北卡罗拉娜州立大学

The master's programs in Learning Design and Technology prepare education professionals to lead digital learning programs, design digital learning environments, and inquire into digital learning solutions to continuously refine instruction and improve student learning. Students choose one strand for emphasis during their studies (digital leadership, design, or inquiry), but take some courses from all three strands.

Graduates commonly work as classroom teachers, K-12 school- or system-level digital learning professionals, digital leaders in higher education, or in varied positions in government or private industry (e.g., instructional designers, e-learning developers). Graduate study leads to either a 30-hour Master of Education (M.Ed.) or 36-hour Master of Science (M.S. with thesis) degree. Licensed teachers are able to add the 079 computer education and/or 077 technology specialist endorsement to their teaching license after completing either degree program.

According to 2014 AMTR data, only 17% of the 2500+ K-12 schools in North Carolina employ a full-time, certified (079/077) technology facilitator, suggesting growth opportunities for this position in the future.

Our Learning Design and Technology Program offers the following options:

Online Non Degree Studies (NDS): Previously licensed teachers who take six courses (18 credit hours) from the leadership and design strands of our digital learning curriculum are eligible for the 079 endorsement in computer education, which is generally sufficient to serve in technology coordination/facilitation roles in K-12 schools; other interested students who would like to take a few courses before applying to a master’s or doctoral degree program can also start out as Non Degree Studies (NDS) students and transfer up to 12 credit hours into degree programs.
Online master’s degree programs (30-credit hour M.Ed. and 36-credit hour M.S. with thesis): Previously licensed teachers who complete a degree program are eligible for the 077 endorsement as Instructional Technology Specialist, which is necessary to serve in Technology Director roles in K-12 schools and districts in the State of North Carolina; non-teachers interested in applying digital learning solutions in diverse settings (e.g., business & industry, non-profits, higher education) are also encouraged to apply.