A Master in Education Technology Online degree program shows students how to apply technology to improve education. The programs provide education professionals with the expertise needed to enhance teaching and learning. Our “wired world” is continually changing, and this requires educators to stay current with the latest educational technology.
This masters degree attracts education professionals interested in Internet-based teaching, improving traditional classroom learning, managing distance education programs, designing instructional modules, corporate training and more.
Graduates may teach in public and private schools (both secondary and colleges). Graduates may also assume an administrative or consulting role, becoming school or district educational technology leaders, technology coordinators, educational technology consultants, and professional trainers in educational technology, working in the corporate world or for government agencies.
Master in Education Technology Online degree programs teach education professionals how to use the latest technologies to improve student learning, manage records, do research, and manage educational technology resources. Some students focus on designing and developing multimedia training for the business world (especially in continuing education for employees).
The programs teach education professionals how to leverage the latest technology to develop engaging, optimal learning opportunities.
Master in Education Technology Online degree program ranking guidelines:
We selected the degree programs based on academic excellence, range of available classes, faculty strength, rankings and reputation.
The Best Master in Education Technology Online Degree Programs
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Teachers College, Columbia University (New York, New York)
Teachers College, a graduate school of education, affiliated with Columbia University, provides solutions to problems of urban education. The college collaborates on research with urban and suburban school systems.
Teachers College offers an online Master of Arts in Computing Education which parallels its on-campus program. The online program focuses on teachers of K-12 grades and people interested in working with technology in schools.
The program requires a minimum of 32 credits for completion of the degree including credits in required courses, electives, breadth courses, and a required integrative project completed as a solo project or a segment of a larger project involving multiple students.
Examples of required courses include Object-Oriented Theory and Programming, Technology and School Change, and Cognition and Computers and Equity. A sampling of electives includes Computers and the Uses of Information in Educating, Intelligent Computer-Aided Design and Managing Educational Technology Resources.
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Indiana University Online (Bloomington, Indiana)
Indiana University Bloomington, a public research university, is the flagship Institution of the Indiana University system. The university is also a member of the prestigious Association of American Universities.
Indiana University Online provides an online Master of Science in Education degree in Instructional Systems Technology (IST). Students need a total of 36 credit hours – 12 courses usually spread over three years to complete the program. The 36-credit requirement covers 12 hours in core IST courses, 15 hours in electives and other required courses as well as 9 hours of courses outside the department.
Some course examples include Instructional Design & Development and Learning & Cognition in Education (required), Effective Writing for Instructional Technology and Instructional Strategies and Tactics (electives), and Portfolio Workshop in IST, which encompasses a capstone project.
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Michigan State University, College of Education (East Lansing, Michigan)
Michigan State University, a public research university and a land-grant institution, offers a variety of graduate and undergraduate degrees.
Michigan State’s Online Master of Arts in Educational Technology (MAET) degree prepares students to understand the how’s, when’s and why’s of integrating technologies into a range of educational environments. The 100 percent online, 30-credit program is identical to the on-campus program. Students have up to five years to complete the online program, although most students complete it in two years.
Online Master in Educational Technology required courses include Learning in School and Other Settings and Teaching K-12 Students Online; elective courses include Technology, Teaching, and Learning Across the Curriculum and Learning Technology Through Design.
Students taking specific courses in the MAET curriculum can complete the NP Endorsement as a part of the degree program. With the NP Endorsement, K-12 educators in Michigan are considered well prepared to teach introductory computer-related classes which do not require a specific endorsement.
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Penn State World Campus (University Park, Pennsylvania)
Penn State World Campus, the online campus of the prestigious Penn State University, provides a variety of graduate and undergraduate degree programs as well as certificate programs.
The school designed the Master of Education in Learning, Design, and Technology – Educational Technology degree program for educators interested in designing and implementing technology-based learning experiences to advance the learning process.
The completely online, 33-credit program consists of foundational courses (15 credits), advanced courses (12 credits) and electives (6 credits). The culminating module – a master’s project – involves a technology-based learning strategy which students design, develop, and implement.
Examples of required and emphasis courses include:
- Emerging Web Technologies and Learning
- Measuring the Impact of Technology on Learning
- Computers as Learning Tools and Integrating Mobile
- Everyday Technologies into Learning Environments
Electives include Course Design and Development in Distance Education, Video and Hypermedia in the Classroom and Educational Technology Integration.
As Penn State University is an Act 48-approved provider for Pennsylvania educators, the courses in this program may count toward professional development hours.
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University of Illinois Online, Urbana-Champaign (Urbana, Illinois)
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, a public research university and a land-grant university, is the flagship campus of the University of Illinois system. The university is also a member of the prestigious Association of American Universities.
The Online Master of Education in Learning Design & Leadership degree with a Curriculum, Technology & Educational Reform (Technology Specialist Track) requires 32 credit hours. The university designed the program for practicing K-12 teachers and administrators with a focus on education reform and technology integration.
The program has a rolling admission and involves both synchronous and asynchronous learning. Required courses involve 12 credit hours, with the remaining credit hours devoted to five elective courses.
A sampling of courses includes:
- New Learning: Innovative Pedagogy & Curriculum Design
- Educational Policy Studies
- Analysis of Adv. Instructional Technology, Learning Technologies
- Technology & Educational Reform
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George Washington University, Graduate School of Education & Human Development (Washington, DC)
George Washington University (GWU), a private research university, offers numerous graduate and undergraduate degrees. The university has close to 100 research centers and institutes.
The 36-credit online Master of Arts in Education & Human Development in Educational Technology Leadership program requires a bachelor’s degree for entry. The university designed the program for people currently in or entering roles associated with schools, higher education, alternative educational settings, or other human service occupations using computers and related information delivery technologies.
The 36 credits, include nine from specialized electives. Required coursework includes theory and practice of educational technology, technological management systems, policy making, research methods, and leadership.
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Purdue University (West Lafayette, Indiana)
Purdue University, West Lafayette, is the flagship university of the Purdue University system. The West Lafayette campus provides more than 200 majors for undergraduates and more than 70 master’s programs and doctoral programs.
The online Master of Science in Education in Learning Design and Education degree program aims at two types of students: Those planning to focus on technology-enhanced instruction in school-environments and those aiming to concentrate on instructional design and technology in corporate training and development settings.
Students need a total of 33 credit hours for the degree, including 27 credit hours of required courses and six credit hours of electives. Required courses include Foundations of Learning Design and Technology: An Introduction to the field, Learning Design and Technology Seminars I & II, Integration and Management of Computers in Education and Human Performance Technology. Electives include Educational Applications of the Internet and Educational Applications of Hypermedia. Students complete a portfolio project, highlighting learning and real-life applications.
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North Carolina State University (Raleigh, North Carolina)
North Carolina State University (NC State), a public research university, and a land-grant, sea-grant and space-grant institution, is part of the University of North Carolina system. North Carolina State University forms one of the corners of the Research triangle along with the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and Duke University.
NC State’s online Master of Education in Digital Learning & Teaching (formerly Instructional Technology) features four core competencies: reflecting to assess technology needs and/or evaluate technology impact, creating digital products, designing innovative learning environments, and planning strategies, policies, procedures and programs.
Students seeking the M.Ed. must take 30 hours; those seeking the M.S. must take 36 hours. The six additional hours are in independent research and methodology relative to a master’s thesis. Students who complete either the M.S. or M.Ed. program and hold a North Carolina teaching license are eligible to apply for 079 and/or 077 licensure.
A sampling of required and elective courses includes: Preparing for the Digital Learning Transition in K-12, Emerging Technologies for Teaching and Learning: Mobile Learning, Gaming and Social Networks, Teaching in the Online Environment, and New Information Environments.
The school reviews program applications twice yearly – October 1 and March 1; the school offers online courses in summer, spring, and fall.
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University of Florida (Gainesville, Florida)
University of Florida, a public land-grant, sea-grant and space-grant university, is a part of the State University System of Florida. The university is a member of the prestigious Association of American Universities.
The University of Florida’s Master in Education in Instruction and Curriculum with an emphasis in Educational Technology features two tracks: for professionals working in K-12 and Teacher Education and for professionals working in Instructional Design and Management environments.
Students may not take more than 2 courses per session, completing the program in two years. Students may create their own program schedule based on course availability.
All enrollees in the 36-credit program must complete the Curriculum and Instruction Core (9 hours) and the Educational Technology Core (15 hours), then choose one of the tracks and 12 hours of related electives.
Curriculum and Instruction Core courses include:
- Distance Teaching and Learning
- Foundations of Educational Technology
- Instructional Design
Educational Technology Core courses include:
- Blending Learning Environments
- Designing Integrated Media Environments I
- Instructional Computing I
- Issues and Current Research in Educational Technology
- Practicum in Educational Media and Instructional Design
The university offers online courses in the summer, spring, and fall.
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University of Missouri (Columbia, Missouri)
The University of Missouri, a public research university, is the flagship university of the University of Missouri system. The university is a member of the prestigious Association of American Universities.
The University of Missouri – commonly known as Mizzou — offers an online Master of Education with an emphasis in Educational Technology and a focus in Technology in Schools.
The 30-credit graduate program focuses on five competencies:
- Understanding the theories & perspectives in using technology to support teaching and learning
- Developing a rich knowledge of technology tools and infrastructure that support learning
- Designing processes to support planning, implementing, and evaluating technology & learning
- Building strategies that advance teaching and learning with technology
- Creating staff development strategies that promote the effective use of technology throughout the curriculum
The school offers courses in an eight-week class format, with 12 required credit hours and 18 elective credit hours. Examples of required courses include Introduction to Technology in Schools and Technology Action Research; elective examples include Technology to Enhance Learning and Introduction to Web Development.
The program culminates in a web-based portfolio of the student’s mastery of program competencies; the portfolio serves as the comprehensive exam at the completion of the program.
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University at Albany, State University New York (Albany, New York)
The University at Albany, a research university, is the oldest university campus in the State University of New York (SUNY) system. The university provides a variety of undergraduate and graduate degrees.
The online Master in Curriculum Development and Instructional Technology (CDIT) at the University of Albany features a curriculum students can apply to a professional certification or as specialized training for professionals in K-12, higher education, business, or other learning environments.
The 30-credit curriculum offers options in courses across several major learning areas: Six credits in Foundations of Education, three credits in Instructional Theory & Practice; three credits in Curriculum Development or Instructional Technology; three credits in a Capstone Seminar (in research or for a master’s thesis), and 15 credits in the student’s chosen area of specialization.
Elective courses include Assistive Technology for Students with Disabilities and Language, Literacy and Technology; required courses include Integrating Technology across the Curriculum; Systematic Design of Instruction and Communication, Technology; and the Knowledge-Building Enterprise.
The school accepts applications in August, November and May.
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Georgia State University (Atlanta, Georgia)
Georgia State University, a public research university, is a part of the University System of Georgia. The university provides an array of graduate and undergraduate degree programs.
The online Master in Instructional Design and Technology degree provides students with the basic knowledge and skills required to perform as instructional technologists. The program aims at students interested in working in instructional technology in P-12 schools and industry.
Applicants must currently hold or aspire to a position in instructional technology in a learning environment and possess basic computing technology skills. Students need a total of 36 credit hours to complete the program: Nine credit in Professional Studies, 24 in a major of choice plus an internship (three credits). Students must pass a written departmental examination and present a portfolio of their work.
A sampling of the online Master in Instructional Design and Technology degree program courses includes:
- Topics in Instructional Technology
- Design and Development of Multimedia for Education and Training
- Design of Performance and Instructional Systems
- Diffusion and Adoption of Technological innovation
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University of Tennessee Knoxville (Knoxville, Tennessee)
University of Tennessee Knoxville, a public land-grant and sun-grant university, is the flagship institution of the University of Tennessee system.
The University of Tennessee Knoxville offers an online Master in Educational Technology degree which prepares students to design, develop, implement, and evaluate online learning environments in an array of contexts including education, government, corporate as well as nonprofit organizations.
The fully online program requires a minimum of 33 credit hours of coursework, a practicum experience and a professional portfolio presented as a capstone project.
Students taking two courses each semester can complete the program in two years; others may take up to six years to complete. Every August prior to the fall semester, enrollees are required to attend a one-day face-to-face orientation on the Knoxville campus. The orientation event engages students in both synchronous and asynchronous online learning.
Program courses include:
- Instructional Technology as a Profession
- Introduction to Multimedia Instruction
- Instructional Systems Design
- Instructional Media Development
- Online Learning Environments
- Understanding Online Interaction
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Kansas State University (Manhattan, Kansas)
Kansas State University, a public research university, provides a variety of graduate and undergraduate degrees.
The online Master of Science in Curriculum and Instruction with a specialization in Digital Teaching and Learning degree program provides an emphasis on emerging technologies and is open to licensed teachers. This area of specialization features newly designed courses that take a broad view of teaching and learning in the context of virtual learning—learning in which the world is the classroom—beyond the traditional training of education technology programs.
The program requires a minimum of 31 credit hours. Courses offered include:
- Curriculum Development
- Learning Technologies
- Emerging Technologies in Education
- K-12 Virtual Classroom
- Instructional Design
- Gaming and Simulations
- Mobile Learning
- Research Methods
- Proseminar I: Educational Computing, Design and Distance Education
- Proseminar II: Technology Change, Research and Theory
- Other electives
Completion of this area of specialization assures school leaders that the graduate has completed a program of study leading to competence in this field through:
- Applying emerging technologies to teaching and learning
- Translating research into practice
- Analyzing, evaluating and fostering technology use to create new models of leadership for learning
The school accepts applications throughout the year.
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San Diego State University, College of Extended Studies (San Diego, California)
San Diego State University (SDSU), a public research university, offers a variety of graduate and undergraduate degree programs.
The College of Extended Studies at SDSU offers an online Master of Arts in Learning Design and Technology (IDT) which prepares students to become information technologists who can evaluate performance problems and design, develop and evaluate instructional strategies, programs and products.
Enrollees graduate with an e-portfolio of video, interactive learning programs, instructional print and online materials they create. Required courses in the 30-credit hour program include courses of the core program (9), Methods of Inquiry (3), two Practicum (6) and electives (12).
A sampling of courses includes:
- Technologies for Teaching
- Educational Web Development
- Technology for Course Delivery
- Exploratory Learning Through Simulation and Games
- Management of Educational Technology
- Psychology of Technology-Based Learning
Registration occurs near the beginning of each semester: August 1 for fall, December 1 for spring and May 1 for summer. New enrollees in the LDT program attend Boot-Up Camp, a three-day orientation event where students learn how the online program works, get to know their classmates and professors, and participate in Quest, a technology-dependent field experience in which teams visit local organizations to see instructional technology firsthand.
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Virginia Tech (Blacksburg, Virginia)
Virginia Tech, a public research university and land-grant university, offers a variety of graduate and undergraduate degree programs.
Virginia Tech features an online Master of Arts in Instructional Technology (ITMA) degree through its Department of Learning Sciences and Technologies. The school designed the program to prepare educators in K-12 schools, community colleges, and higher education as well as instructional development professionals in non-school settings to become professional instructional technologists.
In addition to the online courses, the program provides supporting instructional content e.g. web-based tutorials, textbooks, CDs, and other relevant materials.
The program curriculum includes required credits (21) plus electives (9) for a total of 30 credit hours. Typically, students take 3 hours per semester but may take up to 12 hours (full-time status). Enrollees must take the required classes in the order of the plan of study; students can take electives in any order. The school provides all ITMA courses every term.
Master of Arts in Instructional Technology required courses include Foundations of IDT, Applied ID Theory, and Design for Learning; elective choices include Applications of Digital Media, Software Evaluation, Visual Literacy, and Interactive Design.
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Iowa State University, School of Education (Ames, Iowa)
Iowa State University, a public research university and land-grant institution, provides a variety of degree programs through eight colleges.
The school designed the online Master of Education in Curriculum and Instructional Technology degree program for teachers and other types of educators to enhance their knowledge of subject matter, teaching and technology. The online program requires a minimum of 32 credit hours including credits in research, foundations, applications and leadership in educational technology plus credits of additional coursework. Students typically complete the degree in three years.
Some courses in the curriculum include:
- Using Technology in Learning and Teaching
- Foundations of Digital Learning
- Contemporary Curriculum Theory and Principles
- Designing Effective Learning Environments
- Seminar – Instructional Technology
The school accepts applications received by January 1st.
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University of Arkansas, College of Education and Health Professions (Fayetteville, Arkansas)
At the University of Arkansas, a public space-grant and land-grant research university, students have numerous graduate and undergraduate degree programs to choose from.
The 34-credit hour Online Master of Education in Educational Technology (ETEC) program includes 22 hours in required courses, 9 hours in elective courses, and 3 hours in a research course. The program features instructional design, training and development, teacher education, distance education, and application of instructional technologies.
The Online Master of Education in Educational Technology Program includes courses such as:
- Principles of Visual Literacy
- Learning with Computers in K12 Classrooms
- Introduction to Educational Media
- Issues & Trends in Instructional Design & Technology
- Grant Writing in Instructional Technology
- Web Design
Students need to create a culminating e-portfolio project in the last program semester to complete the program but not a thesis.
The school accepts applications for admission in early June for fall admission; early October for spring admission, and early March for summer admission.
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Kent State University (Kent, Ohio)
At Kent State University, a public research university, students have a variety of graduate and undergraduate degrees to choose from.
Kent State University designed the Master in Education in Instructional Technology degree program for K-12 teachers, corporate trainers, and others interested in effectively utilizing information and communications technologies to improve instruction.
The 100 percent online program offers an on-campus orientation session the first week of classes each semester to help students understand how the course is set up, discover the assignments, learn where to find course materials, etc.
Students must complete 34 credit hours including a core of required courses (19 credits) as well as five elective courses (15 credits). In lieu of the five elective courses, students can select three elective and write a thesis (six credits).
The Master in Education in Instructional Technology online degree provides core courses include Designing Online Courses, Instructional Applications of the Internet and Researching Current Issues in Instructional Technology; electives include Simulation Games in Education, Web Development for Educators, and Organization and Administration of Educational Media Programs and Centers.
In the final semester, students take the one-credit Portfolio Review course during which they assemble their work/study projects into a web-based portfolio which highlights their instructional technology competencies.
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University of North Texas (Denton, Texas)
University of North Texas, a public research institution, provides an array of graduate and undergraduate degree programs.
The Department of Learning Technologies at the University of North Texas features a 100 percent online Master of Science in Learning Technologies degree which students can acquire in a little over a year. The program teaches K-12 and higher education educators and corporate trainers to use technology in teaching, learning, and training.
A sample of classes:
- Foundations of Learning Technology
- Learning and Cognition
- Multimedia in Technology Applications
- Analysis of Research in Learning Technology
- Educational Data Communications
- Online Design and Pedagogy
- New Technologies of Instruction
- Readings Seminar and Capstone
The university offers the eight-week accelerated online courses in two sessions during each academic semester, with their own academic calendars and grade reporting dates.