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Interested in our online graduate adult and community education programs? Our program faculty and student success staff will present an overview of the programs, the admission requirements and deadlines, and more, with time for you to ask questions. Just by registering, you can apply for free.
Ball State’s Master of Arts degree in Adult and Community Education is one of just a few programs in the nation that has a strong community education focus.
The Ball State Master’s Degree in Adult and Community Education provides learners with the skills and supporting theory to design, implement, and evaluate educational programs for adults in formal, nonformal, and informal settings.
Adult and community education is a wide umbrella field that embraces lifelong learning in multiple contexts. We follow the individual holistically as they learn and teach in various settings throughout their life. With a learner-centered approach, we recognize that our students are both teachers and learners in each facet of their life (home, school, work, and in the community). We invite them to bring their knowledge and previous experiences into the classroom as they connect these with new concepts and frameworks from the courses.
Our program also provides learners with an understanding of how educational, social, cultural, political, and economic systems interface within communities. The program seeks to develop educators, trainers, and/or leaders who are committed to fostering learning as a lifelong process and creating learning organizations and societies.
In this fast-changing world, businesses and organizations see training programs as necessary for professional development and retention of effective employees. Our program prepares adult and community educators to engage with workplaces to plan, design, implement, and evaluate programs for adults.
The Ball State Master’s Degree in Adult and Community Education will show you that teaching adults is quite different from instructing younger populations. You will experience a teaching approach that is more collaborative and cooperative, and always student led. Different philosophies of adult education come to life with each professor you encounter. And one of your very first courses will help you develop, like your professors, your own philosophy of adult education.
Why a Master's Degree in Adult and Community Education?
Quick Facts
Next Start Date:
August 18, 2025
- Delivery: 100% Online
- Major Credits: 30
- No GRE Required
- Consistently nationally ranked by U.S. News
National Rankings
- Ball State is consistently highly ranked by U.S. News & World Report in best online graduate education programs.
- U.S. News & World Report ranks our Master’s Degrees in Education Programs in the top 25 for best online programs for veterans.
Double Your Major
By just taking one additional 3 credit class, you will complete a double major in adult and community education and executive development for public service.
Did You Know a Certificate is Halfway to a Master’s?
If you're not quite ready to pursue a full master's program (30 credits), you can choose to complete the graduate certificate in Adult and Community Education (15 credits) first. You will learn valuable information about this program and the completed certificate will count toward the first half of your master’s degree completion.
Contact Us
Contact Sarah Jones, who can answer questions you have about our program.
What It's Like to Pursue a Master's Degree in Adult and Community Education
Course Requirements
The master’s in adult and community education program requires completion of at least 30 credits of graduate course work. A minimum of 18 credits must be completed in the major, supplemented in by a research course and electives from the major or related subjects. If you choose electives from the major, you are encouraged to design an area of concentration (9 credits) in either adult or community education. You must maintain a GPA of at least 3.0 on a 4.0 scale. An exact program is designated to fit students' needs and meet degree requirements.
Flexible Online Courses
- All the EDAC courses are offered online using Canvas. This provides flexibility of location, working on your own time, and balancing the other responsibilities as an adult learner.
- Courses use discussion boards, project-based learning, critical reflection, and self-directed learning to engage the whole person and the experience you bring to the program. They are asynchronous with some synchronous zoom sessions that provide opportunities to debrief, reflect, and look forward.
For a full list of required courses, see the course catalog.
View Catalog
Courses for the master of arts in adult and community education are chosen from the following: