N I U Instructional Technology Master Program

IT master Program

IT M.S.Ed..
Hours Required	39
For Whom	SAL or Graduate

This 39-semester-hour program prepares students to be competent practitioners and creative learners in all major areas of the field.

Students develop competencies in such areas as performance technology, instructional software design and development, media administration, program evaluation, and instructional design, development, and evaluation. The program serves two distinct populations:

persons seeking to enhance their performance in a current position and/or advance to more responsible positions, and
those seeking to redirect their professional lives toward the challenges of new opportunities in a new field.
Either may be found within school or non-school settings.

Students in the first group enter the program with experience directly relevant to their goals, and thus aspire upon graduation to enhanced performance on the job (e.g. master teacher, lead instructional designer) and/or higher level positions within their career path (e.g., a teacher who becomes department chair or library/media center director, an instructional designer who becomes a training manager).

Students in the second group qualify for entry level positions in new careers (e.g., a former liberal arts major who joins a corporate training organization; a former marketing representative becomes a multimedia software designer). Students develop and refine concrete competencies in instructional design, development, and evaluation; performance technology; computer-based learning; instructional media; and media administration.

The M.S.Ed. program in Instructional Technology prepares students for professional roles in multiple, diverse settings. In all cases, the goal is superior performance in practice. Learning objectives for students enrolled in the M.S.Ed. program stress demonstrable skills and performance. The four general objectives listed below summarize those skills of which all students should be capable, regardless of their specific area of interest within the degree program.

Students will demonstrate ability to:

Utilize instructional technology hardware and software for the development of instructional materials. Technologies include computerized instructional applications, video and audio presentations, graphics design, presentation or platform aids, distance delivery systems and instructional design processes.
Develop instructional activities leading to the acquisition of skills in an educational setting. These activities may include visual literacy theory, applications of instructional design techniques, and theoretical concepts of technology planning and utilization.
Administer an instructional technology program or operation in either a school or business setting. Management of staff, development and management of budgets, project management, space utilization, and development of storage and retrieval techniques are included in this objective.
Test theory, research, and ideas while developing an appreciation for different points of view, by engaging in spirited dialog with faculty and other graduate students in courses and through creation of written papers and projects assessed by faculty and peers. These skills may be demonstrated in courses or in independent study settings.

Admission to the Master’s Degree Program

To be considered for admission, prospective master's students must submit to the Graduate School the following:

Completed Application for Admission to the Graduate School. The Degree is Master of Science in Education; the Department is Educational Technology, Research and Assessment (ETRA); and the Major is Instructional Technology.)
Official transcripts of all undergraduate degrees and graduate degrees or course work from accredited colleges or universities. Minimum GPAs for undergraduate degree and graduate degree/work are 2.75 and 3.20, respectively.
Scores on the General Test (verbal, quantitative, and analytical) of the Graduate Record Examination (GRE). An applicant may submit GMAT or MAT scores in lieu of GRE scores.
A personal statement of career goals.
Two letters of reference from professors, employers, supervisors, or colleagues that address professional qualifications and potential for success in the field of Instructional Technology at the master's degree level.

The faculty in the Department of Educational Technology, Research and Assessment select the best-qualified applicants for admission to its programs. When the number of applicants exceeds a program's capacity, qualified applicants may be denied admission and encouraged to reapply at a later date. Decisions about admissions are ordinarily made each term.

Any applicant who is denied admission to a program in the department may submit to the appropriate program admissions committee a written request for reconsideration that includes information not previously submitted. Final decisions of program admissions committees may be appealed to the department's Committee on Admissions, Retention, and Professional Standards. Appeals to this committee must be in writing and must explain the basis for appeal.

Individuals who fail to satisfy the GPA criterion or whose test scores are low may request special consideration of their application. Such a request must be made in writing, must include a description of compensatory evidence related to the deficiency, and should accompany the Application for Admission to the Graduate School. Compensatory evidence may include relevant work experience, length of time since the undergraduate degree, grades in graduate level course work, or other extenuating circumstances.

Master’s Advising and Program Planning

Upon admission to the Master's program, each new student is assigned an advisor who works with the student to plan a program of study and provide assistance during completion of the program. It is the student's responsibility to meet with the advisor at an early date to plan the program of study, including possible inclusion of transfer and student-at-large hours, and discuss related matters. Early consultation with the advisor will minimize problems throughout the degree program.

Master’s Program Requirements

The M.S.Ed. in instructional technology requires a minimum of 39 semester hours of graduate course work, determined jointly by the student and adviser. An approved program of courses includes general requirements in research and foundations courses, courses in instructional technology, and electives as follows.

A research course approved by adviser (3)
An educational foundations course approved by adviser (3)
Additional instructional technology (ETT) courses approved by adviser (23-33)
Electives (0-9)

Students focusing on performance technology, instructional design and development, or school library media certification may be required to include internship or practicum courses as part of the required course work.

Beginning courses in Instructional Technology , totaling 24-30 semester hours, usually include: ETT 429 (Computers in Classroom Teaching), ETT 510 (Instructional Media and Technology), and ETT 560 (Instructional Design I).

Coursework in Instructional Technology is completed in areas of the field such as computer-based learning, instructional design, performance technology and training, visual literacy, technology administration, futures of technology, internships and practica, and media production. Electives outside of IT may be chosen from any department and often include courses in adult education, business, communications, and art. Non-ETT electives may total 0-9 semester hours.

For student's possessing a Master of Science in Education degree from NIU, the dual credit option may be elected, allowing them to reuse nine credits from the previous degree (see Graduate Catalog). Other master's degrees from NIU can also provide hours in this dual credit option. See your advisor for details.

Student-at-Large and Transfer Credit

Students-at-large are normally prohibited from registering for graduate courses in instructional technology unless they are pursuing an approved certification or endorsement in school library media. A maximum of 15 student-at-large and transfer semester hours in combination may be applied toward the master’s degree in instructional technology. With the approval of the student’s faculty adviser, a student who has completed endorsement and/or certification requirements in school library media at NIU as a student-at-large may apply some or all of those student-at-large hours towards the master’s degree in instructional technology.

Master’s Internships and Practica

The Master's program may include credit for practicum and/or internship experiences.

A practicum is an individual project which is completed within a semester in cooperation with a school or business client. The practicum is taken as a class but the project is completed individually within project constraints. Student must complete and have on file in the department office the appropriate contract and supporting paperwork for the practicum before they enroll in the course or start any work on it.

Instructional design internships are available in local or regional area schools, industries, or businesses. An internship is either a full-time or part-time experience with a school or business. Most business internships and some school internships are paid positions.

Students seeking placement as interns must contact the IT Internship Coordinator as early as possible and no later than early in the semester preceding the period during which placement is desired. Internship contracts are available in the Instructional Technology office or on our Web page under Resources at http://www.cedu.niu.edu/etra.

Media Specialist internships are arranged with an appropriate school media center. Media Specialist certificate programs recommend a minimum of 100 hours of internship experience. These internships are arranged through the internship coordinator as above. Many certificate candidates help to arrange their internships at a school district of interest and convenient to them.

Master’s Comprehensive Examination

All candidates for the M.S.Ed. in Instructional Technology must successfully complete a "comprehensive examination." This exam can be completed in the form of a Professional Portfolio Review -OR- a Written Examination.

The Professional Portfolio Review offers students an authentic and performance-based assessment conducted through self reflection and peer and faculty review. Students select and present artifacts from their course work and experiences while enrolled in the program to demonstrate competence in each of six Areas of Mastery. The Areas of Mastery are based on the Seels and Richey (1994) definition of the field. They include Professional Development, Analytical and Integrative Thinking, Instructional Design, Media and Technology Development, Management and Implementation and, Evaluation.

The Written Exam requires students to develop a focused question and an essay response, similar to a class paper assignment. The question is negotiated and approved by the exam advisor. The response is evaluated by a committee of three Instructional Technology faculty members.

For either comprehensive examination format:

Students must be enrolled in the term in which they take their comprehensive exam.
Students must contact the Instructional Technology office in writing during the semester prior to anticipated program completion and graduation to obtain an application and information packet .
Candidates who are unsuccessful on their first attempt at the comprehensive exam may request a second attempt, the outcome of which is final.

Master’s Graduation Requirements

Prior to registration for the final term, the student must submit an Application for Graduation to the Graduate School. The form can be obtained from the Graduate School and must be signed by the ETRA program adviser. A graduation fee is paid through the Bursar's office. Application for graduation must meet specific deadlines.

Upon completion of all course requirements, after passing the comprehensive examination, and upon final approval of the Graduate School, the student will receive the Master of Science in Education degree with a major in Instructional Technology.

Master’s Time Limit

The student must fulfill all requirements for a degree within the six consecutive years immediately preceding the date of the student's graduation from that degree program. This time limit applies to enrollment in all graduate course work in the student's program including work for which transfer credit is allowed.

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IT master Program

Admission to the Master’s Degree Program

Master’s Program Requirements

Student-at-Large and Transfer Credit

Master’s Internships and Practica

Master’s Comprehensive Examination

Master’s Graduation Requirements

Master’s Time Limit

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