departments & programs academic departments curriculum & instruction instructional technology masters Instructional Technology
Masters Program
Navigating this Site: To view Web pages for the Instructional Technology program, do NOT click any of the links above or to the left, as they will take you out of the I.T. site. Use only the links in the red and grey box to the right to view other I.T. Web pages, with the exception of the "C&I Home" link which will also take you out of the I.T. site.
Available Master's Programs
Master's degrees are awarded in the Instructional Technology program area in several categories:
- M.Ed. with 077 Instructional Technology Specialist licensure for students with an existing North Carolina A level certification in some area (K-12)
- M.Ed. without licensure for students only interested in a Master's
- M.S. with thesis requirement for students interested in pursuing a doctoral degree or research-related career
Other Non-Degree Options
The 079 computer endorsement for previously licensed teachers allows an individual to work part-time or full-time as a computer teacher, school computer coordinator, computer resource teacher, or computer lab teacher. Licensed A-level North Carolina teachers may take six Instructional Technology courses (18 hours) from an approved list to receive the 079 computer endorsement on their license. The six courses taken toward the 079 endorsement may count toward a Master’s degree, but are not sufficient for a Master’s degree. Students interested only in the 079 endorsement and not a degree program do not need to apply for a Master’s program, but can register through continuing education in non-degree studies (NDS) and take the required courses. Students apply for any receive their 079 endorsement from the state Department of Public Instruction, not NC State.
A completely online Graduate Certificate in E-Learning is offered jointly by the Instructional Technology program area and the department of Adult and Higher Education (5 courses, 15 hours), which some students may find a useful alternative to the Master’s programs if they would like to explore coursework in this field without committing to a full degree program. Courses taken in this certificate program may count toward the Instructional Technology M.Ed. or M.S. degrees, provided the student meets the requirements for program admission and is admitted to a degree program. Courses include EAC 539 (offered fall), EAC 560 (offered spring), ECI 517 (offered spring), ECI 716 (offered fall), and one elective chosen from EAC 559 (offered fall and spring), ECI 515 (offered spring), or ECI 509 (offered summer). See distance education course listings for details.
Master's Program Curriculum
Students seeking the M.Ed. must take 30 hours*. Students seeking the M.S. must take 36 hours*. The six additional hours required for the M.S. degree are taken in methodology and independent research pertaining to the thesis study. Students must complete all requirements for the Master's degree within six calendar years, beginning with the date the student commences courses carrying graduate credit applicable to the degree program.
Instructional Technology Curriculum Display (Word)
*Note, the number of required credit hours were reduced in Fall 2009 for both the M.Ed. and M.S. programs.
Instructional technology courses are aligned with the fall 2005, state-approved standards for the Master of Instructional Technology/Coordinator/Director of Technology License. These state standards are aligned with the ISTE/NCATE Technology Leadership (TL) Advanced Program standards.
Master's Program Admission
Selection of students for the Graduate Program in Instructional Technology is based on accomplishments in professional practice, previous scholarship, performance on standardized measures of academic abilities, and professional goals. An application to either the M.Ed. or M.S. Instructional Technology programs requires the following:
- two official copies of all undergraduate and graduate transcripts, including non-degree studies (NDS) at NC State
- satisfactory official scores on either the Miller Analogies Test (can be taken at NC State) or the Graduate Record Examination (GRE) (not older than 5 years)
- a minimum 3.0 GPA on all undergraduate work for unconditional admission (we may conditionally accept applicants falling slightly below this standard given professional experience or other high quality application materials)
- three letters of reference
- a statement of 500-800 words describing the applicant's professional goals to be accomplished through advanced study
- a writing sample (for M.S. students only, to gauge the applicant's ability to prepare a thesis)
Master’s applications are reviewed twice a year by program area faculty. Departmental deadlines for completed Master's degree applications are October 1 (for Spring semester admission) and March 1 (for Summer or Fall semester admission). All supporting documents must be received by the departmental deadline in order for an application to be considered. Late or incomplete applications will have to wait until the next department deadline to be reviewed. Note, the departmental deadlines are earlier than those of the Graduate School. There is no cap on the number of new Master’s students admitted per year, provided they meet the requirements for admission.
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Prospective students should apply online and send all applications materials to:
The Graduate School |
Transfer Credits
Students may transfer up to 12 credit hours into Instructional
Technology Master’s programs from graduate-level courses taken at NC State or
other accredited universities, provided the student earned a grade of “B” or
better. Information on transferring credit hours is provided by the Graduate
School on the following sites: http://www.fis.ncsu.edu/grad_catalog/transfer_credits.htm
http://www.fis.ncsu.edu/grad_catalog/masters_credit_hours.htm
Taking Courses Before Admission
Students may enroll in non-degree studies (NDS) at NC State prior to admission in a Master’s program. As stated previously, up to 12 hours of coursework taken in NDS can be transferred into a Master’s program, should the student be admitted. For further information on NDS, see http://www.ncsu.edu/nds/application/index.html
Special Requirements for Students Seeking 077 Licensure
Once admitted, students seeking 077 licensure must meet three additional requirements: a midpoint essay, an internship, and a portfolio. After a student has completed approximately half of their core courses in the I.T. curriculum, they must complete a short midpoint essay not to exceed three double-spaced pages, reflecting on the signature artifacts (i.e., projects) they have completed in each of their core I.T. courses. The essay serves as the program's mid-point gateway in connection with NCATE requirements.
The I.T. Internship course (ECI 652) provides students with an opportunity to apply research, concepts, and skills, from their I.T. classes to an authentic setting with an identified instructional technology need. The internship is 150 hours, equivalent to a 3-hour course, typically taken near the end of the student's program, and includes a weekly reflection and 20-page paper. Please review the I.T. Internship form for further details, recommended internship sites, and required documentation.
Finally, students seeking licensure must develop an Instructional Technology Portfolio to document their mastery of Technology Leadership Advanced Program Standards. To fulfill the portfolio requirement, students assemble a set of designated signature artifacts (i.e., projects) produced in program area core courses along with assessment details received from course instructors. The portfolio serves as the program's culminating project or completion gateway in connection with NCATE requirements. The artifacts may be organized electronically on a CD or compiled in a notebook. The portfolio is turned in to the student's advisor during the semester in which the student graduates, no later than the last day of classes for the semester. The following signature artifacts must be included in the portfolio if the student took the course:
| Course | Artifact |
| ECI 511, Computer Applications and Curriculum Integration | oral history project |
| ECI 512, Emerging Technologies for Teaching and Learning | 21st century learning experience |
| ECI 513, Videography for Education | problem context video |
| ECI 514, Multimedia Design and Applications in Instruction | digital movie project |
| ECI 515, Internet Applications and Web Page Design in Instruction | educational web site |
| ECI 517, Advanced Multimedia Design and Applications in Instruction | collaborative web module |
| ECI 652, Internship in Instructional Technology | research paper |
| ECI 716, Design and Evaluation Of Instructional Materials | client project |
Special Requirements for M.S. Students
Students working toward the M.S. are required to complete a research study and written thesis under the direction of a committee of three faculty members. The following steps are required:
Master's Advisory Committee. Near the completion of two semesters of coursework, students in consultation with their advisor should form a master's advisory committee consisting of 3 faculty members (typically two from C&I and one external member). If the student does not have a faculty member from outside the department on their committee, the Graduate School may require a representative to attend the final oral examination to ensure fairness of process.
Graduate Plan of Work. After admission and before half the program credits are earned (i.e., 21 of 42), the student submits a graduate plan of work specifying the courses and research hours they will take and when. The POW should include both a list of the course work to be undertaken (in all programs) and the thesis topic. The student should schedule their first committee meeting to review the POW and obtain committee signatures. The plan must also be signed by the department's Director of Graduate Programs or Department Head prior to submission to the Graduate School for final approval. See the program's Forms page to access the Plan of Work template.
Preliminary Oral Examination (Thesis Proposal Presentation). After informal consultation with their advsior and committee members to prepare a thesis proposal, the student schedules a second committee meeting to defend their thesis proposal. This meeting is scheduled internally in the department, not through the Graduate School. The thesis proposal typically includes the first three chapters of the thesis specifying a research problem, related literature review, and methodology. The committee must have the proposal at least two weeks in advance of the proposal presentation, providing them time to read and prepare comments. A successful presentation of the proposal indicates that the advisory committee approves the topic, the theoretical rationale, and the research methodology of the proposed study. Formal approval of the proposal must be obtained before initiation of the thesis research.
Final Oral Examination (Defense of the Thesis). After completing their research, analysis, and preparation of the thesis in frequent consultation with their advisor, the student schedules a final oral examination with their committee, representing the third committee meeting. The committee must have the completed thesis at least two weeks in advance of the final oral examination, providing them time to read and prepare comments. The Graduate School must be notified of the date of the final oral examination at least two weeks in advance. The student must notify the department secretary, Irene Armstrong, to schedule the examination with the Graduate School.
Assistantships and Financial Support
Although courses in the Master's programs are moving to an entirely online format, some assistantships are available for students attending school full-time (9 credit hours per semester) who live near Raleigh and can work on campus, renewable on an annual basis. Assistantships typically require 20 hours of work per week, pay $12,000-15,000 per semester depending on duties, and come with tuition remission and health benefits. Several assistantships are based at the Friday Institute on grant-funded projects, providing students with excellent opportunities to engage in research and writing throughout their degree program. Students interested in assistantships should notify the instructional technology program coordinator shortly after they have been admitted to inquire into any open positions.
Other support for graduate studies may be sought through fellowships and scholarships. The Graduate School maintains a page dedicated to financing graduate education.
Contact
For further information about Instructional Technology Master's Programs, please email:
Kevin Oliver, Assistant Professor and
Instructional Technology Program Coordinator
Department of Curriculum and Instruction
602K Poe Hall, Box 7801
College of Education
Raleigh, NC 27695-7801
kevin_oliver at ncsu dot edu
