In the summer semester of 1970, the first professorship for Adult and Further Education in Germany was established at what was then the University of Education, and the diploma course for Adult Education and extracurricular youth education was established. Later on, new electives (intercultural pedagogy, media pedagogy, educational economics) were introduced. In 1977 the PH was integrated into the University of Hannover. The previous field of study was developed into an independent institute of adult education. In 2005 the merger with vocational pedagogy took place to form a joint institute. New admissions for diploma studies are no longer possible. Since 2008, adult education can be studied within the framework of the master's degree course in educational sciences.