Programs & Degrees

We see the teaching of English as more than just a school subject. Our vision of English education involves young people reading and writing not only to develop school or workplace skills, but also to understand and change their own lives and the world they (and we) live in.  In this vision, literacy is a powerful tool for learning and action, and the English classroom is a site of authentic encounters with important ideas-- both in the texts young people read and in the ones they create.

The Department of Curriculum and Instruction at Penn State offers undergraduate and graduate degrees and many options for teacher certification.

There is a growing demand for graduates of teacher education programs. This department offers professional programs leading to certification in early childhood (PK-4), middle-level education (grades 4-8), and in a variety of discipline areas leading to certification at the secondary-school level. Admission to a specific teacher certification program occurs only after a student applies to a particular program during or at the conclusion of the freshman year. This department also provides a variety of clinical field experiences, including student teaching.

The mission of Penn State’s Workforce Education and Development program is to promote excellence, opportunity, and leadership among professionals in the field of workforce education and development, including professionals employed in secondary and postsecondary education institutions, social services, employee organizations, and private sector businesses.

Faculty in the program strive to attain a cost-effective academic program that is recognized nationally as among the best of its type in scholarship, leadership, and professional preparation.

We appreciate your interest in our program. It is one of the oldest academic programs offered by Penn State.

The mission of the Lifelong Learning and Adult Education Program at Penn State is to advance knowledge and improve practices regarding how adults learn in a variety of organizational and societal settings—both formally and informally, in residence and at a distance. Pursuant to its mission, the goals of the program include the following: (a) to further the disciplined inquiry of the field; (b) to prepare its future leaders; and (c) to develop educators/scholars in the practice of adult education. The program’s mission and goals are reflected throughout its curriculum and teaching, its faculty’s and students’ research, scholarship and service, and the work done through its affiliated centers and institutes. Faculty and students engage in research and development activities within the broad field of adult education and in specific areas of specialization

Welcome to the Learning, Design, and Technology program at Penn State. Our program offers a unique blend of research, teaching, and practice in LDT. Our faculty has an exceptional record of publications: books, refereed journal articles, as well as a high level of presentations, research, grant applications. Our faculty work closely with their graduate students to mentor them in research and teaching.

Join a world of continuing education with the Lifelong Learning and Adult Education program at Penn State.

The Master of Professional Studies (M.P.S) in Organization Development and Change is an online degree aimed toward professionals in fields such as talent management, corporate development and performance improvement in government, nonprofit organizations and industry. The program is designed with an international focus, ensuring that students are exposed to global issues and the way change is occurring around the world and will emphasize the importance of technology when it comes to facilitating change.

Students in the Organization Development and Change program will have the opportunity to build portfolios, collections of work samples that they have accumulated throughout their programs that they can share with prospective employers. The M.P.S. in Organization Development and Change is a degree offering of the Workforce Education program in the Department of Learning and Performance Systems in the Penn State College of Education. It is offered as an online degree program through the Penn State World Campus.