Continuing Education is a term specifically designed for the post-graduate adult students, who have their basic and elementary education but are continuing their further studies in the form of practical training, degree credit courses, practical non-degree training specifically designed for the career the student’s in also comes under the term of continued education as well as the workforce training, formal personal enrichment courses or the self study and learning through online education or in the form of personal research regarding the subject of interest. Continuing Education is mainly targeted to the learners that have already completed their education as an undergrad course from a college or a university and already have the Basic English Language Skills or the knowledge of learners desired discipline of study. It’s for those who just want to improve their academic credentials or perhaps just their knowledge.

Learners interested in Continuing Education usually get them selves enrolled in the part time credit granting courses offered at different colleges and universities. The division or department of the school or college/university that is concerned to deal with the continuing education is sometimes called university extension or extension school. Apart from getting enrolled in the part time courses. Continuing learners also enroll themselves in non-credit course, either taken for the personal pleasure or as a beneficent pass time during the vacations.

The ideology of adult learning that is now a day known as Continuing education was laid by the University of Wisconsin-Madison, in 1904 for the very first time in USA. Later on in 1969, Empire State College specifically focused on providing the education particularly to adult learners.

Continuing Education is further parted into another branch called Professional continuing education. Professional Continuing Education is exclusively targeted towards the professionals who urge to expand their knowledge regarding their career and desire to stay up to date with the modern discoveries that can help them in their career. The learners may be required to take the extension courses and satisfy the coursework specified by the college or university for the completion of their certificate. They may also have to attend different seminars and conferences to satisfy the needs of their specific certificate. These requirements are imposed on adult learners by licensing bodies. These requirements are imposed merely to persuade the learner. And after all the requirements are satisfied by the learner, he is then awarded with a certificate or Continuing Education Units (CEU).

The methodology that is usually adopted for the purpose of continuing education is some what same to the traditional educational procedure, including lectures held in the classrooms, research and laboratories. But the method that is implemented more commonly is distance learning. Students are provided with the course materiel either through mail or in the form of video tapes or video CDs containing the videos of lectures. Distance learning is mainly depended upon self studies. Apart from self studies, conference or group study may also be adopted in various programs offered by the universities. Group study or conference may include the online study networks or the seminars.