Learning Technologies and Design (MS)

This degree is a Master of Science in the School of Information Science & Learning Technologies with an emphasis in Learning Technologies.

US News Best Online Programs Grad Education 2023The Learning Technology and Design program is valuable to professionals who design, create or coordinate learning or training environments for workplaces — including corporate, government, higher education, military and K-12 settings.

The program is available entirely online with an expected time to completion of approximately two years.

This degree will enable you to apply instructional design principles and skills to any training or learning situation. Instructional design techniques allow you to create effective instruction that matches the needs of your audience.

Specifically, you’ll learn to apply proven and research-supported methods to:

  • Conduct needs assessment and task analyses to inform learning design
  • Select strategies and delivery methods for designing learning environments
  • Develop proficiency in designing and delivering online instruction for K-12, corporate, university or non-profit settings
  • Design and develop instruction using emerging technologies such as VR or game-based or simulation-based learning
  • Apply principles of UX design to create effective and equitable user interfaces
  • Practice basic web development skills
  • Improve workplace performance

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Degree Requirements

The program requires a minimum of 30 graduate credit hours and has the following requirements. See the program of study guide for more details.
Core Required Courses (9 credits)

  • IS_LT 9471 Instructional Systems Design (3 cr hr)**
  • IS_LT 9474 Front End Analysis of Systems (3 cr hr)
  • IS_LT 9450 Introduction to Research in ISLT (3 cr hr)

** Recommended you take early in your program.

Design Courses (9 to 12 credits) Example courses:

  • IS_LT 7384 Designing Games for Learning
  • IS_LT 7888 Intro to VR-enabled Instructional Design
  • IS_LT 9485 Designing Online Learning
  • IS_LT 9455 Formative and Summative Evaluation

Development Courses (9 to 12 credits) Example courses:

  • IS_LT 7355 Web Design and Development
  • IS_LT 7361 Introduction to Digital Media
  • IS_LT 7383 Rapid Development Tools for Online Learning
  • IS_LT 9466 Learning Analytics

Portfolio that illustrates mastery of your skills

  • Beginning Fall 2023, you will develop your portfolio while enrolled in the 1 credit hour IS_LT 7368

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Admission Requirements

  • A GPA of 3.0 or higher (A=4.0) on the last 60 hours of undergraduate course work
  • TOEFL (80) or Duolingo (105) scores (if applicable)
  • GRE testing is not required

If you don’t meet these standards, you could be admitted on probation status, where you would have to maintain a minimum GPA of 3.0 during your first 12 hours of graduate course work, with no grade lower than a B.

How to Apply

  • Prepare electronic versions of your resume, statement of purpose (what you hope your degree will do for you), two letters of recommendation, and an official copy of your Bachelor’s degree transcript.
  • Apply using MU’s online Graduate Application system. Follow the instructions and upload the requested files.

Deadlines

  • May 1 for summer admission.
  • July 1 for fall admission.
  • Sept. 1 for second 8-week fall courses.
  • December 1 for spring admission.
  • Feb. 1 for second 8-week spring courses.

Admission Decisions

Once all your application materials are complete, we will review them and notify you of the decision. Most decisions are made within a month.

Student Resources