Northern Illinois University
Department of Educational Technology, Research and Assessment
College of Education

K-12 Technology Specialist

Think you're too busy to become a trailblazer in instructional technology? Think again.

If you already hold your Illinois Professional Educator License, four semesters are all you’ll need to complete our online accelerated M.S.Ed. in Instructional Technology degree with your K-12 Technology Specialist endorsement.And we're ready when you are: New cohorts begin each year! You'll meet online for coursework grouped to integrate complementary topics, and attend occasional pre-scheduled, face-to-face meetings each term at NIU campuses. You'll also enjoy the professional collaboration and continuity of a cohort through shared experiences and networking. Our program meets Illinois State Board of Education standards.

Admission Overview

• You must hold a baccalaureate degree (or higher) and an Illinois Professional Educator License.
• All application materials (application, letters of recommendation, statement of purpose, transcripts) must be uploaded through CollegeNet. Instructions to create your own account are available on the Graduate School website. 

Apply Online

Accomplishments

We're the state's largest public university producer of Educational Technology graduates. Our online M.S.Ed. in Instructional Technology program is among our online graduate programs ranked No. 28 in the country for 2022, according to U.S. News & World Report. This marks our tenth consecutive spot among the nation's top ten percent. Our faculty-designed online graduate courses continue to receive the Blackboard Best Online Course Design Award.

Course Sequence

Term 1

• ETT 510: Instructional Media and Technology
• ETT 570: IT Administration
• ETT 592: Learn-IT Orientation to Online Learning

Term 2

• ETT 535: Distance Ed. Design and Delivery
• ETT 536: Web Based Learning
• ETT 553: Professional Standards in IT

Term 3

• ETT 573: Instructional Technology Facilities
• ETR531/ETR537 Program Evaluation/Learning Analytics
• ETT511/ETT556 Visual literacy/User Experience Design

Term 4

• ETT 560: Instructional Design
• ETT 569: Practicum
• ETT 587: Comprehensive Exam, ePortfolio
• ETT 592: Learn-IT