Demand Increases for Trained Distance and Online Education Professionals
As the number of traditional college and K–12 students taking online courses continues to rise, and as more working professionals seek online education to help secure a new job or improve their advancement opportunities, the demand for distance education professionals continues to increase.
To help meet this rising demand in the higher education, K–12, corporate, and health care sectors, Penn State World Campus has partnered with the College of Education to offer this online postbaccalaureate certificate in distance education as well as an online master’s degree program in adult education. The credits earned in this certificate program may be applied toward the master’s degree in adult education, upon your admission into that program.
Why a Certificate in Distance Education Online at Penn State?
Penn State gives you the opportunity to gain a new perspective on distance and online education as you complete your course work entirely online. This program was designed by world-renowned faculty such as Penn State Professor Michael Grahame Moore, founding director of the American Center for the Study of Distance Education and founder and editor of The American Journal of Distance Education. Dr. William C. Diehl (adviser and instructor for the certificate and master's programs) is the current director of the American Center for the Study of Distance Education, and is also the associate editor of The American Journal of Distance Education. Dr. Moore and Dr. Diehl co-edited The Handbook of Distance Education, 4th edition.
Course topics — including adult education principles, distance education course design, and research and evaluation in distance education — are presented to you by the same faculty who teach on the University Park campus.
Act 48–Approved
Penn State is an Act 48–approved provider for Pennsylvania educators, so the courses for the postbaccalaureate certificate in distance education may count toward professional development hours.
Who Should Apply?
If you are an administrator, educator, instructor, instructional designer, or trainer who wants to expand your knowledge and build skills in the field of distance education, this could be the postbaccalaureate certificate program for you.
Career Opportunities for Graduates
Many graduates of our program are employed as:
- teachers
- trainers
- instruction coordinators
- instructional designers
- course builders
- program managers
- administrators
- online learning directors
- librarians
