Jobs with a master’s degree in adult education
Written by Michael Feder
Reviewed by Kathryn Uhles, MIS, MSP, Dean, College of Business and IT
Adult education, sometimes referred to as continuing education 
, is the act of teaching people basic skills and knowledge who are past the age of primary and secondary schooling. Adult learning can look like covering the basics of literacy and language, teaching non-native speakers how to speak English, or leading organizational training and development for employees.
Uses for a master's degree in adult education
What are the career options for someone with a master's degree in adult education? Becoming an instructor who helps people earn a high school diploma or high school equivalent certificate, such as the General Education Development diploma (GED), is one option. There are also roles in the business world that help employees learn new skills or receive required corporate training.
What role does adult education play in business?
Because adult education is different from primary and secondary education, this typically means there are alternative approaches to teaching and learning. Therefore, specific curricula and training are required to teach adult learners. This opens up new educational roles for those interested in both curriculum design, training management and adult education.
Businesses usually require employees to go through corporate training to learn new technology or stay up to date on trends in their industry. This is where adult education comes in. These professionals aid in employee development by creating curriculum based on their training needs. They are not only critical to providing lifelong learning opportunities to help employees stay relevant, but companies benefit as well by the cost savings associated with retaining and upskilling employees.
To succeed in developing adult learners, these employees must have an understanding of the knowledge and skills required to engage working adults. Possessing these skills can help motivate adults to reach their potential and help businesses thrive.
The Master of Arts in Education/Adult Education and Training (MAEd/AET) is a non-licensure, business-minded degree with a foundation of educational theory and practice. The MAEd/AET prepares individuals to train and educate adults and build educational programs that engage adult learners using a variety of delivery formats.
Three business-focused career paths for a Master’s Degree in Adult Education
What does it mean to prepare for a future in adult education with a Master of Arts in Education/Adult Education and Training? Well, it depends on a student's interests. If someone is interested in the business side of adult learning, such as leading workshops or developing a training curriculum, a master’s degree in adult education can help with preparation to pursue a variety of careers. Graduates of a non-licensure degree program might pursue roles such as training manager, learning and development director, and training and development director.
Let’s explore what this graduate degree can do and how helping adults meet their educational goals could become a career option.
1. Training manager
Training managers typically plan, coordinate and teach new methods that specialists, like instructors and supervisors, can use when instructing an organization’s staff in knowledge- and skills-enhancement programs.
Job duties can include overseeing training and development staff, aligning with an organization’s goals, developing and implementing training programs, and evaluating the effectiveness of programs.
These programs depend on the organization, but they can involve topics such as office productivity, teamwork workshops or safety procedures. The idea is to train staff on how to better an organization’s workforce.
To become a training manager, individuals generally need to have a combination of education and work experience. Many roles require a relevant master’s degree. However, some roles only require a bachelor’s degree.
Many employers expect work experience when looking for applicants to fill their management roles. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) reports that some training managers begin as training and development specialists to gain the necessary experience. Roles in teaching, human resources or management are all ideal first steps toward becoming a training manager.
The role doesn’t typically require industry certification, but some associations offer classes that can help improve knowledge in the training management arena. Examples of such associations are:
- Association for Talent Development
- International Society for Performance Improvement
- Society for Human Resource Management
In terms of soft skills that are helpful for employability, communication and the ability to collaborate, think critically, make decisions and lead are all good to develop.
2. Learning and development director
A master’s degree in adult education could also lead to becoming a learning and development director. Learning and development directors are similar to training managers, but instead of focusing on how to effectively manage the methods of instruction, these specialists focus on the instruction itself. Their role is generally to review and dissect existing training programs and then create and implement strategies on how to improve them.
Other job responsibilities may include:
- Implementing instructor performance review
- Consulting for organizations
- Preparing the budget
- Understanding the organization’s needs to provide relevant instruction
Education requirements for this role depend on the specific employer but can be either a bachelor’s degree or a master’s degree. Aside from school, several years of work experience is important to demonstrate the ability to lead in this role with confidence.
This is another role in which leadership, communication and decision-making are crucial. Being able to decide what needs to be implemented within specific organizations — and then communicating those needs — is vital to this role. Since director positions are typically leadership roles, it’s important that applicants feel confident and prepared to take charge.
3. Training and development director
Training and development directors might also have their master’s degree in adult education. These directors share similar responsibilities to managers in that they are responsible for leading, designing and implementing training programs that meet the needs of their organization. They take, however, a bigger-picture approach and often have a hand in many tasks. A manager typically identifies training needs, and a director guides the implementation of the solutions for those needs.
These professional job duties include:
- Instructor selection, hiring and management
- Course development and curriculum design
- Trainee assessment methods
- The tailoring of instruction to meet business-specific goals
- Collection of data on the effectiveness of each program
Because this role relies heavily on leadership, it may require candidates to hold a master’s degree. Work experience in leadership or in relevant positions can also be helpful in preparing for a director role.
Additional credentials to consider include professional certifications from such organizations as the previously mentioned Association for Talent Development or the International Society for Performance Improvement.
And, of course, it is always beneficial to stay informed on the latest trends and technologies related to training and development. This information might be found through relevant conferences, webinars and workshop classes.
For example, the Training Industry Conference & Expo takes place at least twice a year and offers networking opportunities, breakout sessions and other discussions regarding organizational obstacles and solutions. Lifelong learners you might enjoy this aspect of the role.
As these examples illustrate, education doesn’t apply only to K-12 students or even college students. A lifelong learning mindset means adults can benefit from ongoing training — and they need training and development specialists to provide it.
Learn more about getting a master’s degree in adult education
Are you an adult learner who is interested in earning a master’s degree in adult education to achieve your educational goals? University of Phoenix offers a non-licensure Master of Arts in Education/Adult Education and Training degree and other online education programs .
Contact University of Phoenix for more information .
Ashley Bartley, MAEd
Associate Dean, College of Education
“The University of Phoenix MAEd/AET program prepares candidates especially well for a career in a business setting by preparing candidates to understand the process of organizational change and how to communicate effectively to stakeholders, as well as evaluate the educational and training needs of an organization.”
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
A graduate of Johns Hopkins University and its Writing Seminars program and winner of the Stephen A. Dixon Literary Prize, Michael Feder brings an eye for detail and a passion for research to every article he writes. His academic and professional background includes experience in marketing, content development, script writing and SEO. Today, he works as a multimedia specialist at University of Phoenix where he covers a variety of topics ranging from healthcare to IT.
ABOUT THE REVIEWER
Currently Dean of the College of Business and Information Technology, Kathryn Uhles has served University of Phoenix in a variety of roles since 2006. Prior to joining University of Phoenix, Kathryn taught fifth grade to underprivileged youth in Phoenix.
This article has been vetted by University of Phoenix's editorial advisory committee.
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