon equipping an educator of adults with the requisite knowledge, skills, and dispositions to work with a broad array of adult learners in business and industry, government, education, non-profit, and community and human service agencies. The program also addresses the needs of educators who work with multicultural adult learners and those with special needs.
In the last year of the program, students select one of three specialization tracks for a three-course concentration in Adult Literacy, Human Resource Development, or Adults with Disabilities. The last course in the program, a Capstone Seminar in Action Learning, reunites students from all three specialty tracks for a comprehensive synthesis of learning as they work in action learning teams to solve a real problem of strategic importance to an organization in the community.
Courses within the Adults with Disabilities track focus on employment challenges for adults with disabilities and how they can be addressed. These three courses are intended to be taken sequentially after the student has a solid grounding in adult learning theory and practice upon completion of the core adult learning curriculum.
The first course in the series, SEDP 616, an Introduction to Disability Studies, Community Services and Business Networks, examines disability history, theory and current thinking in the field of disability studies. Changes in philosophy, legislation and policy over the past four decades trace the paradigm shift that led to our current conceptualization of disability. Students will investigate the community services and resources available to support individuals with disabilities, as well as new trends in business partnerships and employment service models that promote the economic self-sufficiency for adults with disabilities.
In SEDP 618, Strategies for Managing Disabilities in the Workplace, students examine employer perceptions of the obstacles to hiring and retaining workers with disabilities and the key components of accommodating adults with disabilities in the workplace. Students gain a basic understanding of the principles and practices of disability management as well as technological advances that can be used to train adults with disabilities in the workplace.
The last course in the sequence, TEDU 651, is an online special topics seminar in Competitive Employment for Individuals with Disabilities. It is designed to provide an extensive overview of how to facilitate competitive jobs for individuals with significant disabilities. The course also provides web access to nationally known trainers within the convenience of home. Six lessons are posted online every two weeks. Participants can access this information at any time of the day to complete the assignments. Approximately 6-8 hours should be allowed per lesson for course completion. Interaction is encouraged via discussion groups, e-mail, and individualized conversations with course instructors.
A unique feature of the M. Ed. in Adult Learning program is the Portfolio Assessment, which, in combination with the Capstone Seminar, replaces a comprehensive examination requirement. For the portfolio, students are required to write a reflective essay at the end of each core and specialty track course taken, evaluating their learning experiences and how they intend to apply what has been learned. The reflective essay, along with a copy of the student’s “best work” from each course is placed in the portfolio, to be reviewed at the end of the program by the student and his or her advisor. The portfolio serves as a demonstration of the graduate’s abilities to a prospective employer.
Courses - The program requires 39 hours in the following areas:
Foundations Component - 9 hours
EDUS 660 Research Methods in Education
EDUS 604 Adult Development
EDUS 661 Educational Evaluation: Methods & Designs
Adult Learning Component – 21 hours
ADLT 601 The Adult Learner
SELD 688 Lifespan Issues for Adults with Learning and Behavioral Disabilities
ADLT 602 Adult Program Planning, Management, and Design
ADLT 603 Learning Strategies for Adults
ADLT 610 Consulting Skills in Adult Learning Environments
ADLT 612 Learning in Groups and Teams
ADLT 636 Capstone Seminar in Action Learning
Specialty Track Component - 9 credits in one of the following three concentrations:
Adult Literacy Track
TEDU 552 Teaching English as a Second Language
READ 602 Literacy for Adults
TEDU 681 Investigations and Trends in Teaching: Issues in Adult Literacy
Human Resource Development Track
ADLT 620 Human Resource Development Overview
ADLT 623 Organizational Learning
ADLT 625 Change Strategies for HRD Practitioners
Adults with Disabilities Track
SEDP 616 Introduction to Disability Studies, Community Services and Business
Networks
SEDP 618 Strategies for Managing Disabilities in the Workplace
TEDU 651 Topics in Special Education: Competitive Employment for Individuals
with Disabilities
For more information, please contact Dr. Terry Carter at tjcarter@vcu.edu
or (804) 827-2628.
