Method and Participants• 9 adult education master’s program websites selected via purposeful, criterion

sampling and included several confirming/disconfirming cases.

• This was a multi-site case study with an emergent study design meant to

capture the essence of how large, public, research-oriented U.S. universities

present their adult education master’s programs on program websites. Themes

were identified and analyzed through constant comparative coding.

Discussion• The adult education master’s degree programs sought to align their mission, message, and

content with clearly-labeled target audiences. Human resource development and higher

education administration were most frequently targeted, with adult literacy playing a much

less prominent role.

• The branding practices seen in adult education programs are consistent with practices seen

throughout higher education.

• Concerns are raised about further decentralization and cultural drift associated with training

future adult educators along professionally-aligned tracks.

Remaining relevant in a professionalized world: How university adult education programs brand themselves

Laura Gogia

AbstractBranding, which involves sending a clear, consistent message to a targeted

audience, is a marketing practice assumed by many university programs. As a

field, however, adult education traditionally resists practices consistent with

branding. By studying the websites of adult education master’s programs at

nine U.S. public universities, I show that these programs nevertheless are

engaging in program branding. They package curricula for specific professional

sectors, showing notable favoritism towards human resource development and

higher education administration. While these sector-based branding practices

are consistent with the pragmatic focus of today’s knowledge society, they may

contribute to cultural drift within the field of adult education.

Background• Higher education is now a market-driven culture, emphasizing specific

professional applications in most educational offerings. Branding as a means

to attract students is part of this culture (Natale & Doran, 2012).

• Adult education as a discipline has struggled to maintain cohesiveness in light

of its decentralized, often “second-order” practice (Moore, 2005).

• Are adult education master’s programs branding themselves on program

websites? If so, what are the messages and the targeted audiences?

ResultsThree themes emerged consistently from every master’s degree program studied. Each website: (a) stated

the mission clearly, (b) targeted audiences explicitly, and (c) packaged curriculum in ways consistent with

their target audience and mission.

The Mission

Purpose:

Professional development for

practitioners

Language:

Constructivist; consistent with

transformative and experiential

learning

“…interactions between

individuals and their

environments…”

“…as they cope with the effects of

an ever changing world…”

The Audience

Most frequently targeted

sectors:

• Human resource development

• Higher education

administration

“…seeking to build careers in

community colleges, four-year

colleges, & adult learning

agencies…”

“…practitioners who will work as

teachers, program developers &

evaluators, or administrators…”

The Packaging

Reducing barriers:

• Practice-based requirements

• Flexible timelines

• Online coursework

Aligning track names to

specific professional sectors:

• Human resource development

• Higher education /

Student affairs

• Community development,

International and Popular

education