Dear Karen: I just recently (1989) finished my master's degree, and did it through the continuing education department at a larger university, named Oregon State. It took longer than it might have since I worked full-time as assistant curator while I was doing it, but I ended up with a Master's in Science Education (emphasis Museum Education). All of my projects were museum oriented, rather than classroom focused, which created many lively discussions. I felt it broadened my understanding of learning theory, educational philosophy and the premises of educational design, all in all a broad concept of education across the museum spectrum. It did provide, in addition, the option of classroom instruction as a byproduct, which might be helpful to those who may begin instructing instead of curating. It was not an easy program to construct, but with good communication with the department head, it was achievable, even though OSU was over 140 miles away, across a mountain pass, and our only local facility was a community college. My advice on informal education: the better you know the current construct of education, the more clear the rewards of informal approaches. Good luck! Susan Harless [log in to unmask]