In Ethiopia, continuing education started with the introduction of evening programs in the early 1950’s at the University College of Addis Ababa which was then the only institution of higher education. The university college began offering courses in law and engineering as early as the academic year of 1952/53. In the late 1950s, programs in social sciences such as History, Geography, etc. were included. At the beginning, in-service programs were in line with regular pre-service programs. Later on, when Addis Ababa University (which was then called Haile Selassie I University) was inaugurated in 1961/62 academic year, a separate department known as University Extension was established and started offering continuing education in the evening to adults at diploma and degree levels.

In addition to evening and weekend programs, continuing education has been offered in the form of Summer In-service program particularly meant to upgrade the level of qualification of teachers and other education personnel working in the system of education of the country. The MA/SC level programs have now been added in addition to the first degree level programs that have been conducted for many years now.

One category of provision of education which has relatively recently been added to the programs is the Distance Learning Program. This program which focused on graduate level education was launched as of the 2013/14 academic year. The program is intended to focus on Addis Ababa and its surroundings at the beginning and widen its access to learners in the different corners of the country and abroad over time.

Objectives

The major objective of the continuing & Distance Education Office is to create opportunities of education and training for individuals in order that their quest for knowledge and career development is met. By so doing, the office will also contribute to the human resource needs of the country. In order to achieve its objectives, the Office will establish partnerships both within the university and beyond as part of the effort exerted to contribute its part towards realizing the mission of the University to become one of the top 10 research and graduate universities in Africa by 2020. In specific terms, the Office has the following Objectives:

• Increasing opportunities for evening and distance learning by way of diversifying provisions and areas of specialization
• Building capacity at AAU by upgrading the level of qualification of the staff
• Providing education and training for professionals in the various sectors of the economy, government and social services with a view to promoting efforts for change and delivery of better quality services at all levels
• Developing collaborative programs with the business community, government agencies, and non-profit corporations to enhance economic development and the quality of life.