Education Major, PhD, Adult and Continuing Education concentration

The Adult and Continuing Education concentration of the PhD in Education Program at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, aims to provide a balance between theory and practice. The focus of the program is on helping to develop professionals who can work effectively with adult learners in a wide range of settings and under a host of situations. This internationally recognized graduate program offers learning experiences that prepare individuals to work with a diverse range of adult learners and to live and work in increasingly globalized knowledge societies and more culturally sensitive environments.

The Adult and Continuing Education Concentration of PhD in Education Program prepares students for careers as scholars and practitioners who work with adult learners in a wide variety of settings. The program consists of (1) continuous research or inquiry, (2) courses and professional experiences in adult education and other related fields designed to develop a comprehensive academic basis for future work in research and teaching, and (3) other learning and developmental experiences tailored to individual needs and career goals. Each student works closely with an advisor and a faculty committee who help guide students through the entire process of doctoral study.

The PhD in Education Major, Adult and Continuing Education Concentration, is designed to help students:

§ Better understand adult and continuing education in terms of its theoretical and conceptual underpinnings as well as its operation in practical situations;

§ Be further prepared for the increasingly changing demands of professional life and personal enrichment;

§ Enhance knowledge and skills in assisting adult learners with global visions;

§ Broaden ideas and competency to live and work within a knowledge society, and

§ Learn skills needed to make contributions to the areas of adult and continuing education through presentations and publication of original research.

Concentrations (Required)

Adult and Continuing Education concentration

Campus Code

Distance Education

Admissions Standards/Procedures

Students must submit an online graduate application to the Office of Graduate Admissions. Following a review of applications, an interview with the faculty is required. Admissions decisions are made on a holistic basis to discern the candidate’s promise for doctoral study and to ascertain the match of the candidate’s educational goals with the resources and goals of the program/department.
A Master’s degree is required for students who apply for admission to the concentration. For students who are admitted to the concentration, prior graduate coursework will be examined on a case-by-case basis as it might be used to satisfy the overall course requirements of the concentration.

Credit Hours Required

84 graduate credit hours

Required Courses

Basic Core Courses (27 credit hours)

Advanced Core Courses (18 credit hours)

Research Methods (15 credit hours)

Research courses must include classes in research methods, quantitative methodology, and qualitative research, as well as two additional courses as approved by the student’s advisor or the program coordinator.

EDPY 506 - Introduction to Educational Research
ESM 559 - Introduction to Qualitative Research in Education
ESM 577 - Statistics in Applied Fields I
ESM 533 - Program Evaluation I
ACED 530 - Methods of Action Research
And one advanced qualitative methods course approved by the program coordinator

Dissertation Research (24 credit hours)

ACED 600 - Doctoral Research and Dissertation

Additional Course Requirements

The curriculum is structured in terms of a core, an advanced core, research methods requirements, a cognate, electives, and dissertation research. In most cases, students will be expected to successfully complete requisite 500-level courses or their equivalents prior to enrolling in advanced courses at the 600-level. Courses that constitute the several areas for the curriculum are shown above. In some circumstances, a student may substitute other graduate courses upon approval by their major advisor.

Non-Course Requirements

Doctoral candidates work closely with their advisor to complete a dissertation proposal. A candidate will present the proposal to the dissertation committee, and once approved by all committee members, will begin work on the dissertation research. With the advisor’s approval, the candidate will schedule an oral defense for the dissertation. During the dissertation defense, the candidate will present the work completed for the dissertation, which will be reviewed by the dissertation committee.

Undergraduates

Graduate Students