Master of Adult Education –
Community Development Stream
The Coady International Institute and the Department of Adult Education, St. Francis Xavier University, jointly offer a community development stream in the Master of Adult Education program. This is a self-directed distance learning program, providing community development practitioners with an opportunity to deepen their understanding of the ways in which adult education methods and principles can be applied in community and organizational development initiatives.
The MAdEd is divided into six components. First is an intensive three-week on-campus foundations institute during which students are introduced to adult education literature and begin researching in their chosen area of interest. Focus can be on traditional communities bound by location, or on communities of culture and practice that can cross borders. Potential areas of specialization may include, but are not limited to: community economic development, community-based natural resource management, participatory monitoring and evaluation, community health promotion, community-based peace education and transformative learning. Students also design an individualized self-directed learning plan for the continuation of their program. The foundations institute is followed by a series of self-directed courses that can be completed at a distance, and finally, in consultation with an advisor, students are expected to write either a thesis or a research report.
For more information on the content of the program, application and tuition fees, please consult the Department of Adult Education web site: http://sites.stfx.ca/adult_education_graduate_studies/.
Who Should Apply?
To qualify, candidates must have a related bachelor's degree with an overall B grade or higher and significant experience as an adult educator or community development practitioner. If English is not the candidate's first language, a TOEFL score of 580 or higher is required. The program has a limited enrollment and entry is competitive. Note that there is no entrance scholarship for this program.
About the Program
- There is no deadline to apply; applications are accepted on an ongoing basis;
- This is a self-directed program offered through distance education with a three-week residential requirement;
- Students have a five-year candidacy period within which to complete all program requirements;
- Program requirements include:
1. Foundations Institute: A three-week residential orientation
2. AE500: An annotated bibliography and a learning plan;
3. AE510: A critical literature review and a professional portfolio;
4. AE520: A research study project;
5. AE530: A learning program evaluation;
6. AE600 or AE601: A thesis or a synthesizing oral examination.
For more information on the content of the program, application and tuition fees, please consult the Department of Adult Education web site http://sites.stfx.ca/adult_education_graduate_studies/.