What is the nature of this program?
What are the benefits of online learning?
Is this degree different from other Penn State degrees?
Will this degree give me a credential to teach?
Do I need to take the GRE or Miller Analogies in order to apply for the program?
Is there any way to get the GRE or MAT requirement waived?
How many and what type of students are in this program?
Can I start taking courses before applying to the program?
What are the required courses for the Certificate program?
How long does it take to complete the program?
Is there any special information for International Students?
How do I register for my first course?
Can I get information about my PSU email?
After I register, when will I have access to the course?
How do I get my textbooks and other course materials?
For Students Moving from the Certificate Program to the M.Ed.
Can I get PSU Student Health Insurance while I am in the Certificate or M.Ed. program?
Are there any charges if I drop a course?
How long does it take to complete the program?
What happens if I take a semester off?
What are the required courses for the Master’s program?
Where can I get more information on the courses?
Can I access sample syllabi for courses?
For Prospective Students:
What is the nature of this program?
The Master of Education in Learning, Design, and Technology (AKA M.Ed. in LDT) is an online program designed to improve learning through the use of technology in your professional setting, and to give you the skills and confidence to apply sound technology practices in a way that will positively impact the learning processes.
It is a 30-credit program intended for education professionals interested in learning how to design, develop, implement, and evaluate technology-based learning experiences for their professional context.
We recommend access to students (in your classroom, school, or organization) for implementation and evaluation of projects but can make adaptations for students who do not have direct access to instructional settings.
The 30 credits include foundational courses, advanced coursework, and electives. The 400-level courses are more practical in nature, the 500-level courses involve more theory, and the 800-level courses are professional practice. By the way, the 400, 500, 800 designations do not represent the “difficulty” or the “challenge” of the courses—we explained this concept here.
The program culminates in a capstone portfolio. Click here to learn more about the capstone portfolio requirements.
What are the benefits of online learning?
The most obvious advantage to the online program is that the weekly work is done on your schedule at the location of your choice. We do not require any synchronous activities, and you don’t need to commute to classes. Assignments are completed by participating in discussion forums, online quizzes (in some courses), and by electronic submissions of projects that are intended to be used in your professional context. Instructors monitor course sites daily for questions.
The program provides a great opportunity to connect with other bright people with similar interests. Our student not only learn from the organized lessons, but from each other as well.
Is this degree different from other Penn State degrees?
The courses offered in the M.Ed. in Learning, Design, and Technology have the same rigor that would be required in a resident instruction program at Penn State, and there is no distinction on the transcript among courses taken in residence or online, and no distinction on the diploma. A Penn State course is a Penn State course, and a Penn State degree is a Penn State degree.
Will this degree give me a credential to teach?
We sometimes get inquiries from people in other fields who would like to earn a credential that will allow them to teach. The M.Ed. in Learning, Design, and Technology will not result in an initial teaching certification/credential.
The Pennsylvania Department of Education certification to teach computer classes in K-12 schools is part of the Business Education Certification. At this time, Penn State does not offer a program for the Business Education Certificate.
Will the Postbaccalaureate Certificate in Educational Technology Integration, or the M.Ed. in Learning, Design, and Technology, qualify me to earn the PDE Instructional Technology Specialist certification?
No. Penn State is not a provider of coursework or training that would qualify for the Pennsylvania Department of Education Instructional Technology Specialist certification. Even if you see Penn State listed on a PDE Web site as an approved provider for the ITS certification, please know that we are not a provider. Penn State is able to update its Web sites faster than the PDE can update their own Web sites.
Is there any way to get the GRE or MAT requirement waived?
If you have completed the Postbaccalaureate Certificate in Educational Technology Integration with a GPA of 3.5 or above, the GRE requirement for acceptance into the M.Ed. can be waived. Submit your application for the M.Ed. in the semester that you are taking your last course for the certificate program.
How many and what type of students are in this program?
We accept 25-35 students into the program per year. Many of our students work in either a K-12 school context or in professional learning design, corporate, military, and higher education contexts.
Can I start taking courses before applying to the program?
You can start taking courses as a non-degree graduate student, or you can apply to the Postbaccalaureate Certificate in Educational Technology Integration prior to applying for the master’s. There is a fee to the certificate program, but there are also three advantages to being a certificate student: (1) you get a certificate after completing 15 credits in the program, and (2) you will likely not need to take the GRE or MAT when you apply for the master’s, which offsets the certificate fee, and (3) you will have an academic adviser in the program.
You can find information on applying as a non-degree grad student on the World Campus program application page.
What are the required courses for the Educational Technology Integration Certificate program?
The official course list for the Postbaccalaureate Certificate in Educational Technology Integration is on our official program description on the World Campus Web site. We have a helpful page of course descriptions, and a table that displays the courses that can apply to each degree and certificate that we offer.
How long does it take to complete the program?
The program is set up so you can take one or two courses per semester based on your needs. We have some students who take one course per semester during the academic year and two or three courses in the summer, others who take one course per semester for the entire program, and others who take two or three courses per semester.
Your flexibility in scheduling will depend in part when you take your electives. If you are just starting the program, we recommend that you hold your electives until later in the program if you plan to take more than one course per semester. When you start the program you should your assigned advisor to plan the course sequence that will work best for you.
Is there any special information for International Students?
Please see this link, which has more information for International Students.
For Newly Accepted Students:
Note: Please visit our New Student Info page on this site.
How do I register for my first course?
All registration matters are accomplished in LionPATH.Top
Can I get information about my PSU email?
Along with your access account, you will receive a Penn State e-mail address. Once your Penn State e-mail account is activated, please check it regularly, it will be use for official notifications from various Penn State offices. Please be sure that you read your Penn State e-mail regularly. We have students who have missed official notifications, with serious consequences, because they were not regularly checking their Penn State e-mail accounts. It is possible to have your Penn State e-mail forwarded to another account, if that is your preference. Use the instructions on this page to find simple instructions for forwarding your Penn State e-mail to another e-mail account.
Can I change my PSU email?
Your originally assigned PSU email will always be your PSU userid, however you can add up to three additional alternate email IDs with PSU. Login to https://work.psu.edu and scroll down to “Add/Change Other Directory Information.” You can add up to three alternate email IDs as well as edit your information that is available in the PSU directory, which is searchable at: http://www.psu.edu/ur/search.html.
After I register, when will I have access to the course?
Penn State’s course management system, Canvas, is the delivery platform for all World Campus courses. Once your Penn State Access Account is activated, you will be able to log in to Canvas at https://psu.instructure.com, but your new course will not appear in your Canvas menu until the course opening date.
How do I get my textbooks and other course materials?
You will find a listing of the materials you will need for your course and ordering information on the course syllabus page. You can access course syllabi from the course catalog on the WC web site. Use the Course Catalog link at the top of the World Campus homepage or click this link: http://www.worldcampus.psu.edu/course-catalog. You have the option of ordering textbooks from the PSU vendor or another vendor of your choice.
For Students Moving from a Certificate Program to the M.Ed.:
Do I need to complete an entirely new application and supporting documents to move from the certificate program to the M.Ed. program?
You will need to complete and submit an online application to the M.Ed. in Learning, Design, and Technology program. However some items, like your undergraduate transcripts, will be automatically associated with your M.Ed. application.
You can apply for the Master’s program in the semester you are taking your final (fifth) certificate course. The application instructions are on our official World Campus program description page.
The GRE or MAT score submission requirement can be waived for certificate students who have completed the courses of their certificate program with a GPA of 3.5 or higher. If you are a certificate student who meets the 3.5 GPA requirement at the conclusion of your certificate courses, please make a note in your online application requesting the score submission waiver.
Contact our the LDT staff assistant for help with this processs. They can add in a notation to your application file that you are a certificate student who requests a waiver of the GRE/MAT score requirement. She can also move previous application materials, like your undergraduate transcript, and add in a transcript of your PSU grad work.
Application deadlines are:
- April 1 for Summer term admission
- July 15 for Fall term admission
- November 15 for Spring term admission
Your application needs to be completed by these dates (including the receipt of all transcripts and recommendations) if you want to be admitted for the following term.
For Current Students
Can I get PSU Student Health Insurance while I am in a certificate or M.Ed. program?
No, World Campus students are not eligible for Penn State Student Health Insurance. This option is only available for residential students that attend a PSU campus.
Can I get financial aid?
Go to http://www.psu.edu/studentaid/ for information on financial aid.
Are there any charges if I drop a course?
It depends on when you drop the course. See details at http://student.worldcampus.psu.edu/policies/tuition-adjustment-policy.
How long does it take to complete the program?
Students can take as few as one course per semester. At that rate, it takes 5 semesters (1 and 2/3 years) to complete the Certificate and 10 semesters (3 and 1/3 years) to complete the Master’s program. Many students take heavier course loads during times when their schedules permit. Our program is sufficiently flexible to accommodate these variations in scheduling.
What happens if I take a semester off?
Once you are accepted to the master’s program, the graduate school expects that you will be enrolled continuously during the academic year until you graduate. If you need to interrupt your program, you will need to apply to resume studies form to the Graduate School. More information is available from The Graduate School.
Your Penn State access account may have been deactivated during your absence.
What are the required courses for the Master’s program?
See the official World Campus program description page, or the LDT Program’s course descriptions page.
Where can I get more information on the courses?
First, see the LDT Program’s course descriptions page.
See details from World Campus for registering here.
Can I access sample syllabi for courses?
Our program protects its course syllabi as proprietary information. We consider syllabus requests on a case-by-case basis, and usually only provide them to students who are enrolled and in good standing with our programs. Should you have a need for a sample syllabus for a course in the LDT program, please contact the current Professor in Charge.
