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The mission of the program is to empower graduates as facilitators of learning across the lifespan–in and outside of classrooms and virtual learning spaces. We emphasize leadership for reflective, proactive, and transformative learning. Our students help individual adults learn, and they help organizations, institutions, and communities learn from and with those adults.
Our programs prepare leaders who help adults improve the way they live and work through learning. A hallmark of our programs is the fostering of transformative learning. Through transformative learning:
Adults are helped to identify, probe, and change assumptions, values, and beliefs that shape how they think, act, and learn;
Adult educators are helped to transform organizations, institutions, learning communities, and other settings that influence learning and change.
Graduates from our programs lead, manage, design, deliver, facilitate, coach and evaluate learning initiatives. They can be scholars, researchers, executives, coaches, or Learning & Development (L&D) professionals.
Our mission aligns with the mission of the College, because we support diversity, equity and inclusion through learning across the lifespan with an eye to how adult learning shapes, and is shaped by, societal change. We seek understanding of cultural and other kinds of diversity.
The intellectual framework of the program examines the relationship of adult learning to organizational, management, and leadership issues. The curriculum is designed around learning, development, and change for individuals, groups, and organizations as a whole.
The program appeals to professionals who design, develop, and evaluate programs that meet the learning needs of adults in both face-to-face and online formats in the following settings:
Organizations in the profit, not-for-profit, or public sectors;
Religious and community-based organizations;
Basic education classes (literacy, General Education Diploma);
Returning adult students with specialized needs in postsecondary education; and
Continuing professional education, including medical education and workforce development.
The 36-point M.A. program is most appropriate for educators who are involved in the design, management, and delivery of learning. The 60-point Master of Education (Ed.M.) and 90-point Doctor of Education (Ed.D.). options are appropriate for professionals who are involved in policy development, strategy, change management, and systems-level learning. The program prepares educators who work with the following groups:
Leaders who shape policy and program implementation, as well as those who act as trainers and coaches; and
Designers, planners, managers, and L&D professionals.
In addition we offer two non-degree, credit-bearing advanced certificates (approved by New York State): one for Medical Educators (not offered in 2022-23 due to the pandemic) and one in Workforce Development. Credits earned can be applied subsequently to degree programs in Adult Learning & Leadership in which students might enroll.
Each program has between two and three required foundations courses. In addition, students may choose courses in core areas of adult development, adult learning theory, program development and evaluation, leadership, and research. They can apply their learning through courses in strategy and management, facilitation, human resource development, coaching, system learning, and digital learning environments. Many of these courses are offered by the ADUL or ADLO Program, or other programs in the O&L Department; other courses can be taken elsewhere in Teachers College or Columbia University.
For more information about the program - including start dates, and enrollment steps—see our website: https://www.tc.columbia.edu/organization-and-leadership/adult-learning-and-leadership/
Points/Credits: 36
Entry Terms: Fall Only
Degree Requirements
Lifelong learning for adults is an increasingly important educational specialization in the 21st century. Rapid changes are transforming society and making it critical for adults to continue to learn across the lifespan. Much of that learning takes place in classrooms, but a lot of learning also occurs informally through interaction in groups, communities, organizations, and social networks.
The Adult Learning & Leadership program, at the M.A. level, prepares professionals who facilitate learning within and outside the classroom. The intellectual framework of the program examines the relationship of adult learning to organizational, management and leadership issues. The program prepares students to understand adult learning and development, to design and deliver learning interventions, and to assist organizations, communities, or other institutions to support learning for individuals and for the organizations or other social units that benefit from the lifelong learning of its members.
Minimum point requirement:
M.A. students must complete 36 credits of coursework and submit a culminating project.
Required Coursework:
Foundations (6 credits):
ORLD 4050 Introduction to adult and continuing ed (3)
ORLD 4053 Facilitating adult learning (3)
Adult Development (3):
ORLD 4051 How adults learn (3)
ORLD 5070 Leadership for adult development (3)
Adult Learning Theory and Applications (3):
ORLD 4051 How adults learn (3)
ORLD 4060 Coaching from an adult learning perspective (3)
ORLD 4091 Somatics: Mind/body approach to leadership development (3)
ORLD 4815 Developing critical thinkers (1)
ORLD 4827 Fostering transformative learning (2-3)
ORLD 4828 Imagination, authenticity, and individuation in transformative learning (2-3)
ORLD 4844 Helping adults learn (1)
ORLD 4850 Discussion as a way of teaching (1)
ORLD 4855 Learning as a way of leading (1)
ORLD 4860 Teaching Race in Predominantly White Organizations (1)
ORLD 5057 Adult learning and education: Theory and practice (3)
ORLD 5815 Critical theory and adult learning (1)
ORLD 5823 Building 21st century organizational capability with cultural intelligence (CQ) (3)
Program Development and Evaluation (3 credits):
ORLD 5053 Developing and managing adult learning programs (3)
ORLD 5063 Online Teaching and Learning: Applying Adult Learning Principles (3)
ORL 5522 Evaluation methods I (3)
Leadership (3 credits):
ORLD 4065 Leading Change in a Democratic Society (3)
ORLD 4091 Somatics: Mind/body approach to leadership development (3)
ORLD 5023 Leadership and self-development (3)
ORLD 5540 Social entrepreneurship & leadership (3)
ORLD 5821 Leveraging emotional intelligence (EQ) to enhance organizational effectiveness (3)
Strategy and Management (3 credits):
ORLD 4085 Management & leadership skills in practice (3)
ORLD 5054 Strategy development as a learning process in organizations (3)
ORLD 6054 Learning to think strategically (3)
Research (3 credits):
ORLD 5073 Action learning design and coaching (3)
ORLD 5550 Research on organizational learning (3)
ORLD 6914 Learning Communities (2) (focused on research for the integrative project, can be combined with a 1-credit ORLD 5900 course with the student’s advisor, to meet the 3-credit research requirement)
ORL 5521 Introduction to research methods in education (3)
ORL 5522 Evaluations methods I (3)
ORLJ 4009 Understanding behavioral research (3)
HUDM 4050 Introduction to measurement (3)
HUDM 4120 Basic concepts in statistics (3)
HUDM 4122 Basic concepts in statistics (3)
BBSR 5582 Research design in movement science and education (3)
ELECTIVE COURSES (12 credits)
Electives include, but may not be limited to, courses in conflict resolution, policy and evaluation, technology for learning, and management/information systems. These are tailored to the student’s career goals and can be taken in the Department or elsewhere in Teachers College or Columbia University. Students are required to take a minimum of 6 points total at Teachers College outside of our immediate program area to satisfy the Teachers College breadth requirement.
See recommended elective options below:
Systems Learning (3 credits, optional):
ORLD 4065 Leading change in a democratic society (3)
ORLD 5061 The learning organization (3)
ORLD 5550 Research on organizational learning (3)
ORLD 5823 Building 21st century organizational capability with cultural intelligence (CQ) (3)
EDP 4027 Education and Social Transformations: Elites and Inequalities in Transitional Economies (offered as part of the Workforce Development Certificate) (3)
ORLJ 4800 Conflict and complexity: A dynamical system approach to addressing protracted conflict (3)
Human Resource Development (3 credits, optional):
ORLD 4060 Coaching from an adult learning perspective (3)
ORLD 5055 Staff development and training (3)
ORLD 5062 Human resource development in organizations (3)
ORLD 5073 Action learning design and coaching (3)
Group Dynamics (3 credits, optional):
ORLD 5822 Building productive relationships with social intelligence (SQ) (3)
ORL 5362 Group dynamics: A systems perspective (3)
Organizational Behavior (3 credits, optional):
ORLJ 4005 Organizational psychology (3) (Note: This is a prerequisite for many ORLJ courses)
ORLJ 5045 Organizational dynamics and theory (3)
EDPS 4030 Sociology of organizations (3)
Digital Learning Environments (3 credits, optional):
ORLD 5060 Learning and technology in organizations (3)
MSTU 4083 Instructional design of educational technology (3)
Conflict Resolution (3, optional):
ORLJ 4800 Conflict and complexity: a dynamical systems approach to addressing protracted conflict
ORLJ 5148 Managing conflicts in organizations (3)
ORLJ 5340 Adaptive negotiation & conflict resolution (3)
Coaching (3, optional)
ORLD 4060 Coaching from an adult learning perspective (3)
ORLD 5073 Action learning design and coaching (3)
ORLD 5821 Leveraging emotional intelligence (EQ) to enhance organizational effectiveness (3)
ORLD 5822 Building productive relationships with social intelligence (SQ) (3)
ORLD 5823 Building 21st century organizational capability with cultural intelligence (CQ) (3)
Final Project
M.A. (Culminating Project)
Required
The M.A. project is a project-based application to practice.
Guidelines for the M.A. Culminating Project are available in the Program of Study Advisement Guides (as downloadable files) located on the Adult Learning and Leadership program website.
Students should meet with their advisor the semester before they plan on graduating to review the guidelines.
Points/Credits: 36
Entry Terms: Fall Only
Degree Requirements
The Adult Learning and Leadership program has been approved by New York State to offer a fully online Master's degree. (As noted below, students can also take some face-to-face workshops and courses if they have access to the College campus.)
Our program is designed for those who design, implement, facilitate, or otherwise support learning and development for adults in many different settings—businesses, non-profits, public sector, healthcare, educational institutions, and community settings. We emphasize leadership for transformative learning and change in today’s rapidly-evolving digital world. The program will help participants to:
Use effective strategies for learning that take into account leadership, structural and cultural factors in the groups, communities, or organizations in which adults live or work
Design, deliver, and assess adult learning programs and interventions
Demonstrate understanding and use of technology for diverse adult learning needs
Students will earn 36 graduate credits and complete an integrative project. Up to 14 credits in the Online MA program can be taken in-person.
Core courses include:
FOUNDATIONS (22-23 credits)
ORLD 4050 Introduction to Adult and Continuing Ed. (3)
ORLD 4053 Facilitating Adult Learning (3)
ORLD 4051 How Adults Learn (3)
ORLD 5063 Online Teaching and Learning: Applying Adult Learning Principles (3)
ORLD 5023 Leadership and Self Development (3)
ORLD 5054 Strategy Development as a Learning Process in Organizations (3)
Either ORLD 4827 Fostering Transformative Learning (3)
or ORLD 4828 Imagination, authenticity, and individuation in transformative learning (2-3)
ORLD 6914 Learning Communities (2) (Research requirement)
ELECTIVE COURSES (13-14 credits)
Electives include, but may not be limited to, courses in adult learning practices, coaching, leadership, conflict resolution, policy and evaluation, technology for learning, and management/information systems. These are tailored to the student’s career goals and can be taken in the Department or elsewhere in Teachers College or Columbia University. Students are required to take a minimum of 6 points total at Teachers College outside of ORLD program area to satisfy the Teachers College breadth requirement.
See recommended elective options below:
Applied Workshops in Adult Learning Practices (online, intensive 2-day sessions):
ORLD 4815 Developing Critical Thinkers (1)
ORLD 4844 Helping Adults Learn (1)
ORLD 4850 Discussion as a Way of Teaching (1)
ORLD 4855 Learning as a Way of Leading (1)
ORLD 4860 Teaching Race in Predominantly White Organizations (1)
ORLD 5815 Critical Theory and Adult Learning (1)
Coaching Specialization:
ORLD 4060 Coaching From an Adult learning Perspective (3)
ORLD 5821 Leveraging EQ to Enhance Org. Effectiveness (F2F) (3)
ORLD 5822 Building Prdctv Relationships with SQ (F2F) (3)
ORLD 5823 Bldg 21st Century Cap. W CQ (Cultural Intelligence) (F2F) (3)
Leadership Specialization:
ORLD 4065 Leading Change in a Democratic Society (3)
ORLD 4085 Management and Leadership Skills in Practice (F2F) (3)
ORLD 5070 Leadership for Adult Development (3)
ORLD 6054 Learning to Think Strategically (F2F) (3)
ORLJ 5340 Adaptive Negotiation & Conflict Resolution (F2F) (3)
Other Breadth Course Options, including but not limited to the following (check the Academic Catalog or the Course Schedule for potential prerequisite requirements and whether the course is offered online or in-person):
ORL 5522 Evaluation Methods I (3)
ORL 5524 Instrument Design and Validation (3)
CCPJ 4050 Microagressions in institutional climates: Race, gender, and sexual orientation (3)
C&T 4002 Curriculum theory and history
MSTU 4083 Instructional Design of Ed Tech (Online) (3)
HBSS 5112 Social marketing and health communications (3)
HUDK 4012 Learning In Small Groups (3)
HUDK 4029 Human cognition and learning (3)
HUDK 5029 Personality development and socialization across the lifespan (3)
Culminating Project
Required
The M.A. project is a project-based application to practice.
Guidelines for the Online M.A. Culminating Project are available in the Program of Study Advisement Guides (as downloadable files) located on the Adult Learning and Leadership program website.
Students should meet with their advisor the semester before they plan on graduating to review the guidelines.
Points/Credits: 60
Entry Terms: Fall Only
Degree Requirements
The Adult Learning & Leadership program, at the Ed.M. level, appeals to professionals who hold a masters degree in a substantive area, but who wish to enhance their knowledge and skills in supporting adult growth in organizations and helping adults learn. Students build on prior knowledge to advance their capabilities and conduct research in their areas of interest. The intellectual framework of the program examines the relationship of adult learning to organizational, management and leadership issues with a focus on strategic learning and whole system change. Students can deepen their capabilities as facilitators of learning and in helping organizations, communities, or other institutions to support learning for individuals and for the organizations or other social units that benefit from the lifelong learning of its members.
The Ed.M. program in Adult Learning and Leadership is structured around a sequence of core courses, research requirements and electives. A culminating project with a research component is required. In addition to three required foundations courses, students may choose courses to take in the following areas: adult development; adult learning theory and applications; program development and evaluation; systems learning; leadership; strategy and management; human resource development; group dynamics; organizational behavior; technology; conflict resolution; and research. At least one course must be taken (or transferred from prior accredited graduate study) in each of these twelve areas.
Please see the most recent Program of Study Advisement Guide (located on the Adult Learning and Leadership program website as a PDF file) for actual core sequence requirements.
Minimum point requirement:
Ed.M. students must complete 60 credits of coursework and conduct a culminating research study.
Required Coursework:
Foundations (6)—choose from the following:
ORLD 4050 Introduction to adult and continuing ed (3)
ORLD 4053 Facilitating adult learning (3)
ORLD 5057 Adult learning & education: Theory & practice (3)
Adult Development (6 credits):
ORLD 4051 How adults learn (3)
ORLD 5070 Leadership for adult development (3)
HUDK 4024 Developmental psychology: Adult learning and the lifespan (3)
HUDK 5023 Cognitive development (3)
HUDK 5027 Moral development (3)
HUDK 5028 Spiritual development across the lifespan (3)
Adult Learning Theory and Applications (12 credits)—choose from the following:
ORLD 4060 Coaching from an adult learning perspective (3)
ORLD 4091 Somatics: Mind/body approach to leadership development (3)
ORLD 4815 Developing critical thinkers (1)
ORLD 4827 Fostering transformative learning (2-3)
ORLD 4828 Imagination, authenticity, and individuation in transformative learning (2-3)
ORLD 4844 Helping adults learn (1)
ORLD 4850 Discussion as a way of teaching (1)
ORLD 4855 Learning as a way of leading (1)
ORLD 5057 Adult learning and education: Theory and practice (3)
ORLD 5815 Critical theory and adult learning (1)
Program Development and Evaluation (3 credits)—choose from the following:
ORLD 5053 Developing and managing adult learning programs (3)
ORL 5522 Evaluation methods I (3)
Systems Learning (3 credits)—choose from the following:
ORLD 5823 Building 21st century organizational capability with cultural intelligence (CQ) (3)
ORLD 5550 Research on organizational learning (3)
ORLD 5061 The learning organization (3)
Leadership (3 credits)—choose from the following:
ORLD 5023 Leadership and self-development (3)
ORLD 5540 Social entrepreneurship & leadership (3)
ORLD 5821 Leveraging emotional intelligence (EQ) to enhance organizational effectiveness (3)
Strategy and Management (3 credits):
ORLD 4085 Management & leadership skills in practice (3)
ORLD 5054 Strategy development as a learning process in organizations (3)
ORLD 6054 Learning to think strategically (3)
Human Resource Development (3 credits):
ORLD 5055 Staff development and training (3)
ORLD 5062 Human resource development in organizations (3)
ORLD 5073 Action learning design and coaching (3)
ORLJ 5003 Human resource management (3)
Group Dynamics (3 credits):
ORLD 5822 Building productive relationships with social intelligence (SQ) (3)
ORL 5362 Group dynamics: A systems perspective (3)
Organizational Behavior (3 credits):
ORLD 5822 Building productive relationships with social intelligence (SQ) (3)
ORLA 4010 Introduction to organizational analysis in education (3)
ORLJ 4005 Organizational psychology (3) (Note: This is a prerequisite for many ORLJ courses)
ORLJ 5045 Organizational dynamics and theory (3)
Technology (3 credits):
ORLD 5050 Mobile learning design for professional growth (3)
ORLD 5060 Learning and technology in organizations (3)
Conflict Resolution (minimum of 3 points):
ORLJ 5148 Managing conflicts in organizations (3)
ORLJ 5340 Adaptive negotiation & conflict resolution (3)
Research Requirements
Ed.M. (minimum 6 points):
Ed.M. students must take two research courses, one of which must be a statistics course.
Elective Courses
Electives are tailored to the student’s career goals and can be taken in the Department or elsewhere in Teachers College or Columbia University. Electives can include transfer courses. Students are required to take a minimum of 6 points total at Teachers College outside of our immediate program area to satisfy the Teachers College breadth requirement.
Final Project
Ed.M. (Culminating Project)
Required
Research-based
Guidelines for the Ed.M. Culminating Project are available in the Program of Study Advisement Guides (as PDF files) located on the Adult Learning and Leadership program website.
Students should meet with their advisor the semester before they plan on graduating to review the guidelines.
Points/Credits: 90
Entry Terms: Even Year Summer Only; Available 2022
Degree Requirements
AEGIS students must complete 39 graduate credits at an accredited institution taken prior to beginning of the AEGIS program; either transfer credits or TC credits. AEGIS students fulfill the remaining 51 course points at Teachers College in a structured program that provides required courses in three areas: theory, research, and the study of professional practice in various settings where adults learn. For the final phase of the program, students must pass a certification examination, write a qualifying paper, and complete a dissertation.
First Year: (22 points)
Summer (Two-week session)
ORLD 6800 Workshop in adult education: Adult Learning Facilitation (2)
ORLD 6902 Pro-seminar in adult education (3)
ORLD 6908 Adult development: Advanced Seminar: Leadership in Adult Ed (3)
Fall
ORLD 6800 Workshop in adult education: Critical Literacy (1)
ORLD 6908 Adult education/Learning: Theory and practice (3)
ORLD 6918 Introduction to research (3)
Spring
ORLD 6918 Literature Review (Virtual)y (2)
ORLD 6903 Qualitative research (3)
ORLD 6906 Program development: Adult Development (3)
Second Year: (26 points)
Summer (Two-week session)
ORLD 6800 Workshop in adult education: Life History and Adult Education(2)
ORLD 6914 Learning Communities I (2)
ORLD 6918 Literature review II(1)
ORLJ 5340 Adaptive Negotiation and Conflict Resolution (3)
Fall
ORLD 4027 Societal Transformation (3)
HUD 4120 Methods of empirical research (3)
ORLD 6800 Workshop in adult education: Coaching from an Learning Perspective (2)
ORLD 6915 Learning Communities II (b Virtual) (1)
Spring
ORLD 6800 Workshop in adult education: Program development in Digital Era (1)
ORLD 6908 Workplace and organizational learning (3)
ORLD 6915 Learning communities II (b Virtual) (1)
ORLD 6918 Advanced research seminar on Proposal Development and Writing (3)
Third Year: (3 points)
Summer (Two-week session)
ORLD 6800 Workshop in adult education: Capstone (1)
ORLD 6916 Learning communities III (2)
AEGIS course offerings vary from cohort to cohort. Please see the most recent Program of Study Advisement Guide (located on the Adult Learning and Leadership program website as a PDF file) for current core sequence requirements.
Points/Credits: 90
Entry Terms: Fall Only
Degree Requirements
The Adult Learning & Leadership program, at the Ed.D. level, is designed for professionals who wish to develop their skills in helping adults learn inside and outside the classroom, and hone their leadership abilities. The intellectual framework of the program examines the relationship of adult learning to organizational, management and leadership issues. The program prepares scholar-practitioners who examine practice in light of theory, and vice-versa, in ways that enable them to lead, assess, and plan strategically for adult learning programs and interventions. Students master research skills that support their leadership in helping individuals to learn more effectively, and in helping organizations to learn from and with those adults.
The EdD program has three required foundational courses. In addition, students make choices in consultation with their advisor about courses to take in the areas of adult development, adult learning theory and applications, program development and evaluation, systems learning, leadership, strategy and management, human resource development, group dynamics, organizational behavior, technology, conflict resolution, and research. At least one course must be taken (or can be transferred from prior accredited graduate study) in each of these twelve areas. Many of these courses are offered by the ADUL Program or the O&L Department; other courses can be taken elsewhere in Teachers College or Columbia University.
Required Coursework:
Foundations (9 credits)—required:
ORLD 4050 Introduction to adult and continuing ed (3)
ORLD 4053 Facilitating adult learning (3)
ORLD 5057 Adult learning & ed: Theory & practice (3)
Adult Development (6)—choose from the following:
ORLD 4051 How adults learn (3)
ORLD 5070 Leadership for adult development (3)
HUDK 4024 Developmental psychology: Adult learning and the lifespan (3)
HUDK 5023 Cognitive development (3)
HUDK 5027 Moral development (3)
HUDK 5028 Spiritual development across the lifespan (3)
Adult Learning Theory and Applications (12-14 credits)—choose from the following:
ORLD 4060 Coaching from an adult learning perspective (3)
ORLD 4091 Somatics: Mind/body approach to leadership development (3)
ORLD 4815 Developing critical thinkers (1)
ORLD 4827 Fostering transformative learning (2-3)
ORLD 4828 Imagination, authenticity, and individuation in transformative learning (2-3)
ORLD 4844 Helping adults learn (1)
ORLD 4850 Discussion as a way of teaching (1)
ORLD 4855 Learning as a way of leading (1)
ORLD 5057 Adult learning and education: Theory and practice (3)
ORLD 5815 Critical theory and adult learning (1)
Program Development and Evaluation (3 credits)—choose from the following:
ORLD 5053 Developing and managing adult learning programs (3)
ORL 5522 Evaluation methods I (3)
Systems Learning (3 credits)—choose from the following:
ORLD 5823 Building 21st century organizational capability with cultural intelligence (CQ) (3)
ORLD 5550 Research on organizational learning (3)
ORLD 5061 The learning organization (3)
ORLJ 4800 Conflict and complexity: A dynamical system approach to addressing protracted conflict (3)
Leadership (3 credits)—choose from the following:
ORLD 5023 Leadership and self-development (3)
ORLD 5540 Social entrepreneurship & leadership (3)
ORLD 5821 Leveraging emotional intelligence (EQ) to enhance organizational effectiveness (3)
Strategy and Management (3 credits)—choose from the following:
ORLD 4085 Management & leadership skills in practice (3)
ORLD 5054 Strategy development as a learning process in organizations (3)
ORLD 6054 Learning to think strategically (3)
Human Resource Development (3 credits)—choose from the following:
ORLD 5055 Staff development and training (3)
ORLD 5062 Human resource development in organizations (3)
ORLD 5073 Action learning design and coaching (3)
Group Dynamics (3 credits)—choose from the following:
ORLD 5822 Building productive relationships with social intelligence (SQ) (3)
ORL 5362 Group dynamics: A systems perspective (3)
Organizational Behavior (3 credits)—choose from the following:
ORLD 5822 Building productive relationships with social intelligence (SQ) (3)
ORLA 4010 Introduction to organizational analysis in education (3)
ORLJ 4005 Organizational psychology (3) (Note: This is a prerequisite for many ORLJ courses)
ORLJ 5045 Organizational dynamics and theory (3)
Technology (3 credits)—choose from the following:
ORLD 5050 Mobile learning design for professional growth (3)
ORLD 5060 Learning and technology in organizations (3)
MSTU 4039 Video games in education (3)
MSTU 4083 Instructional design of educational technology (3)
Conflict Resolution (minimum of 3 points):
ORLJ 5148 Managing conflicts in organizations (3)
ORLJ 5340 Adaptive negotiation & conflict resolution (3)
Research Requirements
Ed.D. (Minimum 18 points):
At the Ed.D. level, coursework must include a research design course, a data collection course (either qualitative or quantitative), a data analysis course (either qualitative or quantitative), and a dissertation seminar. These courses include, but are not limited to, those listed below. Ed.D. Candidates must take ORLD 7500 (1 point) in the semester in which they defend their dissertation proposals. Ed.D. candidates must also enroll in ORLD 8900 (or a 3-point Teachers College course) during fall and spring semester, after passing the certification examination.
HUDM 4120 Basic concepts in statistics (3)
HUDM 4122 Probability and statistical inference (3)
ORLD 4800 Workshop: Critical literature reviews (2)
ORLD 5550 Research on organizational learning (3)
ORL 6500 Qualitative research methods in organizations: Design and data collection (3)
ORL 6501 Qualitative research methods in organizations: Data analysis and reporting (3)
ORLD 7500 Dissertation seminar in adult education (1-3)
ORLD 7900 Directed dissertation research (3)
Elective Courses
Electives include, but may not be limited to, courses in conflict resolution, policy and evaluation, technology for learning, and management/information systems. These are tailored to the student’s career goals and can be taken in the Department or elsewhere in Teachers College or Columbia University. Electives can include transfer courses. Students are required to take a minimum of 6 points total at Teachers College outside of our immediate program area to satisfy the Teachers College breadth requirement.
Final Project
Ed.D. (Dissertation)
Students in the Ed.D. program are also required to pass a certification examination, write a qualifying paper, and successfully defend their dissertations. Dissertations frequently focus on topics of interest to the candidates and the organizations they lead or aspire to lead.
Please see the most recent Program of Study Advisement Guide (located on the Adult Learning and Leadership program website as a PDF file) for actual core sequence requirements.
Points/Credits: 10
Entry Terms: Fall Only
Degree Requirements
The Advanced Certificate in Adult Learning and Leadership for Medical Educators is a 10-credit, New York State-approved certificate. The program is designed for allopathic physicians (MDs) and/or osteopathic physicians (DOs) who wish to elevate their instructional and leadership skills. The program concentrates on developing knowledge and skills in needs assessment, learning design and facilitation, educational research, and organizational change.
The program is designed around a collaborative action research learning model that integrates conceptual knowledge grounded in the science of adult learning, coupled with real-world experience and practice. Students will learn research skills in coursework and will work in teams with other physicians to apply what they learn to current professional challenges of their choice. They will learn how to create and nurture communities of practice (professional learning communities) with colleagues and peers within and across disciplines and specialties.
The targeted participants are physician faculty, primarily in academic medicine, as they are learning leaders for other physicians in training, residents, fellows and colleagues, as well as the teams with which they work.
Physician participants will complete the 10 credits during one academic year (two courses in the Fall and two courses in the Spring semesters) in a hybrid format: four face-to-face meetings one Saturday a month in each semester, complemented by asynchronous web-based interaction before and after the face-to-face sessions.
Each semester, one course will meet three hours in the morning, and the other course will meet three hours in the afternoon. Modules in the Fall include “ORLD 4053: Facilitating adult learning” and “ORLD 5023: Leadership and self-development.” Courses in the Spring include “ORLD 6914: Learning communities” and “ORLD 5073: Action learning design and coaching."
https://www.tc.columbia.edu/advanced-certificate-in-medical-education/
Points/Credits: 12
Entry Terms: Fall Only
Degree Requirements
The Adult Learning and Leadership program at Teachers College launched a new 12 credit, non-degree, New York State approved Advanced Certificate designed for working professionals in human resources, non-profits, higher education, and other institutions seeking to make an impact on developing diverse talent. The program was created to address the human capital challenges of growing unemployment for underserved or socially excluded populations.
Based on over 10-years of research-based experiences, the one-year hybrid cohort certificate program will develop capabilities in strategic advocacy, negotiation, policy and practices, and technology-intensive learning oriented toward workforce innovation.
Participants will create actionable knowledge and improve their capacity to rethink and enhance their workforce development initiatives.
Program objectives will help graduates:
Design relevant workforce and education training strategies
Utilize digital technology and tools to improve assimilation of underserved and socially excluded adults
Develop better negotiation skills to improve the upward mobility of workers from diverse background
Create assessment programs to determine workplace success
Use innovative communications to improve support services
Evaluate public policy surrounding workforce development programs
Four courses will be taken over two semesters—two courses in the Fall and two courses in the Spring. They will be taught in a hybrid format. Each course will meet in four face-to-face intensive sessions per semester as well as participate in asynchronous online coursework. These courses include:
ORLD 5054 Strategy development as a learning process in organizations
ORLJ 5340 Adaptive negotiation & conflict resolution
ORLD 5060 Learning and technology in organizations
EDP 4027 Education and social transformations; elites and inequalities in transitional economies
Participants will apply what they learn throughout the year by participating in group-based projects centered on common interests. Participants will choose projects and form groups based on the challenges and opportunities they wish to address in their current work roles and settings. Through learning by doing—and discussion with others of what is found—participants will create actionable knowledge and build their capacity to improve workforce development operations. Participants will develop a portfolio of work that forms the basis for presentation of findings at conferences or through publications or other means of sharing new knowledge.