The typical student of an LDT degree or certificate program takes one course per term, works a full-time job, and has personal commitments to home, family, or community. The 10-15 hours per week per course just about consumes all of the wiggle room available in typical students’ lives.

Those who are working less than full-time, or those who have the ability to commit more hours per week to their studies across the course of a term, might choose to take more than one course per term.

There are also students who must take more than one course per term, such as:

• M.Ed. students seeking federal financial aid — Federal financial aid is only available to those enrolled in a degree program and who are studying at half-time or more (6+ credits per term). These students have a requirement to be in at least two courses during every term that they are studying for the degree, and they typically want to be enrolled at 6+ credits for every Fall and Spring term until they graduate.
• Students studying under externally-imposed constraints — The LDT program welcomes students who have received scholarships/fellowships, sabbaticals, or unpaid leave arrangements to study with our program. Many times programs that provide support or grant time (or other resources) to allow a student to complete a certificate or degree program have established strict timelines, credit loads, or other criteria for the student. Sometimes the externally-imposed criteria do not align with Penn State University’s policies, processes, or timetables.

LDT degree or certificate students who are studying with us under specific study constraints must disclose those constraints to the program as soon as they are known. Information about the study constraints should be provided to the program coordinator (Dr. Kirby) prior to application to the program, or prior to registering for courses in the program. Please consider that we cannot guarantee that any or all specific study constraints can be fulfilled without ample prior notice and planning, as well as extremely prompt and early course registration on the part of the student. Also note that all course schedules are subject to change due to business, human resource, or administrative demands.

Here are a few sample cautions that we extend to students with specific study constraints:

• I am required to complete the certificate in one term (AKA semester). — This is difficult to accomplish due to our course offering schedule. Some courses in our program are offered only once per year. Also, courses may fill quickly. Talk with the program coordinator about your specific needs well in advance, before applying for the program, or registering for courses. It becomes even more challenging (and less achievable) if the student attempts to dictate the exact term when s/he will complete the certificate.
• I am required to complete the certificate in one calendar year. — For a 12-15 credit certificate, this is generally achievable without much concern.
• I am required to complete the M.Ed. degree in one calendar year. — This pathway requires a great deal of advance advisement, planning, and preparation. More information about the one-year degree pathway is below. For the M.Ed., a one-year completion is typically achievable constraint if:
  • Students are able to study full-time without reporting to a full-time job,
  • Begin in the Fall term (in August), and
  • if and only if the student registers for courses within the first 72 hours of eligibility to register for each term.
• My employer will only pay for the course if:
  • …I get a B grade or better — this is completely up to you. Talk with the program coordinator about graduate-level work expectations prior to the start of any term.
  • …the course is pre-approved — the student is responsible for matching-up the constraints of their employer/funder and the processes of the university. If you know that the pre-approval process for the course(s) takes one month, then you must register for that course as soon as you are eligible to do so. (If you end up on the course wait list, it is simply impossible for the program to guarantee that you will be added to the course’s roster.)

Completing the M.Ed. in LDT in One Calendar Year

Students who:

• communicate their constrained timeline for degree completion prior to application to the program,
• are flexible about which specific courses they will take to complete the degree,
• register for courses as soon as they are eligible to register for each term,
• complete the quantity of courses necessary per term, and
• commit to diligently complete their coursework and all other non-credit requirements in a timely, conscientious, and quality-oriented manner

are typically capable of earning the Master of Education in Learning, Design, and Technology in twelve months. It is ideal to begin in the fall term (mid-August), and still possible if starting in the summer term (early May).

The schedule would typically be what we call a 4-4-3, meaning four courses (12 credits) plus the noncredit SARI training in the fall, four courses in the spring, and three courses plus the capstone portfolio in the summer. It will be an extremely busy time of your life—you should be on-leave from your typical full-time job duties, be financially supported, and your family and friends and supervisors should understand that you’re taking on a commitment that is like a full-time job (with some overtime at points).

It is critical that the program begin working with a student who has such a specific study constraint as early as possible.

Do I need to relocate?

With the planning mentioned above, the degree can be completed as a part of our online program offered via Penn State World Campus. However, if you wish to (or must) relocate, then coming to the State College area is a great option. Even if you relocate to the State College area, you will still take most of your courses online (because many of our master’s courses are only offered online). World Campus provides many amazing benefits to students who do not live near a Penn State campus. As a World Campus student, you are a Penn State student, and you have access to virtually all Penn State resources. Even if you do not attend classes at a Penn State campus, you are still eligible for most services and support offered by a campus, simply because you are a Penn State student and you will have a Penn State id+ card and access account. In the end, know that we have many students who live outside of the Commonwealth and even the country have great experiences with Penn State and never feel as if they lacked any support.

Questions?

Questions about anything you have read here should be directed to Dr. Kirby, the program coordinator for the Learning, Design, and Technology Online Programs.