Distance Education Postbaccalaureate Credit Certificate Program

Person-in-ChargeSusan Land
Program CodeDISTED
Campus(es)World Campus

The certificate in Distance Education is a postbaccalaureate program designed for educators, administrators, and trainers who want to expand their knowledge and build competencies in the field of distance education, online learning, and open education. The program provides a systems view of how to structure successful distance learning experiences for higher education, corporate, healthcare, military, non-profit, K-12, and community-based settings. The goal of the program is to provide a solid historical foundation and to assist students in learning the latest trends, issues, research, design, and applications within the field of distance education - while experiencing them firsthand as a student.

Effective Semester: Fall 2021
Expiration Semester: Fall 2026

Admission Requirements

Applicants apply for admission to the program via the Graduate School application for admission. Requirements listed here are in addition to Graduate Council policies listed under GCAC-300 Admissions Policies. International applicants may be required to satisfy an English proficiency requirement; see GCAC-305 Admission Requirements for International Students for more information.

Applicants must submit the following materials:

Certificate Requirements

Requirements listed here are in addition to requirements listed in Graduate Council policy GCAC-212 Postbaccalaureate Credit Certificate Programs.

The certificate program consists of 9 credits of course work in Lifelong Learning and Adult Education (ADTED) of which 6 credits must be at the 500 level.

Required Courses
ADTED 470Introduction to Distance Education3
ADTED 531Course Design and Development in Distance Education3
ADTED 532Research and Evaluation in Distance Education3
Total Credits9

Courses

Graduate courses carry numbers from 500 to 699 and 800 to 899. Advanced undergraduate courses numbered between 400 and 499 may be used to meet some graduate degree requirements when taken by graduate students. Courses below the 400 level may not. A graduate student may register for or audit these courses in order to make up deficiencies or to fill in gaps in previous education but not to meet requirements for an advanced degree.

Contact

Campus World Campus
Graduate Program Head Susan Land
Director of Graduate Studies (DGS) or Professor-in-Charge (PIC) Heather Toomey Zimmerman
Program Contact

Whitney A DeShong
303 Keller Building
University Park PA 16802
wad5021@psu.edu
(814) 865-0473

Program Website View