Editing Continuing education (section)

{{Short description|Education after initial education}}
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{{Use mdy dates|date=February 2019}}
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{{About||the similar concept in the United Kingdom and Ireland|Further education|the similar concept in Australia|Technical and further education}}

'''Continuing education''' is the education undertaken after initial education for either personal or professional reasons. The term is used mainly in the United States and Canada.

Recognized forms of post-secondary learning activities within the domain include: degree credit courses by [[non-traditional student]]s, non-degree career training, college remediation, workforce training, and formal personal enrichment courses (both on-campus and online).<ref>{{Cite journal|last=McLean|first=S.|date=2007|title=About us: Expressing the purpose of university continuing education in Canada|journal=Canadian Journal of University Continuing Education|volume=33|issue=2|pages=65–86|doi=10.21225/D5CS3K|doi-access=free}}</ref><ref>{{Cite journal|last1=Kirby|first1=D.|last2=Curran|first2=V.|last3=Hollett|first3=A.|date=2009|title=Non-formal adult learning programs at Canadian post-secondary institutions: Trends, issues, and practices|url=https://journals.library.ualberta.ca/cjuce-rcepu/index.php/cjuce-rcepu/article/viewFile/8522/6881|access-date=2023-11-16|journal=Canadian Journal of University Continuing Education|volume=35|issue=2|pages=63–86|doi=10.21225/D55P42|doi-access=free|language=en}}</ref>

General continuing education is similar to [[adult education]], at least in being intended for adult learners, especially those beyond traditional [[undergraduate]] [[college]] or [[university]] age.

Frequently, in the United States and Canada continuing education courses are delivered through a division or school of continuing education of a college or university known sometimes as the '''university extension''' or '''extension school'''. The [[Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development]] argued, however, that continuing education should be "'fully integrated into institutional life rather than being often regarded as a separate and distinctive operation employing different staff' if it is to feed into mainstream programmes and be given the due recognition deserved by this type of provision".<ref>{{Cite book|title=Global Perspectives on Higher Education and Lifelong Learners|publisher=Routledge|year=2012|isbn=978-0-415-67507-9|editor-last=Schütze|editor-first=Hans G.|location=NY, New York|pages=75|editor-last2=Slowley|editor-first2=Maria}}</ref>

[[Georgetown University]], [[Michigan State University]], and the [[University of Denver]] have benefited from non-credit programs as it relates to strengthening partnerships with corporations and government agencies, helping to inform and shape the curriculum for degree programs, and generating revenue to support the academic enterprise.<ref>Millard, E. (2014). [https://www.universitybusiness.com/article/extra-credit-non-credit "Extra credit for non-credit"], ''University Business''. Retrieved 2017-08-18.</ref>