Doctor of Education in Adult Education Guided Intensive Study AEGIS
AEGIS is a highly selective, fast-track cohort program leading to an Ed.D. in Adult Learning and Leadership. The program is designed for experienced, self-directed, mid-career professionals who work full time, and who choose to pursue a doctorate in a rigorous, concentrated format. The program emphasizes leadership for adult education and organizational learning.
Scholar-practitioners are helped to examine and critique theory and professional experience. Course work is completed over a two-year period. A new cohort is recruited every other year, with the next new cohort starting in the Summer of 2026.
Participants attend a concentrated two-week session at Teachers College in each of the three summers. During the academic year, students meet for Friday evening and Saturday seminars, four times each semester, for a total of four semesters. The dissertation process takes at least another year and a half to two years following completion of course work. Certification exam is taken following the summer session in August.
For the AEGIS Ed.D., 30 graduate credits from an accredited graduate program/institution with a grade of B or better can be transferred from outside of TC or 30 graduate credits taken at TC with a grade of B or better MUST BE TRANSFERRED into the program; the remaining 45 graduate credits are earned through the program.
Click on this link for more details on AEGIS, or email Dr. Pierre Faller, the Director of AEGIS, at pf2175@tc.columbia.edu.
Admission Information
Displaying requirements for the Spring 2025, Summer 2025, and Fall 2025 terms.
Program is not accepting applications for the 2025 cycle.
Doctor of Education
- Points/Credits: 75
- Entry Terms: Summer (Even Year Only)
- Enrollment Formats: Full-Time Cohort
Application Deadlines
| Entry Term Available | Priority Deadlines | Final Deadlines | Extended Deadlines |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| Summer | December 1, 2023 | January 15, 2024 | N/A |
| Fall | N/A | N/A | N/A |
Select programs remain open beyond our standard application deadlines, such as those with an extended deadline or those that are rolling (open until June or July). If your program is rolling or has an extended deadline indicated above, applications are reviewed as they are received and on a space-available basis. We recommend you complete your application as soon as possible as these programs can close earlier if full capacity has been met.
Application Requirements
| Requirement | |
|---|---|
| Online Degree Application, including Statement of Purpose and Resume | |
| Transcripts and/or Course-by-Course Evaluations for all Undergraduate/Graduate Coursework Completed | |
| Results from an accepted English Proficiency Exam (if applicable) | |
| $75 Application Fee | |
| Two (2) Letters of Recommendation | |
| Master's degree required | |
| Academic Writing Sample | |
| Supplemental application required (included in online application) | |
| AEGIS Topic Essay (included in supplemental application) | |
| Must hold Master's degree or thirty (30) graduate level credits (with a grade of B or better) |
For admission-related inquiries, please contact ORLadmission@tc.columbia.edu.
Additional Information
- Program accepts applications for even year cycles only.
Requirements from the TC Catalog (AY 2024-2025)
Displaying catalog information for the Fall 2024, Spring 2025 and Summer 2025 terms.
AEGIS students must complete 30 of the minimum of 75 graduate credits required for the Ed.D. degree at an accredited institution prior to beginning the AEGIS program; either transfer credits or TC credits. AEGIS students fulfill the remaining 45 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: (23 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 I (2)
-
ORLD 6903 Qualitative research (3)
-
ORLD 6906 Adult Development (3)
Second Year: (20 points)
Summer (Two-week session)
-
ORLD 6918 Literature review II (1)
-
ORLJ 5340 Adaptive Negotiation and Conflict Resolution (3)
-
HUD 4120 Methods of empirical research (3)
Fall
-
ORLD 4027 Societal Transformation (3)
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HUD 4120 Methods of empirical research (3)
-
ORLD 6800 Workshop in adult education: Coaching from an Learning Perspective (2)
-
ORLD 6914 Learning Communities I (2)
Spring
-
ORLD 6800 Workshop in adult education: Program development in Digital Era (1)
-
ORLD 6915 Learning communities II (1)
-
ORLD 6918 Advanced research seminar on Proposal Development and Writing (3)
Third Year: (2 points)
Summer (Two-week session)
-
ORLD 6800 Workshop in adult education: Capstone (1)
-
ORLD 6916 Learning communities III (1)