The Commission of Professors of Adult Education 2008 Standards as Evidenced in the Curricula of Doctoral Education in North America

Abstract

In 2008, the Commission of Professors of Adult Education approved and published Standards for Graduate Programs in Adult Education, an update of the 1986 Standards. Using the program websites of the 37 North American programs ascertained to have doctoral programs in the field, this study evaluated all programs’ course descriptions for compliance with the nine “core topical areas” recommended for doctoral programs. Three evaluators (one new adult education PhD, one emeritus professor of adult education, and a professional evaluator and statistician with no background in adult education) found that collectively the 37 programs met 65.8% of standards by having courses which included the topical areas, with a 95.8% agreement among raters after discussion following independent assessments. All programs met at least two standards, but only two met all nine. Aggregate compliance data and implications for curricular review and development are presented.